The future of work in digital health – Strategic HR Planning

The Future of Jobs Report 2025 by the World Economic Forum highlights major structural shifts expected to reshape global labour markets by 2030. According to the report, broadening digital access is the most transformative trend, and rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), data processing, robotics, and automation are accelerating demand for technology-related skills.

At the same time, economic pressures such as the rising cost of living and slower economic growth are increasing the importance of human-centred skills, including resilience, flexibility, and creative thinking. The report further highlights that existing skills are expected to become outdated by 2030, and that employers identify skills gaps as the biggest barrier to business transformation.

Demographic and structural shifts are also influencing workforce dynamics. Growing working-age populations in developing economies are expanding labour supply, while demand for healthcare roles is increasing globally. Organisations are placing greater emphasis on reskilling and upskilling, with most employers planning to prioritise workforce development to address changing skill requirements.

These trends are reshaping how organisations approach workforce planning, talent management, and long-term capability building. (World Economic Forum, 2025).

Discovery Limited’s Strategic Context

Discovery Limited is a South African-based organisation operating across the health insurance, life insurance, and financial services sectors. The company is widely recognised for its shared-value business model, which aims to align the health and financial well-being of clients with the organisation’s commercial performance.

A central component of Discovery’s strategy is its Vitality programme, a behaviour-based wellness system that uses incentives, data analytics, and digital platforms to encourage healthier lifestyles. This model has been extended internationally through partnerships in markets such as the United Kingdom, United States, and Asia.

In recent years, Discovery has increased its investment in digital health and technology- enabled services, including mobile health applications, data-driven risk assessment tools, and telemedicine capabilities. These initiatives rely heavily on the integration of big data analytics, customer engagement platforms, and personalised healthcare interventions to improve health outcomes and operational efficiency.

The organisation’s strategic direction reflects broader global trends toward digital transformation in healthcare, where technology is used to expand access, improve service delivery, and enhance preventative care. As a result, Discovery’s future growth is increasingly dependent on its ability to develop and manage a workforce with strong capabilities in data analytics, digital technologies, and healthcare expertise.

Scenario

In 2026, Discovery approves a strategic initiative to expand its digital health platform into Kenya and Nigeria. The expansion aims to leverage increasing digital access and growing demand for healthcare services in these markets. However, senior management recognises that the success of this strategy depends on the organisation’s ability to develop and manage a workforce with the appropriate skills and capabilities.

Based on the Future of Jobs Report 2025 and internal assessments, Discovery has identified several workforce-related challenges:

• Digital skills shortages;
• Healthcare and digital capability integration;
• Cross-border talent management;
• Regulatory, labour market, and cultural challenges;
• Workforce skill transformation; and
• Strategic alignment of HR and business goals.

Discovery has begun initial expansion activities; however, HR planning remains largely reactive. There is no fully integrated approach linking workforce planning to the organisation’s strategic objectives, raising concerns about the sustainability and effectiveness of the expansion.

Question 1  

Q1   As the Strategic HR Director at Discovery Limited, you are responsible for supporting the organisation’s expansion into Kenya and Nigeria through its digital health platform.

Write a report in which you critically examine the strategic human resource planning process in the context of Discovery’s digital health expansion into Kenya and Nigeria. Your answer should identify and explain the key steps, analyse their alignment with business strategy, and evaluate how this alignment contributes to sustainable competitive advantage in the African digital health market. Apply your discussion to challenges such as digital skills shortages, cross-border talent management, and healthcare expertise.

Experts Answer on Above Question on HRM

Strategic HR planning for Discovery Limited digital health expansion

Introduction

The decision of Discovery limited to perform expansion into the markets of Kenya and Nigeria required strategic HR planning that aligns properly with workforce capabilities and business objectives. With the help of effective HR planning, it will be possible to address any kind of digital skills shortages, healthcare expertise, cross border talent management and sustainable organisational growth.

Environmental scanning

The internal factors affecting the workforce planning are shortages of AI, lack of Data Analytics professionals, employees having digital health care expertise, and reactive nature of existing HR systems as compared to strategic nature. The external factors responsible for effective workforce planning are the growing demand for digital healthcare in Kenya and Nigeria, labour laws and Employment regulations, competition for skilled technology and cultural and language differences.

Forecast future work force requirement

On the basis of the expansion plan, it is important for Discovery to estimate future workforce requirements. The required positions that need to be fulfilled are data analysts, AI specialists, tele-medicine doctors, software engineers, cyber security specialists and customer support specialists.

Analysis of current workforce

The current workforce analysis requires an evaluation of employee capabilities such as their existing digital skills, Healthcare expertise, leadership capability, and suitability of employees to carry out international assignments.

Identify workforce gaps

This requires a comparative analysis in respect to current capabilities as against future requirements. The major skill gaps that need to be addressed are in relation to artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data analytics, cloud computing, telemedicine and regulatory compliance knowledge.

Develop HR strategies

HR strategies need to be considered in relation to recruitment, training and development, and talent management. It is best to perform recruitment of local Healthcare professionals in Kenya and Nigeria, upskills employees in AI, data Analytics and digital Health Care, and support talent management through succession planning, and implementing employee retention programs.

Implementing the HR plan

The important initiatives that need to be considered are recruiting priority roles, launching digital skills training, establishing HR Teams in Kenya and Nigeria and standardising onboarding across countries.
Monitoring and evaluation the measurement of HR performance should be carried out using KPIs such as employee retention rate, training completion rate, digital skills certification, employee engagement, customer satisfaction and more.

Want Detailed Answers with References?

Strategic HR planning as carried out in relation to discovery above for its decision to perform expansion into Kenya and Nigeria revealed important findings with respect to HR strategies to consider. If you are also looking for help in your HRM assignment, get a professional expert in South Africa, ready to assist you with all complex HR topics. You can also explore solved assignment answers from Regenesys School of Education before deciding to order your assignment with us.