Workplaces are in a state of flux, causing a lot of anxiety around the world because of the instability of the future of work. There is an increasing polarization of labor market options between high and low-skilled jobs, particularly among young people, and stagnant salaries for a huge section of the population along with income inequality.
In many affluent economies, migration and its consequences on jobs have become a contentious political topic worldwide. And public discussion rages from Mumbai to Manchester about the future of employment and whether there will be enough jobs to employ everyone.
The advancement of automation, facilitated by technology such as artificial intelligence, industrial management policies that increase productivity (and economic development), efficiency, safety, new trends, and convenience.
However, these innovations pose troubling questions about the larger impact of automation on jobs, skills, pay, and the nature of labor.
Many tasks performed by workers today have the potential to be automated. Simultaneously, job-matching sites like LinkedIn and Monster are changing and increasing the way people hunt for jobs and how businesses find and recruit talent.
Independent workers are increasingly using digital platforms such as Upwork, Uber, and Etsy to provide their skills, disrupting traditional beliefs about how and where labor is done in the process.
Why Is Future Of Work Important?
Adaptability and Agility
Individuals need to be adaptable as they encounter new problems and altering expectations in the job marketplace each day.
Employees must maintain a laser-like focus on the future of their job and their part in shaping it. Processes that allow for organizational agility (facilitating dynamic change and responding quickly to environmental stimuli) will be crucial strategic differentiators from competitors. With opportunity windows shrinking, the speed with which an organization responds and executes will be as critical as the actual reaction.
Employees must maintain a laser-like focus on the future of job and their part in shaping it.
Skillset and Mindset Changes
Individual employees must make significant changes to their skillset and mindset to prepare for the future work environment. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2016 future of jobs report, fundamental skills such as critical thinking, self-driving cars, problem-solving, and decision-making are the building blocks that establish a framework to help employees quickly identify changes in their environment and adapt response strategies targeted at producing the outcomes they desire.
Employees will regard change as a regular aspect of the workplace and as something to look forward to if they adopt a learning/development attitude and seek out chances and experiences that lead to continual life improvement.
As a result of the transformation in employee thinking, the broader organizational culture could shift toward embracing grass-roots leadership and the organizational agility that comes with it.
Companies worldwide that promote decision-making systems that seek diverse input from a diverse workforce population have access to creative business concept methods (instead of relying on a few people in leadership positions).
Finding creative ideas and putting them into action faster than your competitors is the key to gaining a competitive advantage in today’s business market.
How the Future Of Work Will Change
Over the last decade, the workplace has altered dramatically. Technological advancements have modified and revolutionized company operations and how people work, from cellphones to light laptops and automation.
Emerging techs will have a significant impact on the world in the following areas:
The Nature Of Work
The need to conduct repetitive chores manually will be reduced due to technological and economic growth and advancements. While fewer people could be hired to perform manual activities, more will perform creative and strategic thinking duties.
Work will become less about task completion and more about problem-solving. The importance of problem-solving, economics, communication, listening, interpretation, self-driving, and design will rise. It will be more valuable to be able to learn new abilities than to have specific knowledge. Individuals with the mental flexibility to learn on the job will be sought after by employers.
How Work Is Done
The range and volume of labor that intelligent machines can undertake will expand as AI-driven techs and robotics advance. Within the next 16 years, 38 percent of U.S. jobs will likely be automated, affecting at least 100 million knowledge workers.
Meanwhile, by combining world technology with human abilities and technical experience, roles could be redefined. Organizations will have to rethink how humans and machines collaborate. To optimize the impact of human-machine interactions, they’ll have to rethink how they invest in workers.
Who Does the Work?
Technology enables businesses to make the most cost-effective use of a continuum of full-time employees, freelancers, managed services, and gig workers.
Businesses will re-examine employee lifecycles. They’ll hire people in various ways to get the creativity, passion, experience, expertise, and skillsets they need for the job. As a result, the position will be based on problem-solving abilities and task performance rather than filling org chart roles.
Where the Work Is Done
New communication systems break down barriers between numerous office sites and remote personnel. Organizations can overcome geographical obstacles and tap into a global talent pool to execute tasks as efficiently as feasible.
