‘The Future of Work’ embodies the generative (and somewhat
befuddling) transformation of how we spend our work lives. The
phrase not only involves the changing nature of jobs, but captures
all the technology, demographics and cultural shifts the current
transforming landscape.
It’s immediately felt in business, community, and people’s lives –
ranging from economic viability to personal livelihoods or
organizational resilience. The future of work rhetoric speaks to our
contemporary zeitgeist in the face of technological developments and
globalization and in response to so many apparently unsatisfactory
structures and barriers to work-life balance.
What really matters are the clear trends: automation, remote work,
and the gig economy. I believe that we are on the verge of a
paradigm shift in employment. If you don’t start to follow these
signs, you will likely miss major opportunities to stay relevant
and, ultimately, miss out on serendipitous developments.
As the rules governing the future of work are rapidly rewritten by technological change, automation and AI are now reshaping work and reshaping jobs.
Remote work and digital nomadism are leading trends for the global future of work, enabled by progress in communication technology, as well as by the evolution of attitudes toward work and life.
AR and VR are being hailed as the next big thing in changing how jobs will be done. It is allowing people to work more collaboratively, with communication drastically improved through integrating context into the communication process.
As the nature of work changes, shifting patterns of employment are transforming long-established work arrangements and creating new possibilities and new challenges.
1. Gig economy - The number of people working in the gig economy has been increasing massively, using new technologies that are also changing attitudes towards work. This is having diverse effects on workers and many industries, while offering greater flexibility and control, it leads us to question issues of job security, rights for labour, safety as well as worker conditions.
2. Multigenerational workforce - The workplace today is more diverse than ever before, where employees are composed of Baby boomers (aged >50) and Gen X (32-50), Millennials (22-30) and Gen Z (19-21), who need to work and collaborate.
3. Flexible work arrangements - The move to flexible working patterns is changing the scope and conditions of work, and bringing benefits for both employers and employees.
As job roles and work practices continue to evolve rapidly in the face of technological and economic trends, developing cognitive, social, and technical skills and expertise through formal and informal education and training will be crucial to lifelong employability.
New skills needed from workers can be a commodity sometimes. Continuous training helps them to gain additional knowledge to be employable and survive in this competitive world. It is the only way to keep them up to date with the trends, and as a result of it, you’ll gain skills, keep yourself competitive, and always be future-proof in your career. People must be educated and have the opportunity to train, such as through eLearning courses, vocational training courses, and other programs funded by the companies themselves, offering professional development programs that educate and always improve the employee.
As well as technical prowess, soft skills (and emotional intelligence) will become more valued in the workforce of the future. Good verbal communication, the ability to work well in teams, flexibility and empathy (to name a few) will be crucial for workers to succeed in increasingly diverse and dynamic working environments. Including soft skills training in education across the lifespan, from early childhood through to post-secondary and higher education, provides students with the people skills and emotional competencies they need to succeed in the workforce and in their private lives.
As the world becomes more digital, digital literacy skills are not only essential but also function as a foundational skill set for members of society living in the digital age, regardless of age or background. People need these skills to effectively participate in an economy that relies so heavily on digital technologies. Yet significant digital divides remain, and barriers to access and digital literacy capabilities continue to unfairly hamper people belonging to marginalized communities. The emergence of these disparities is all the more reason to redouble efforts aimed at improving access to technology and equipping all members of society with the most comprehensive and effective digital literacy training so they can be afforded ample opportunities to succeed in the digital future.
As we move into the future of work, it’s clear that principles from the world of design can help us build better workplaces. More and more companies recognise that they need to create more welcoming, more supportive, and more sustainable workplaces – if they are to remain competitive for the top talent, they need to drive innovation, as well as to increase accountability and ensure ethical behavior.
Diversity – in all forms, including race, gender, age, sexual orientation, or ability – must contribute to an inclusive workplace, which will also promote better outcomes. From hiring to inclusive procurement, creating safe spaces for giving and receiving feedback, and providing unconscious bias training programs.
