Jacob Morgan is an author, speaker, and futurist whose new book, The Future of Work: Attract New Talent, Build Better Leaders, and Create a Competitive Organization presents a fascinating case for what the future of work will look like and what current and historical circumstances are leading us towards that point.
In this blog I’ll briefly discuss the five trends Morgan says are crucial in defining the future of our work experience.
New Behaviors.
The way we communicate and build identity and community has changed dramatically. Social networks allow and encourage us to create online profiles of ourselves and there are countless communities we can choose or not choose to be a part of. The dramatic increase in visibility of different choices has led to a more pronounced stratification of individual identifications and specializations.
Technologies.
Likewise, the rapid increase of new technologies makes it easy (sometimes too easy) to automate and delegate work. Big data, the cloud, drones, and apps are all major parts of our daily lives that weren’t even in our vocabulary ten years ago.
The Millennial Workforce.
You’ve probably read about the negative stereotypes of millennial workers. The fact is, they are a different generation than the Gen X’ers and Boomers who now occupy the majority of leadership positions. They’re characterized by a reliance on technology and a desire to be passionate about the work they do. Whatever flaws the current generation perceives in the new breed, before long they will make up the majority of the workforce and its leadership positions.
Mobility.
There’s a lot of buzz about self-driving cars at the moment but the real game changer for the future of work is the Internet. It allows remote employees to be functioning members of an organization without being present in that organization’s physical location. This simultaneously allows organizations to cut their operating costs by catering to (potentially many) fewer on-site employees.
Globalization.
This type of mobility and the rise of globalization mean the world is getting smaller. I can hire someone in Dusseldorf to work remotely for my business in Omaha, Nebraska, if I determine they are the right candidate for the job. This breeds geographic competition where there once was none.
We already work in a vastly different world than that of our parents. The experience of 40 years at a comfy desk at a single company followed by a generous pension is going the way of the buffalo. The present is more cutthroat than that and the future shows no signs of slowing down in that regard.
The future of work will undoubtedly be shaped by these cultural and technological trends. Want to learn more about Jacob Morgan and the Future of Work? Visit his blog or buy his book here.
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photo credit: PhoTones Works #5159 via photopin (license)
