Is Human Capital Ready for Change? A Strategic Approach Adapting Porter’s Five Forces to Human Resources

Abstract

This article argues for adapting Porter’s Five Forces Model to strategic human resources management. The world business environment is facing real challenges: Shortage of talents, ageing of the world population, and disappearance of repetitive jobs. For a sustainable approach, the quality and stability of human capital should be analyzed strategically, based on the influence of five forces which act in the market: Competition in the industrial sector between specialists with core competencies (rivalry), demands of the hiring companies in terms of the number of employees and updated skills (organizations as buyers), recruitment companies and schools (suppliers), effects of globalization on people’s migration (new entrants), and modern technologies and innovation (substitutes). The stronger the forces are, the harder it will be for the organization to select or retain valuable employees who will add value to products/services. Actual and future employees should analyze the intensity of these forces when they plan to prepare for jobs or change their career. This analysis was focused mainly on the manufacturing sector, where jobs based on repetitive or dangerous tasks may disappear in time.