It is our moral duty to work for the welfare of our employees as it is crucial for their overall well-being and also for any company to operate in a healthy and prosperous way in the long run. As we go through this article, we will understand the concept better. It is quite natural that employees who are mentally well can perform to the best of their capabilities, while the ones who are not so well can be seen performing unenthusiastically most of the time at work. They might even plan for a switch to some other organization, as a result of which they strive to finish their tasks as soon as possible and then move on to their next thing. This not only affects the quality of their work but also demoralizes the entire office environment. This is where a lot of companies and businesses are now taking initiatives to set an example for safeguarding the psychological safety of their employees.
Embracing sustainability at work is emerging as a necessity for companies. Organizations align their operations with ESG (environmental, social, governance) objectives to reduce their ecological footprint and to do good for society. Social impact activities, such as community programs, volunteering, and ethical supply chains, contribute to the company’s brand and create purpose for employees, increasing their engagement and loyalty.
The balancing act revolves around regulative and policy considerations – on the laws that guide workplace conduct and on the rights of those who work. As technological change and restructuring shape the nature of work and as ways of working evolve, policymakers are compelled to reassess and adapt existing labor laws and regulations to the rapidly changing demand and supply of work.
Changing labour structures, like the gig economy, call for revisiting labour legislation and the protection of workers in non-standard employment. Adaptive policies enable the provision of worker protections such as a minimum working wage, benefits and entitlements to social security. Without adapting workplace protections to a changing economic landscape such as the gig economy, where workers are likely to receive substantial employment benefits from their employers, policymakers must identify and implement innovative solutions that protect worker rights while promoting flexibility and innovation.
As people work remotely more than ever, security and privacy for sensitive, potentially personally identifiable information become harder to safeguard. As such, employers must comply with data protection laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and have remote work policies in place to ensure sensitive data is protected appropriately. Employers must educate their employees on appropriate behaviors for working with sensitive data and educate employees on the dangers of social engineering.
It’s the role of governments through targeted policies and support programs, such as job training programs, unemployment insurance, re-employment assistance, and others, to reduce job displacement and help those jobless to find jobs and acquire the skills needed for new jobs. Short-term and permanent employment opportunities can also be generated when the governments increase investments in education and workforce development programs. Enhancing the skill levels of the workforce is important to successful economic resilience and social mobility.
Glancing a little further down the road toward the future of work, researchers paint a picture of an automation-filled future where AI is increasingly used to complement and reshape jobs. There are predictions that most workplaces will evolve into augmented workplaces where humans and machines will be able to collaborate more effectively. The gig economy is likely to become a reality for many more people, bringing a level of flexibility that is unheard of but requires a rethink of labor regulations to ensure that workers are treated fairly. While there are benefits to the gig economy, remote work is also set to become the norm. Public and private sector organizations will incorporate distributed teams as part of their business models and be more flexible with work arrangements to attract the best talent and increase productivity. There will be an imperative to reskill and upskill workers as automation rapidly transforms many industries and a greater reliance on critical technology skills becomes essential.
Let adaptability be our great strength. We must embrace change,
adopt growth mindsets, and learn to be resilient. As individuals, we
must learn, upskill and stay abreast of trends to prepare ourselves
for the future of work. Organizations must make innovation,
diversity and the wellbeing of employees as key tenets of their
workplaces. These ways of thinking need to be the norm by 2030.
The future of work is today’s workplace, and it demands that people
and policymakers take equal ownership in building an equitable,
productive and sustainable future for all. Workers should take
control of their own careers, be opportunistic in embracing change,
and be open to new skills development and career advancement. Policy
should enshrine anticipatory regulation, invest in education and
future workforce development and champion economic resilience and
social equity. The road ahead is long and likely rocky. But the
sooner we begin walking it down together, the better chance we have
of reaching our destination – a place that is innovative, inclusive,
and prosperous.
