This Week's Top 3 Must Reads on The Future of Work

These are my top three article picks for the week of October 25th on the future of work, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and humanizing work. This week’s selection includes insights on hybrid work, workforce upskilling, and humanizing work for HR teams. I hope the articles inspire and ignite your imagination about the future of work and provide insights and strategies that you can leverage to thrive and make work more human.

Gartner prescribes a human-centric, hybrid-focus for the FOW

I am going start with a quote in the article from a recent presentation led by a Gartner distinguished VP and analyst and leave it there. When you read it, stop for a moment and wrap your mind around the power of the statement.

“We need to rethink “archaic” assumptions like the idea of the traditional 9 to 5 workday. This traditional structure of work dates back to early factories that depended on utilizing the natural light coming in the windows to do their work. Today, we have plenty of lightbulbs to make that practice irrelevant, just as we have remote collaboration technologies that make the assumption that in-office work is the most productive obsolete.”?

The thought that organizations have evolved exponentially through transitions from Industry 2.0 to Industry 4.0, and most organizations still ground their logic in an antiquated model for the 9 to 5 workday is astonishing.?I could not agree more with the fact that “There has never been a better time than right now to shatter some of these industrial-era assumptions.”?I would argue and concur with the presenter that the accelerated impact of the COVID-19 and the factors driving the Great Resignation amplify the need for a shift and add to the relevance of this compelling clarion call.?In my view, a human-centric and hybrid focus for the future of work is a radical act of strategic organizational sustainably.?The statistics from the Gartner presentation tell the story of how using data to drive decisions around hybrid work can humanize work and drive metrics tied to retention, performance, well-being, and engagement. According to Gartner, hybrid work programs reduce fatigue by 45%, improves intent to stay by 45%, and improves performance by 28%. As a solution, Gartner recommended that leaders avoid one-size-fits-all rules. Instead, Gartner recommends developing a human-centric design, flexibility to fit underlying work, and intentionality in shaping opportunities for collaboration.?So, if we don’t need to work based on when the sun rises and sets and have lightbulbs and technology that can enable robust hybrid and remote work and collaboration, let’s focus on humanizing work as a strategy and leverage flexible work like we are in Industry 4.0. This article made the list this week, because of its ability to shift the narrative around the connections between remote work, humanizing worker experience and the dynamic unfolding of the future of work. ????

IBM will reskill 30 million people for future technology jobs by 2030

This article was selected for this week's list because it is about skilling up. I am obsessed with the connection between upskilling workers and the long-term impact on both workers and organizations. My doctoral research was on the connections between the future of work, the impending skills gap crisis, and the impact of artificial intelligence. I am a future of work expert, consultant, and university lecturer. So, understandably stories about organizations that focus on mitigating skills gaps and preparing workers for the future get my attention. The skills gap crisis coupled with the Great Resignation is taking a toll on employers seeking to hire talent with the right combination of skills. The skills gap crisis is global. According to the World Economic Forum, the crisis requires a multi-faceted approach that integrates collaboration between public and private sectors focused on the impact of shifting demographics, market demands, and technological advances. While IBM is not the first, its approach is impressive. In the next decade, IBM will equip 30 million people worldwide with the skills required for future technology jobs. The plan includes leveraging existing programs and partnerships with universities, government entities, and NGOs. According to the article, IBM's Chairman and CEO, Arvid Krishna stated that "talent is everywhere; training and opportunities are not. IBM must take big and bold steps to expand access to digital skills and employment opportunities so that more people – regardless of their background can take advantage of the digital economy." He argued that this approach would democratize opportunity, mitigate skill gaps and enable new generations of workers to thrive. There should be enough room in the future of work for everyone, particularly those armed with the right combination of skills. The future of work, to a large extent, is about inclusion. Skilling up workers and providing future-focused skills training for underrepresented groups around the globe is an excellent start in?democratizing?and humanizing work.?

CEOs: What you need to know about how your HR team is feeling

This article is a must-read for both CEOs and human resource leaders. The first line of the article reads, “Hope. Fear. Optimism. Exhaustion. Anxiety. Numbness. Empowerment. Wow, right out of the box, it is clear from this article that human resource teams have been through it over the past 18 months. Their experience is described as one of duality.?Duality because this is a fascinating time for human resource professionals driving the transformation of work and positing organizations to thrive in the future. They are the architects in many respects of the organizations of the future. So, the duality exists relative to the domains of empowerment and absolute burnout.?According to the article, managing the emotional burdens of employees, the Great Resignation, return-to-work plans, vaccine mandates, and social justice initiatives have taken a sustained toll on human resource teams.?As a result, while tons of human resource positions are available - postings increased by 87% in 2021, organizations are struggling to find “transformative people leaders” to lead organizations through this disruptive and transformative period.?The article referenced a recent survey by Amplify, which surveyed 280 HR executives. The survey revealed that nearly half of the respondents changed jobs in 2020. HALF! So while most HR teams feel empowered about driving transformative strategic priorities, most are exhausted!?So, what’s the solution? According to the article and survey results, CEOs need to recognize that human resource teams are indeed human and are susceptible to burnout, and have been impacted by the pandemic like other employees. They need to recognize that HR has been stretched thin for nearly two years and that retaining top HR talent will be challenging unless CEOs get more involved in the strategic execution of future of work priorities.?This article speaks to the focus and support that the architects and transformers of the future of work - yes, human resource teams need, because they are essential!??Organizations that focus on humanizing the worker experiences of HR teams will retain the best HR talent and be poised to thrive in the future of work.

Be resilient, be relevant, be bold and let's thrive in the future of work together! Want more insights? Click on my logo below and sign up for my newsletter. Want to learn more about training to prepare your leaders for the future of work? Click on my logo below and schedule a complimemary 30-minute consultation. Have you purchased your copy of my new book titled,?Force Majeure: A Futurist's Guide to Boldly Thriving on Your Terms in the Future of Work??If not, grab it today, it too, is a must read!

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