What will the world of work look like in the future? It’s a question that economists, novelists, futurologists, opinion leaders, statisticians, IT enthusiasts and a whole army of scientists are all busy trying to answer.

 

CHANGE AT BREAKNECK SPEED

From factories with no human staff, where interconnected robots and smart machines control production autonomously, to employees who don’t have to be at the office at fixed times or the gradual disappearance of managers. Those who see technology in a positive light maintain that it will support and complement the work done by employees, while pessimists worry that robots and artificial intelligence will end up replacing humans and as such pose a threat.

We are only at the beginning of this digital revolution that will profoundly change the world of work, but already there is unanimous agreement that this transformation is going to accelerate more quickly than we could ever have imagined.

NEW JOBS

There will be those who lose out as a result of the digital revolution. Some companies will disappear from the market and with them entire areas of the economy, training providers and jobs. And it isn’t only jobs and our professional profiles that are likely to change, but increasingly our workplaces and working conditions, too. In the future, employees will be expected to be:
– more flexible;
– ready to learn and train on an ongoing basis.

This means that our work looks set to become more complex, varied and autonomous. Generations Y and Z want work that they are passionate about, the freedom to move around and the possibility to grow and develop.

FLEXIBILITY IN EXCHANGE FOR FREEDOM

Permanent positions and long-term employment relations will change forever. According to Karin Frick, ‘Our professional lives will unfold in waves’. The employees of the future will benefit from a degree of freedom and autonomy that up until now only self-employed workers have enjoyed. Employees will increasingly be able to organise their working day in a way that suits them at that time or based on the tasks they need to complete. Achieving this will also require a profound change in attitudes among businesses…

How about you? How do you see the world of work in 2030?