It’s a topic that we just can’t seem to get enough of — what is the future of work?
Technology, such as smartphones, ubiquitous wifi, and portable equipment, has changed the geography of where work gets done, especially for office workers. The pandemic unleashed a wave of “work-from-home” expectations. And more recently, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has raised both excitement and worry about the role of humans in the future workplace.
These are important questions, and countless news articles, conference papers, and board room debates have torn them to shreds. But another question has been lurking under the surface the whole time, one to which we’ve not paid enough attention — in the future, what will workers want to do? It’s more a question of our own emotion, personal drive, and ambition.
A Changing Workforce
“What drives your passion? What are you curious about?” These are questions that we ask ourselves and our young people today. But here’s the thing: never in 200,000 years of homo sapiens roaming the earth, have we asked anyone this question before.
A young man in the 1500s never wondered, “what am I passionate about?” He did what his father did for an occupation. A young woman would be forced into marriage. Even as late as the mid-20th century, young people in North America dutifully found entry level jobs and “worked their way up the ladder” — even if it was wretched, demeaning work.
That model of work is gone. The miserable Monday to Friday, nine-to-five job — the sort that Dolly Parton sang about with no sense of admiration — has mostly gone by the wayside. And many would say good riddance!
Today, we’ve told young people that they can do anything, so long as they work hard and believe in themselves. Setting aside the fact that this is more inspirational than true, we’ve set up a generation or two of workers who won’t be content with menial, boring, or unsavoury jobs, even at the entry level.
Jobs and careers are now an extension of our personalities, passions, creativities, and belief systems, and we should expect work to look far different then it did in the 20th century.
This will, of course, pose several problems. We may find a lot of necessary jobs hard to fill. Emptying garbage bins, sorting clothes hangers, and filling pot holes aren’t fun and creative jobs. But these are the sorts of things that robotics and AI will one day accomplish, and it may be sooner than later if a human can’t be tricked into it.
Building the Workplace of the Future
The most serious challenge of the future of work will be to guard against an even greater social, cultural, and economic divide. Young people with the means to get a good education, who are inspired by positive adult role models and who have been helped and encouraged along the way, will do just fine. But those who lack some or all of these advantages face a bleaker future.
Some, of course, are deeply worried and unhappy that young people need to have meaning, purpose, and belonging to take a job. Whatever happened to good ol’ fashioned hard work? “Young people are too lazy and entitled!” they’d say.
Perhaps. But rather than seeing them as only lazy and entitled, we have an opportunity to unleash an engaged, committed, and insanely intelligent generation of workers — if we’re ready to commit to providing the workplace of the future. That workplace encourages rather than demeans, supports rather than humiliates. And provides safety rather than risk.
The future of work is about us.
Todd Hirsch is an internationally renowned economist, keynote speaker, and author. Having had a front row seat to key issues transforming the global economy for the past 25 years, he delivers dynamic, clear-eyed talks on adaptability, creativity, and resiliency to help industry and business leaders prepare for a future that is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous.
Contact us to learn more about Todd and how he can customize his presentations to help your industry prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead.