May 07, 2021
We recently hosted our Annual Conference – Navigating the Future of Work – where we shared our insights and learnings about what Organisations can expect and how best prepare. One thing was clear, accelerated by the pandemic, the Future of Work is here and is touching everything from changing business models and processes to how we are developing as a society.
Many Organisations still feel the Future of Work is about robotics and artifical intelligence. In some cases, employers are either ignoring what’s happening or are in a state of inertia as they are unsure what are the steps they should take to progress their ‘Future of Work’ Agenda.
However, the reality is Organisations need to understand how humans and technololgy will work together in the future and how we can all embrace the transformation of work. This transformation isn’t necessarily radical or extreme ; it’s more of an evolution of the society in which we live and work and an acceleration in how technology is impacting this relationship.
If we look at this evolution, there are some significant changes and trends that we need to look at closely.
Just some of the key trends impacting Organisations include:
Purpose-led organisations: Before the pandemic, we were already seeing a trend with people looking to work with purpose-led organisations; business with a genuine societal conscience. This has been accelerated during the pandemic. As humans, we want to make the right decisions for ourselves, our family and society and we want to work for and engage with organisations that have the same vision.
New jobs and skills: Automation, digitalisation and changes in traditional business models are effecting existing job roles and skills of our workforce. We will see the development of new jobs and roles and, at the same time, other roles will disappear or change in the way they we’ve come to recognise them. For us to be succcessful as a society, and not simply a workforce, we must be prepared for the change that is underway, build awareness for the change and create opportunities for development.
New war for talent: The evolution of work is creating a war for talent as organisations try to attract the critical skills needed for the new roles. The skills gap between what employers are and will be looking for and what is available on the market is getting bigger. At the same time, in many sectors, employees are experiencing growing competition for work. The impact of this is a potential growth of inequalities in society; a smaller proportion of the workforce getting richer, while the majority of workers struggling to keep up with developments.
Diversification of working conditions: Since 2019, there are five generations in the workforce; something we’ve never seen before. There is also a more culturally diverse workforce with varying needs and life situations, all of which is putting pressure on the individualisation of working conditions – our relation with work and work-life balance has changed. The rise of the gig economy really highlights this change as well as the increase in remote and hybrid working models. This has also led to conversations about our physical working environment and the future role of the traditional office.
Evolution of collective leadership: The current hierarchical organisational structures, invented in the 1900s, are outdated. Workers want responsibility, they want to have the trust, autonomy and space to make decisions. And as a result, we will see a growth in creativity and innovation. It is time that we updated ourselves to the new circumstances and evolution in society and work.
What’s next for organisations?
One of the valuable lessons the current global health crisis has taught us is that we must be resilient and adaptable, as humans and as businesses. There needs to be an increased flexibility and agility to help us adapt to new situations and prepare for inevitable change.
At Adare Human Resource Management, we are now working with Organisations to help lay out their roadmap for the Future of Work and what that means for them and their employees and their future success in their sectors. If Future of Work is not on your Organisation’s agenda, then you risk getting left behind – talk to one of our team today to see how we can support you.
Your Next Steps
Patricia Fors, Lead Consultant, Future of Work, Adare Human Resource Management is available to share her insight both to your HR departments and you Senior Team.
Patricia has spent her career working in Senior Level HR positions and most recently as Global Lead, Future of Work, IKEA, identifying and leading out on their Global Future of Work plans for their business and their 160,000 employees. Patricia has combined her Global experience along with her her key practical learnings and insights she has gained from organisations in Ireland through engagements with Adare Human Resource Management.
To discuss your requirements with Patricia contact info@adarehrm.ie