Debbie Lovewell-Tuck: What does the future of work look like?

As our Future of Work Week, in association with Aon, draws to a close, it is time to reflect on some of the trends and issues currently shaping employers’ strategies in this area.

If 2020 has taught us anything it is that future plans can be turned on their head in a very short space of time, forcing organisations to redesign and adapt business strategies and models of working. In many organisations, this represented a fundamental shift in both business model and/or culture.

Although the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over, many organisations are now beginning to look to the future and what the lessons learned over the past few months could mean for their business in the longer term. Rather than simply returning to the previous version of normality, many are recognising the opportunities this presents, particularly around organisational culture and the employee experience. Some employers, for example, have already committed to permanent remote working for their workforce, with many others openly discussing how a greater element of remote working has a place in their future workplace. This would have a significant impact on employees’ work-life balance and greatly improve opportunities for groups such as working parents and carers.

In part, future strategies will be shaped by employees’ expectations of an employer. While these are undoubtedly difficult times for organisations in many industries, with difficult cost-cutting exercises likely to continue for some time to come, how employers engage and motivate employees will be crucial to retaining the talent they require to meet business goals.

Of course, Covid-19 is not the only factor shaping the future of work. Technological developments will continue to move into the workplace, and organisations’ reward strategies.

So whatever your organisation’s current challenges and plans for the future, Future of Work Week is designed to provide insights into the trends and issues shaping future strategy.

So whatever your organisation’s current challenges and plans for the future, Future of Work Week was designed to help you take this to the next level through exclusive insights and opinions uncovering best practice in this area. These included:

Debbie Lovewell-Tuck
Editor
Tweet: @DebbieLovewell