The global business community is nothing if not resilient. And representative employer organizations are setting the tone through their ability to adapt and seize new opportunities. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the harnessing digital technology to create new frontiers in the way that they operate, in the services they provide and in the impact they make. There has never been a more important time to take stock of where Employer and Business Members Organizations (EBMOs) are on their digital journey and of what comes next.

The aim of the ILO and ITCILO ACT/EMP report entitled “Taking Stock of the Digital Dividend” is to explore what digitalization looks like in practice for EBMOs, through a global stock-take of experiences to date. Highlighting lessons learned will also help provide a roadmap for future changes. 

Our focus is on finding answers to the three following core questions: 

1. What works? What are the drivers of change and the current state of play in terms of digital adoption within the global EBMO Community?
2. Why does it work? What are some of the common themes and implementation tips we can extrapolate from specific examples of digitalization in the areas of governance, products and people?
3. What’s next? How will digital and data technology evolve over the coming years and how can EBMOs ensure that they are ahead of the game? 

An overriding objective of this guide is to learn lessons from different approaches and initiatives taken forward by EBMOs across the globe and to distill these examples into practical and usable tips.

A Presentation summarising the main elements of the Guide is available as well.

For more information and resources on EBMOs, please visit the ILO Bureau for Employers Activities (ACT/EMP) website and the webpage of the ITCILO Programme for Activities of the ITCILO.