The distributed model, on the other hand, isn’t just about increasing efficiency or lowering costs. To nurture and retain increasingly scarce talent, firms must rethink how they can build culture and team ties inside a virtual working environment.
How Technology Is Changing The Future of Work
As we all know, developing technologies impact today’s society, from how people make phone calls to the way businesses work. With this in mind, it’s critical to state that the likelihood of the workplace changing in the next decade is considerable.
The technology industry is a rapidly expanding industry. As a result, the nature of work, the dynamics of the workplace, and its concept are currently changing. It’s no surprise that employees and college students should learn new skills to be relevant in these conditions.
Currently, job criteria are more stringent, and competition is fiercer than ever. In that situation, workers must comprehend how new technologies affect today’s market and become acquainted with new inventions to match new demands.
Workplace futures can be unpredictable. However, to have a good picture of the future, we must consider what companies require. In light of this, consider how new technology will impact the future of the job.
Less Manual Tasks (Automation)
Emerging techs are undeniably altering the nature of work. As a result, these technicians are lowering the need for humans to do a variety of monotonous jobs. It appeared unthinkable a few years ago to have automated machines that could assist in developing a product. But, because of advances in new techs such as machine learning, it is now achievable.
Automation has unintended consequences:
- Job roles that require physical labor are being phased out
- Fewer individuals are being hired for their manual capabilities
- More employees are being kept for their creative and strategic thinking abilities
Repetitive chores take a long time to complete. Thanks to automation, workers can focus on more vital duties like solving issues, inventing products, and evaluating data. Employers will look for employees who can constantly learn new skills in the future. It’s because, as the tech industry evolves at a rapid pace, the ability to master new skills will become increasingly desirable.
Different Working Methods
Automation is altering not simply the nature of labor but also how it is carried out. AI technology is being used in manufacturing processes to help organizations enhance productivity. As a result, more businesses are relying on robots to construct their products. AI, on the other hand, is having an impact on more than just manufacturing.
In reality, technology is transforming how administrative procedures are done. When it comes to postal services, for example, the mail was once delivered by the postman. We can utilize emails after some time, thanks to technological advancements. But, nowadays, it’s a whole different story; AI systems can automatically send and receive emails.
Additionally, mobile developers have created mail apps that allow clients to handle their emails using their smartphones. Given these considerations, it’s reasonable to predict that more organizations will use robots and automated systems in their processes in the future. Job responsibilities will be changed, and businesses will need to train their staff to maximize the human-machine effect.
More Remote Employees (Work from Home)
Remote working has crossed all boundaries, thanks to innovative communication systems that allow organizations to engage with one another from anywhere in the world. Similarly, it’s critical to recognize that IT talent has grown in popularity due to its ability to operate remotely.
For example, tech workers, such as database administrators, cyber-security specialists, and data scientists, can work from home in different parts of the world. As a result, they don’t have to waste time getting from their house to work.
Companies have saved costs while also making their employees happier by allowing them to work from home. Working from home enables tech professionals to spend more time with their families. Due to that, an increasing number of tech professionals are requesting remote working benefits.
Remote work also allows businesses to hire people from all over the world, and they can employ talented tech professionals who demand cheaper pay and benefits. In other words, remote working allows businesses to achieve their objectives at a lower cost.
Remote working will become increasingly important for businesses as the digital market expands and new techs emerge.
Remote working will become increasingly crucial for businesses as the digital market expands and new techs emerge. With this in mind, it’s critical to recognize that working remotely is a step forward. If you cannot work remotely, your job role will most likely be displaced, and you will be forced to change careers.
Given these considerations, attending a coding Bootcamp is a great way to prepare for future issues. Springboard is a company that provides training in areas such as user experience design, data analytics, and software engineering. In just six months, you can obtain enterprise-level skills through their part-time growth programs.
Less Physical Infrastructure
Companies have been able to lessen their reliance on physical infrastructure by implementing cloud computing and remote working. Companies used to need vast rooms to house their database centers decades ago. On the other hand, companies have eliminated their physical database infrastructure thanks to cloud storage.
Data is now one of the most valuable resources for businesses. As a result, companies must safeguard their information. Companies may employ cloud computing services to not only store but also secure their data. As a result, more businesses are storing their data in cloud computing services.
