Adapting to the Workforce of the Future

Adapting to the Wor

By Richard L. Gaw

When job seekers walk through the door of the Malvern office of Express Employment Professionals, they are met with reassurance and some of the most empowering words in the English language. On the side wall, above the hard-working recruiters’ workspaces, are painted the words “Unstoppable,” “Mission and Purpose,” “Thrive,” “Respecting People, Impacting Business,” and “Integrity, Honesty, and Force for Good.”

These values point to an additional word – “Partnerships” – which is the primary foundation for a company that has served the greater Exton community since 2015. During the past seven years, Express Employment Professionals has filled thousands of positions that help form the backbone of the regional economy: accountants, customer service representatives, administrative assistants, mid level management, logistics, data entry specialists and careers in skilled trades and manufacturing. “I often say that we are the Match.com for business – connecting great people to great companies,” said O’Connell, who received the 2019 Exton Region Chamber of Commerce Small Business Person of the Year. “We extend that sense of partnership with a job seeker who walks in as well with our client businesses. We have always operated under the principle of meeting people where they are and having them feel like a million bucks with our interactions. It’s all about respecting people and impacting business.” While the words on the wall will continue to steer the direction of the Malvern office of Express Employment Professionals, the world outside its offices is a dramatically different one than the time O’Connell first began the company in November of 2015. Over that time, the modern workforce continues to experience seismic shifts that are changing the way we work and the way we conduct business. While several factors are at work -- the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, automation, globalization and advancements in technology – perhaps the largest trend is the ever-changing demographics of the workplace. The American economy has seen the natural transgression of generations empower the workforce – from Baby Boomers to Gen X to Millennials. Now, a new generation is emerging. Born between 1997 and

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rkforce of the Future

Photo by Richard L. Gaw Maria O’Connell, right, owner of Express Employment Professionals in Malvern with her staff, from left, Kelly Clarke, Emily Roberts, Taylor Lawson and Carol McLaughlin.

2010, Gen Z now accounts for nearly 40 percent of the global workforce, requiring businesses to adapt to a population raised on technology and the internet, and who are entering the modern workplace with groundbreaking expectations – for their work environment and for themselves.

Rethinking ‘Work’

“In order to meet all of these changes, businesses have to rethink the word ‘Work,’” said O’Connell, who also serves as the Chair of the Workforce Development Board of Chester County. “People no longer wish to go to work in a traditional sense, trading time for money in an environment that doesn’t also make them fulfilled with purpose. . People want to become a part of an organization where they find joy and feel how their effort contributes to a mission. People are looking to create a lifestyle for themselves that includes generating an income and also being part of something greater. At one time, the employer had the upper hand when the supply and demand of available workforce was reversed, but you’re starting to see that leveled out. People are choosing where to spend their time and share their expertise. When you think about successful companies that best support the workforce of the future, they have to be employee-centered. “We’re having new discussions with our job seekers that typically start with why first and then move to what. Why would you want to join the organization? We tell them, ‘Here’s what it is like to work at this company. Here are the ways leaders in the company value your work. Here is how you will see the impact of your work.’” The generational talents of Gen Zers are driving the conversation and the economy forward. To illustrate, the World Economic Forum recently identified the top five skills for the workforce of 2025: Analytical

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