Human resource professionals and readiness for the future of work

Abstract

The current shift in the world of work, moving from a conventional to a digitalized workplace, has necessitated that professionals embrace and prepare for emerging work patterns. This study evaluates the readiness of human resource (HR) professionals for future work, given the emerging trends of the technologies of the fourth industrial revolution in Nigeria. This is particularly important because the HR professionals are responsible for the entire workforce in any organization and there are concerns that if HR is left out in the current transition to the fourth industrial revolution, many business segments will witness setbacks. The study leveraged on primary data and a survey of 218 HR professionals was conducted across organisations using survey monkey. Chi-square test of independence was used to ascertain the HR professionals' readiness, vis-a-vis their current grade level, supervisory responsibilities, and personal development plans. Findings revealed that most HR professionals are generally not ready for future work in Nigeria, as indicated by a p-value above 0.05. The result further shows that the higher the grade level, the less prepared they are for future work. This paper emphasized how human resource practitioners can prepare for the emerging shift in their world of work and policy recommendations were highlighted