Tiffin University welcomed 63 CEOs, human resource leaders and influencers at the Innovation Summit on Thursday, November 16. The diverse industries represented ranged from banking, education, financial, healthcare, insurance, legal, logistics, manufacturing, recruitment, sales, to local and regional economic entities and state legislative entities.
The University gathered the group to gain insight into trends shaping the industry and the skills and dispositions required of the future workforce.
Jake Wood, Executive Chairman of Team Rubicon and Founder and CEO of Groundswell, provided the keynote address. Wood is an award-winning entrepreneur, two-time author and recognized expert on topics of leadership, organizational culture and crisis management. He recently founded Groundswell, a revolutionary venture-backed financial technology company that is looking to disrupt philanthropy and employee compensation by making personal charitable foundations as common as 401(k)s.
Findings from the Summit
- Significant trends in the workforce including:
- Increased mental health issues and difficulties adapting to technology.
- Importance of personal growth, interest in one’s career and investing time and energy to attract talented individuals.
- Importance of employee retention, leadership development and creating a culture that values professional growth.
- Trends that are most challenging include:
- The importance and challenge of adapting to new technology in one’s daily tasks.
- The significant of early adoption of technology, especially AI, was highlighted.
- Challenges in attracting talent and efforts.
- Most important skills needed in the workplace include:
- Skills such as critical thinking, effective communication, project management and soft skills are identified as crucial for future workforce development.
- The importance of preparing employees for advancement by teaching both technical and business skills.
For more information, contact Dr. Amy Wood, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff at woodar@tiffin.edu.