Together with Future Agenda, Alpha Catalyst has been exploring the Future of Work for quite some years. During our latest event, Future of Work in the Exponential Age, we noticed interesting differences in the perspectives of the younger generation workers as compared to the older generation. This inspired us to host another group discussion with Millennials and GenZ as the experts sharing their perspectives on the Future of Work and what they find important when considering their future career.
On April 5th, participants from different cultural and professional backgrounds joined the conversation. The one common denominator was that they identified themselves as Millennial/GenZ. They were asked about the values characterising their peer groups and what they, as an individual, find important when considering a career path. For the workshop, the group was given a deck of trend cards. The task was to categorise the cards based on their impact level (low, medium, or high). The participants then analysed and discussed the trends they identified as having the highest expected impact on the future workplace in 2030.
The top 4 trends were:
Pace of Change: Technological innovations are advancing at an unprecedented rate, shaping the future workplace and society as a whole. Keeping up with the rapid pace of change has become a significant challenge for individuals and organisations alike. Staying updated with the latest technologies, trends, and skills has become essential for success in the future workforce.
Pace of Change: Technological innovations are advancing at an unprecedented rate, shaping the future workplace and society as a whole. Keeping up with the rapid pace of change has become a significant challenge for individuals and organisations alike. Staying updated with the latest technologies, trends, and skills has become essential for success in the future workforce.
Human Touch: Automation and artificial intelligence are transforming the workplace by replacing jobs and streamlining processes. While automation can increase efficiency, there is also a growing need for maintaining a human touch in the workplace. Balancing automation with human interaction and emotional intelligence will be crucial in creating a healthy work environment and to stay in touch with the human inside.
Reinventing Roles: The nature of work is changing rapidly, and traditional job roles are evolving. Many jobs that exist today may become obsolete in the future, while new roles may emerge. Workers will need to adapt to changing job market demands and continuously upgrade their skills to remain relevant in the future workforce.
Reaching your Potential: With personal growth and self-fulfilment becoming significant priorities for the next generation, individuals are increasingly focusing on building their personal brand and reaching their full potential. This includes developing a unique skill set, showcasing their expertise, and establishing a professional (online) presence to stand out in a competitive job market.
Collectively sharing perspectives and associations on the trend cards resulted in insightful discussions during which concerning topics were addressed:
Distrust in Data
As technology continues to advance, concerns around data privacy and trust have become more prominent. Individuals are increasingly sharing their personal information with digital entities to access technological innovations, and it can be unsettling not knowing whether these entities can be trusted. Ensuring robust data privacy and security measures, and being cautious while sharing personal information online, is crucial to build trust in technological innovations. |
Distrust in Organisations
Despite concerns about trust in organisations (despite fancy campaigns prioritising profit over purpose), it may not be enough to stop individuals from seeking employment. However, organisations need to prioritise building trust with their employees by fostering transparency, accountability, and fairness in their policies and practices to create a positive work environment. |
Beyond Carbon
While climate change and environmental issues are recognized as significant challenges, their impact and urgency may not be fully realised until a full-on crisis is at hand. Although it might be crucial to take proactive measures to address environmental concerns now rather than waiting for a crisis to occur, it is expected only the latter will result in proper resources being directed to solve this problem and actually transform the workplace.
While climate change and environmental issues are recognized as significant challenges, their impact and urgency may not be fully realised until a full-on crisis is at hand. Although it might be crucial to take proactive measures to address environmental concerns now rather than waiting for a crisis to occur, it is expected only the latter will result in proper resources being directed to solve this problem and actually transform the workplace.
Work/life Balance
The next generation of workers is increasingly prioritising their private life and seeking a better work/life balance. This may include exploring flexible work arrangements, part-time work, or job-sharing options to align with their life goals and aspirations. Organisations need to adapt to these changing expectations and provide more flexibility in work arrangements. An interesting development is that workers expect to be able to give their private life more priority while earning the same pay.
The next generation of workers is increasingly prioritising their private life and seeking a better work/life balance. This may include exploring flexible work arrangements, part-time work, or job-sharing options to align with their life goals and aspirations. Organisations need to adapt to these changing expectations and provide more flexibility in work arrangements. An interesting development is that workers expect to be able to give their private life more priority while earning the same pay.
Interacting with Chatbots
Interacting with chatbots for personal matters raises concerns about their ability to empathise and provide accurate advice. It's important to understand that chatbots operate based on algorithms and data, which may have biases and limitations. Ensuring that chatbots are trained on diverse and inclusive data can help reduce biases, and it's essential to use critical thinking and corroborate information obtained from chatbots with other trusted sources. Overall, it's essential to remain critical and be aware of the limitations of chatbots and use them as one source of information while making informed decisions. Remember to always prioritise your personal privacy and security when interacting with any technology. It's important to use technology wisely and responsibly, to seek trusted sources and use critical thinking to evaluate the information obtained.
Interacting with chatbots for personal matters raises concerns about their ability to empathise and provide accurate advice. It's important to understand that chatbots operate based on algorithms and data, which may have biases and limitations. Ensuring that chatbots are trained on diverse and inclusive data can help reduce biases, and it's essential to use critical thinking and corroborate information obtained from chatbots with other trusted sources. Overall, it's essential to remain critical and be aware of the limitations of chatbots and use them as one source of information while making informed decisions. Remember to always prioritise your personal privacy and security when interacting with any technology. It's important to use technology wisely and responsibly, to seek trusted sources and use critical thinking to evaluate the information obtained.
Huge shout out to all the NextGen participants for sharing your thoughts and energy. We loved hosting you!
Should you be interested in collaborating with Alpha Catalyst Consulting, reach out via our LinkedIn or drop us an email at [email protected].
Willem Kleene & Arina Akmal
Should you be interested in collaborating with Alpha Catalyst Consulting, reach out via our LinkedIn or drop us an email at [email protected].
Willem Kleene & Arina Akmal