5 needs driving the Future of Work
From traditional market boundaries blurring, to external forces driving remote collaboration, technology replacing people, and increased awareness of the impact businesses have on society, the workplace is changing at a rapid speed. We’ve gained a lot of insight over years of working with clients and trend analysis. These changes have triggered 6 core needs in the workplace.
1. Freedom
People want the freedom to enjoy their lives. They want control and flexibility to do their work when, where, and how they want. This desire is evidenced by the increased choice employees are demanding and taking advantage of with respect to defining their own work schedules and working from home in another city, state, or country than from where their employer is located. This freedom of choice has largely been afforded to employees when feasible due to increased ability to get work done from a mobile device or laptop.
2. Knowledge
People want access to the resources, tools, and information needed to get their work done. And they want the time to learn new skills while still accomplishing their work. While technology enables employees to accomplish much of their work in the same or less time than before, employers have increased expectations for employees to complete work at a faster pace than was previously possible. Technological advances and global resources allow employees to tap into these resources quickly to learn new things, solve problems, and keep their work moving. This on-demand learning helps employees develop new skills rapidly so they can meet their employer’s need for a multi-skilled workforce.
3. Stability
The increased level of technological interconnectedness enables companies to expand their search globally for both employees and contract workers. For employees, this could also be seen as a source of security, in that their skills may be desirable to multinational companies where there is a much larger pool of potential work than simply the jobs available at the geographic location where they live. As people adjust to a more fluid definition of a “career path,” and as the movement to search globally for the best talent grows, people will realize they have a wider array of opportunities available.
4. Self-Management
Technology will allow more independence for employees to manage their productivity and performance, while also receiving feedback and recognition in real-time. This will remove barriers to collaboration and help redefine the relationship between workers and their managers. Recent advancements in automation, smart machines, and artificial intelligence are beginning to replace people for repetitive work. In the future, however, people’s productivity will be enhanced by effectively partnering with these smart machines. With technology in place to help govern and maintain individuals and teams, a workplace where departments and hierarchy cease to exist may not be a far-fetched idea. In this type of future workplace, people will be free to focus more on work as opposed to managing others or being managed.
5. Meaning
Today’s workers are increasingly motivated to work by more than just earning a paycheck. Largely, employees are looking to work on projects that are personally meaningful, have a positive impact on society, and benefit people’s well-being. While advancements in technology have enabled some workers to choose when, where, and how they will work, these shifts have also made it easier for some to choose jobs that meet more than just financial needs. Not only do people want to work for organizations that set goals aligned with what gives the person a deeper sense of meaning and purpose in their life, but they also want their employers to demonstrate their commitment to the people who work for them.
The first step to driving impact is a conversation. Contact us today to explore how you can address these needs.