Introducing: The Future of Work

Anticipating what the future of work will look like is a concern for leaders. Prior to 2020, digitalisation and AI adoption were hot topics of debate. However, COVID-19 rushed the adoption of digitalisation and globalisation trends. Indeed, during the coronavirus crisis, speculation has become even more exciting and difficult thanks to unprecedented, rapidly changing factors and accelerated transition to new modes of working.

In our Future of Work series, we reflect on the changes that will impact you as a leader - whether in your capacity as an employer or as an employee looking for your next step. The nature of work continues to evolve, and we want to use this space to share our insights with you. Indeed, we sit at the intersection of disruption in the industry: Speaking with senior leaders in consulting firms and organisations of all sizes, as well as with thousands of ex and current consultants themselves.

The Changes to Work During Coronavirus

Prior to 2020, the main disruptions to work were to do with new technologies and globalisation to a certain extent, but these did not affect work on a daily basis as we have seen with COVID-19. For the first time, we were made truly aware of the physicality of work. Of course, some employers were already working in flexible workspaces and let their employees work from home a few days a month. For example, Movemeon team members could work from home 3 days a month before the pandemic. But in 2020, everything accelerated – namely:

• Virtual meetings
• Remote working
• Hybrid working
• Flexitime

Companies were forced to go virtual because of the restrictions enforced by Governments, which meant teams had to adopt digital solutions overnight. This was a completely unprecedented event with leaders and employees alike having to adopt new ways of working in a blink of an eye and quickly find new ways to remain productive and communicate efficiently, miles apart from co-workers. This, in turn, resulted in the acceleration of two processes that were already disrupting work prior to 2020:

• Automation
• Moving to online sales

Digital transformation was at the top of every organisation’s agenda but the coronavirus crisis only accelerated the adoption of digital practices by pushing for more automation and flexibility when it comes to digital processes.

The Future of Work Beyond Coronavirus

In our Future of Work series, we will not only focus on changes brought on by the pandemic but we will also investigate in detail other issues that are as crucial when establishing a modern and adaptable workplace. Although these topics might not be at the forefront of conversations at the moment due to the constant evolution of COVID-19, they nonetheless require our attention as leaders and creators of the workplace of tomorrow. We will explore the following:

• Gender equality
• AI
• Globalisation
• Ageing workforce
• Sustainability

These topics are really important to us as a company, and we have always made sure to raise awareness of the existence of the Gender Pay Gap ever since the creation of our yearly Work & Pay Report in 2017. We’re also very proud to have recently helped more and more consulting firms and corporates to augment their energy transition and sustainability capabilities to serve rapidly growing clients’ and consumers’ demands.

Our Future of Work series will aim to delve deeply into the various aspects of the workplace of the future and help you understand the ins and outs of those various changes. We will also share more practical and actionable advice on our website so that you can make sure your organisation stays on top of the trends and hire the best talent for your need. If you want to read more about our exclusive insights from our great community of employers and consultants, make sure to subscribe below to receive updates in your inbox as new instalments in this series are published: