Are Four-Day Workweeks on The Horizon?

Four-day workweeks emerge as the latest competitive mechanism to boost morale and retention amid heightened talent scarcity. Meanwhile, Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) has reduced issued scholarships for postgraduate students abroad, a decision that has undercut financing options for the most economically vulnerable.

Industry leaders reflect on people development, the skills needed to succeed in a digital-first economy and building flexible work models in the service industry.

This week in Talent news and developments:

Mexico

Mexican Companies Begin to Implement a Four-Day Workweek

The number of Mexicans who would accept a four-day workweek has increased to 94 percent from 2018, as long as they would receive the same salary they would during a regular five-day working week, according to a survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Citrix. This has prompted government and private initiatives to test the viability of the model. 

CONACYT Provides Lowest Number of Scholarships in 10 Years

CONACYT reduced its scholarships for postgraduate studies abroad by 83 percent from 2018 to 2021, according to a report. The decrease has had a disproportionate impact on the most economically vulnerable, who lack financing options offered to students from affluent families.

Industry

As a Leader, What Do You Do to Develop Your People?

Encouraging collaboration is the first task for a team, as it will be necessary to build trust to facilitate relationships. Likewise, strengthening others within the team will create a self-determination to participate and develop competencies, said MBN expert contributor Mario Rodríguez Hernandez, Director, The Leadership Sense.

New Digital-First Era Requires New Skills

The baseline of competencies and skills needed by organizations has shifted with the emergence of a digital-first economy and will assuredly continue to evolve with the introduction of new disruptive technologies and digital platforms. The dilemma is that most organizations do not have such initiatives in place, a problem further underscored by talent scarcity, said Gabriela Rodríguez, Regional Manager, Evaluar.

Building a Great, Flexible Place to Work

Operational talent management is an entirely parallel universe with challenges that supersede that of administrative management. Implementing a hybrid model for service companies has thus implied a completely different analysis and the reinvention of processes to create a great, flexible place to work, said MBN expert contributor Ingo Babrikowski, CEO, Estafeta. 

International

USMCA in Action: Reinventing Mexico’s Labor Democracy

The automotive sector is attempting to lead the entire Mexican industrial sector toward greater worker representation. The shift could lead the way towards fairer working conditions principled on Mexican workers’ ability to freely elect their representatives and actively participate in the decision-making processes of their organizations.