Wayne Macpherson, Michelle R. Mey, Amanda Werner
Abstract
Exponential technological development and change pose operational and talent challenges for organisations in the South African automotive industry, making it essential to identify, source and develop skills needed for Industry 4.0 (Maisiri & Van Dyk, 2021). The purpose of this paper was to confirm a proposed Hybrid Skills Set for automotive organisations in South Africa (MacPherson, 2021) and to determine if current talent strategies used by these organisations were aligned with Industry 4.0 skills requirements. An on-line survey exploring the perceptions of 137 representatives from automotive organisations in South Africa confirmed the components of the proposed Hybrid Skills Set. Contrary to expectations, technical skills did not emerge as the most essential skill component in the Hybrid Skills Set. Conceptual, human and personal skills ranked as most important. Statistically significant relationships found among the various components of the Hybrid Skills Set attested to their interrelatedness. In addition, significant positive correlations were noted between the various skills components in the Hybrid Skills Set and the talent strategies (recruitment, selection and retention) used in these organisations, but less so for the human skills component. The results of this study have managerial implications, and specifically for the re-alignment of skills with Industry 4.0 requirements through appropriate talent strategies. The upskilling and reskilling of existing employees, and a renewed focus on attracting talent specifically targeted for Industry 4.0 are crucial for competitiveness and survival.