Furthermore, as businesses continue to hire more remote workers, the demand for entire office infrastructure will diminish. Real office premises may become obsolete in the future since everyone could work from home.
9 Ways Tech Will Change The Future Of Works
Here is how tech will impact the workforce and the workplace as we enter a new decade. More businesses will use a “digital workforce” that includes AI, robots, and augmented reality (AR). Increased digitalization should not be feared; as it helps employees focus on their creative ‘human’ skills by automating tedious activities.
1. The Rise of the Digital Workforce
Technology is at the heart of the future of work. As we approach 2020, more businesses will employ digital workers. “Digital worker” refers to AI, robotics, and augmented reality (AR) technology. While there will be an increase in digital workers next year, they are not expected to replace humans but rather assist them.
2. Increased Task Automation
As more businesses embrace digital workers, low-value tasks will inevitably become more automated. This will lead to a significant reduction in manual operations, allowing staff to focus on higher-value jobs.
3. Increased use of artificial intelligence
AI is already being used in organizations, and as workers become more comfortable with it, AI-powered solutions are expected to rise in the coming year, e.g., virtual reality. People are less fearful of these technologies in general, and the more they use them, the more likely they are to see their worth. The power of AI extends beyond the office to the built environment, which may aid productivity and workplace optimization.
4. Focus on High-Value Tasks
Employees will spend more time on high-value tasks like growth, creative and critical thinking, mentoring others, communicating with clients/coworkers, establishing new ideas, building action plans, and so on, rather than sorting and searching through documents to discover essential data or information. High-value tasks are those that assist personnel in achieving strategic goals.
5. Collaboration Between Humans and Robots
All of those, as mentioned earlier, will result in humans collaborating with robots. Rather than obviating the need for humans, digital workers can augment them.
Employees who can take advantage of technology will be able to focus on high-value tasks. Still, they will also be more likely to succeed in future jobs since they can utilize essential tools and resources.
Employees may, for example, engage with digital workers by allowing AI to filter through documents. At the same time, they focus on evaluating and connecting the dots between critical data, using virtual reality in real estate to view housing properties.
6. Improved Internal Communication
With so many changes planned within enterprises in the coming months, businesses will emphasize strengthening internal communication. Organizations must ensure that any changes being adopted, how they will be executed, the timing, and how individuals will be affected are adequately communicated with all stakeholders. Employees are more likely to be involved with coworkers and superiors as a result of this.
7. Harnessing the Power of Data
Organizations will have access to essential data as more enterprises use technologies and employees feel comfortable using them. Organizations can understand further how people work when they are at their best, what types of surroundings they enjoy, and how they interact with space and others in the workplace by leveraging the power of data. The data can then be transformed into actionable things that improve the office environment by increasing employee engagement and productivity.
8. Digital Workplaces
Organizations will drive their digital transformation initiatives as they increasingly incorporate emerging technology to develop workspaces that enable new, more effective working methods. Employees will increasingly work from digitally linked workspaces, elegant, intelligent, and capable of supporting constantly changing tasks and roles in the coming year and beyond.
Employees will increasingly work from digitally linked workspaces, elegant, intelligent, capable of supporting constantly changing tasks and roles in the coming year and beyond.
9. Employee-owned HR
Companies are reconsidering how they approach employee benefits and perks to respond to the evolving and diversified demands of employees as they attempt to recruit and retain top talent. Companies will increasingly allow employees to create their benefits packages rather than having a set of benefits.
Employees can choose benefits and facilities that will assist them in improving their personal and professional lives, promoting employee engagement, growth and productivity.
Final Word
Take a step back and look at the big picture of how the nature of work, the makeup of the workforce, and the workplace concept interact to form the future of work. We need a visionary and pragmatic approach to fully exploit emerging technologies, visualize the potential based on industry-specific data, and define a transformational strategy.
To take advantage of innovations while creating purpose and value for employees, organizations must reimagine workflow, workforce, and workspace from the ground up. Organizations must align organizational structure, leadership, management, and workforce development as part of a unified strategy that creates long-term innovation beyond a short-term cost-efficiency equation.
