Workplaces must evolve by 2020 to tackle the growing issue of employee engagement.
Organisations will also have to squeeze their benefits providers to get the best value for money, said professor Richard Scase (pictured), futurologist at the University of Kent, during the closing keynote session The future of the workplace: how will it impact employee engagement? at Employee Benefits Connect on 27 February.
He said: “Engagement is an issue for employers, but workplaces must evolve to tackle the engagement issue.
“We can’t offer staff reassurances through employee benefits and recognition now. We don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Scase said that employees are motivated by workplace design and architecture, as well as the brand of an organisation, highlighting Coca-Cola as an example.
Dversity as another issue for employers to tackle and they must embrace the change in younger employees’ aspirations, said Scase.
“Should we have diversity of benefits or no benefits at all to reflect the increasing workforce diversity?” he asked.
“Cultural diversity is shaping the way we do things and how employees perceive their benefits.
“There is a change in aspirations among graduates and young employees who now want security and structure in their job, not flashy benefits. Older employees are blocking social mobility and career chances.
“Corporate policies will need to embrace equity and fairness,” he added.
