Human Resource Management – Knowledge Workers
Knowledge Workers
To meet their human capital needs, companies are increasingly trying to attract, develop and retain knowledge workers. Knowledge workers are employees whose main contribution to the organization is specialized knowledge, such as knowledge of customers, a process, or a profession. Knowledge workers are especially needed for jobs in health services, business services, social services, engineering and management.
Knowledge workers are in a position of power, because they own the knowledge that the company needs in order to produce its products & services, and they must share their knowledge & collaborate with others in order for their employer to succeed.
As more firms become knowledge based, they must promote & capture learning at the level of employees, teams, and the overall employees.
Employers are more interested in evidence that job candidates will excel at working in teams or interacting with customers. These skills also support an employee's ability to gather and share knowledge, helping the organizations to innovate and meet customer needs. To the extent that technical skills are important, employers often are most interested in the ability to use information technology, including the Internet and statistical software.