The end of the Rat Race is near, the Race Against the Machine is here

We are witnessing a global transition in the workplace model. The junction of a distinct generational change, rapidly evolving technology and an increase in work-related health issues is reshaping the way we work.

On the positive side, more flexibility at work is bringing back motivation and better quality of life to the workforce. On the negative side, a poorly managed transition may create widening skill gaps, inequality and polarization.

Additionally, the disappearance of the already blurred line between work & life can make things worse for mental health issues such as work-related stress, anxiety and overwhelm. The result, productivity is likely to take a hit and we are all forced back to the old ways of working.

Automation and the real value in human "soft skills"

According to a 2018 report by the World Economic Forum on the Future of Jobs, by 2022 58% of task hours will be performed by humans and 42% by machines, which compares to 71% and 29%, respectively, last year.

As of last year, no specific work task was yet estimated to be predominantly performed by a machine or algorithm. By 2022, this is estimated to increase to 57% of total working hours. Even inherently "human" tasks such as communicating and interacting; coordinating, developing, managing and advising; as well as reasoning and decision-making, will be automated to a certain degree.

As automation rises, more value will be placed in human soft skills such as creativity, collaboration, persuasion, leadership, analytical thinking, negotiation, focus, self-management, self-awareness, emotional intelligence and empathy (to name a few). As a result, an entire reskilling and retraining of the workforce is coming up. According to the same report, by 2022 no less than 54% of all employees will require significant re- and upskilling. You guessed right, this will be anything but cheap.

Companies that take the lead by investing heavily on human capital and designing a remarkable Employee Experience will have a unique competitive advantage. These early adopters will be able to attract and retain the right talent for their line of business, reduce costs and boost bottom-line profits. But what about individuals? How are workers preparing for the future of work?

Mind the skill-gap: enter the "Superstar Effect"

In a world where Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence play larger roles, companies will prioritize high-performing employees for re-training purposes. In other words, those with need upgrading their game at work most will be put last in the queue or made redundant. Research indicates that nearly two-thirds of companies expect workers to pick-up skills as they change jobs and would prefer to turn to external contractors, freelancers and temporary staff to address the skill-gap.

The high-performing "superstars" will be in high-demand across industries and will be in a strong position to ask for better workplace conditions. It is therefore imperative for the new wave of knowledge workers to adapt their learning and focus on skills that bring the most value to the future automated workplace. One skill that future high-performers will all have in common is the ability to self-manage and focus their attention to the task at hand.

Distractions, the always-on world and mental health impacts

In today's non-stop world, being able to manage distractions and focus our limited attention is becoming increasingly rare. As author Cal Newport portrays it in his book Deep Work, the ability to execute tasks with undistracted attention is perhaps the most valuable skill of the XXI century.

The constant overload of information is seriously impacting people's ability to concentrate and get meaningful work done, while at the same time creating unnecessary stress. The issue is of such importance that the World Health Organisation has identified work-related stress as an ongoing global concern that results in "negative consequences for the health, safety and well-being of workers and the productivity and cost-effectiveness of the companies they work for".

Are you part of this epidemic? Here's a quick survey to identify if you or your colleagues are experiencing stress at work.

Time to change our ways

It is an exciting time to be alive. We have a good shot at redesigning the way we work into a model that promotes individual wellbeing as the basis for wealth and value creation. The right technology is here and the generational change is ongoing, so the real key to make this transition sustainable is to tap into human behaviour and adapt our ways for the future of work.

As the World Health Organisation states: “all workers have the right to healthy and safe work and to a work environment that enables them to live a socially and economically productive life". Those companies and individuals that prepare for this not-so-distant future, will thrive.

Innovative solutions such as LiveBeyond have been created to drive this transition in a sustainable fashion by empowering individuals with the behavioral and technical tools they need for true productivity.

Reinforcing trust between organisations and employees in the future workplace requires teamwork. Workers will need to learn how learn and focus, companies need to craft internal strategies to improve Employee Experience and regulators need to improve education and training systems that match the realities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.