HR Managers Meet at ZEW to Discuss Labour 4.0

On 21 May 2019, human resources managers from SMEs and large corporations in Mannheim and the surrounding area met to exchange experiences on Labour 4.0. The meeting organised by the German Association for People Management (DGFP e.V.) offered guests the opportunity to examine and discuss this widely debated issue on the basis of ZEW research findings.

At the beginning of the meeting, Doris Brettar, head of ZEW’s HR department, gave an overview of the research institute. This was followed by a presentation on the effects of digitalisation on jobs by Dr. Ulrich Zierahn, senior researcher in ZEW’s Research Department “Labour Markets and Human Resources”. In this context, Zierahn emphasised that digitalisation does not change the number, but rather the nature of jobs, and argued that the real challenge is to make workers fit for the jobs of the future. Dr. Jörg Ohnemus, deputy head of the Research Department “Digital Economy”, then provided insights into the progress and challenges of the digitalisation of the Germany economy. He argued that, while digitalisation has been growing in the industrial sector, the level of digitalisation has remained relatively stable in the service sector. A key challenge continues to be the nationwide expansion of the broadband network in Germany.

The presentations were met with great interest and encouraged a lively exchange of views among the participants. As part of this working party, HR managers from companies in the region regularly meet to discuss issues that cover the entire range of topics related to personnel management. The DGFP is the leading professional organisation for human resources management in Germany.