Introduction
Firstly I would like to thank all of the participants for their active engagement in our latest round table, your commitment, and willingness to share your own knowledge and experiences are what makes these sessions so valuable. For all those who were not able to make it to our latest session, we focused on what the group saw as ‘real-world’ benefits of using digital twin data for construction recruitment, as usual, we have summarized the event, and pulled out the questions that sparked the most debate and wider thinking.
Unlocking the Potential
Our conversation delved into the challenge of aligning candidate skills with project requirements. Participants voiced concerns about the inefficiencies and resource-draining nature of this process. While there was broad agreement on the potential benefits of skill matching through digital twins, there were varying opinions on its practical implementation.
A range of approaches to address skill-matching challenges was discussed. Some participants favoured comprehensive skill matching through digital twins for all candidates, while others suggested a more selective approach based on project requirements. The consensus that emerged stressed flexibility. We recognized that different roles, candidates, or projects have unique demands, and thus, we advocated for a tailored approach. This tiered strategy enables organizations to deploy digital twins extensively for critical roles or complex projects and sparingly for others, optimizing resource allocation while ensuring precise skill matching.
Proactive Talent Strategy: We’ve been caught off guard by skill shortages in the past. With digital twins, we can anticipate our talent needs.”*The discussion transitioned to predictive talent analytics. HR directors expressed concerns about the unpredictability of skill shortages. Participants had varying levels of experience with predictive talent analytics using digital twins and discussed its application in their organizations.
A range of approaches to predictive talent analytics emerged. While all participants recognized its value, some had already embraced it, leveraging digital twins as a cornerstone, while others sought guidance on data sources and tools. The consensus leaned toward collaboration to develop standardized data-sharing protocols, with the understanding that organizations could tailor their approaches to their specific needs. This collaborative approach ensures that the industry is better equipped to proactively address skill shortages.
Remote Assessment and Onboarding Made Seamless: Remote work is here to stay. Digital twins are our ticket to effective remote assessment and onboarding.”*With the rise of remote work, the group addressed concerns about remote assessment and onboarding. Participants had varying levels of experience with remote assessment and onboarding using digital twins and discussed its practical implementation. A variety of solutions for remote assessment and onboarding were explored. While all recognized the importance of adapting to remote work, there was a range of experiences and comfort levels with digital twin integration. Collaboration was key, with participants sharing best practices and experiences. The consensus was to leverage the flexibility of digital twins to tailor remote assessment and onboarding approaches according to individual organizational needs, ensuring effective remote integration.
A Platform for Collaboration and Evaluation: Our projects are team efforts, and we need candidates who can seamlessly collaborate. Digital twins offer a way to evaluate that.”*The conversation highlighted the multidisciplinary nature of construction projects, often involving teams scattered across various locations. Participants recognized the value of evaluating collaborative skills within digital twins, but they had different perspectives on specific criteria and evaluation methods. Various evaluation criteria for collaboration within digital twins were discussed. The consensus leaned toward customizing assessments based on specific roles and projects, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. This approach allows organizations to tailor their evaluation criteria to the unique requirements of each recruitment process, ensuring a nuanced assessment of candidates’ collaborative abilities.
Data-Driven Decision-Making Skills: In a dynamic industry like ours, we need candidates who can make quick, informed decisions. Digital twins help us assess that.”*Lastly, the group discussed the need for candidates with strong decision-making skills in a fast-paced industry. Participants had varying ideas on how to evaluate decision-making abilities through digital twins, including the specific project data points to consider. A variety of assessment approaches for decision-making skills within digital twins were explored. While all participants agreed on the importance of evaluating these skills, there were differing perspectives on the specifics. The consensus leaned toward collaboration on defining key decision-making competencies and developing assessment tools that could be customized based on the requirements of each recruitment process, ensuring a robust evaluation of candidates’ decision-making abilities.
In Conclusion: The immense potential of digital twin technologies should be changing construction recruitment more than what is in their respective organizations. The responses to all topics were characterized by a range of insights, and a multitude of approaches to similar issues, which further highlighted this cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach, but rather tailored to the maturity of how they operate, but in the spirit of ‘knowledge aired is knowledge shared’, all participants agreed they had benefited.
