Stanbic IBTC tasks employees on digitisation, upskilling

Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, a member of Standard Bank Group, has urged employees to embrace digitization and build career resilience through diversity and upskilling to be outstanding in the workplace. Olufunke Amobi, Country Head, Human Capital, gave this advice during a Virtual Learning Series themed “Building Career Resilience”.

Amobi revealed that forces of change such as globalization and rapid technological advancements such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, cognitive technologies and crowdsourcing, amongst others, are the rationale for the evolution of careers and their shift from traditional to contemporary.

She noted that the traditional career path was defined in terms of linear progression up the firm’s hierarchy while seeking to obtain greater extrinsic rewards. The contemporary career trajectory, on the other hand, focuses on experiences and competencies that exist across firms, driven by values that are more flexible and dynamic.

Amobi also encouraged participants to build contemporary careers as well as a strong network to enable them attain success in their professions. She also advocated the need for workers to invest in technology and exploit various websites for free online courses to develop their digital literacy skills.

She further stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the workplace culture, emphasizing that workers that would survive these times are those that can easily adapt in the rapidly changing world. She counselled employees to acquire various skillsets to enable them to respond to changes in the workplace, noting that “we are in a Volatile Uncertain Complex Ambiguous (VUCA) world.”

According to her, the internet age bordered on contemporary career, which is self-directed and non-linear. “Building diversity and depth of skill are key in multiplying knowledge and skillset and making them future proof. That is the reality of the 4th industrial revolution that sees a rise of the internet age” she said.

She cited how most jobs during the lockdown were done remotely and online, adding that the dexterity in such times will be considered during recruitment processes. She however encouraged workers to build their careers based on their passion as that is a sure way to build their network faster while on the job.

She also urged workers to respond to the new normal by being proactive and not reactive. “There is the need to be creative, innovative and knowledgeable about digitization and the wave of change” she said.