It is hardly news to anyone that the internet and the rise of new technologies have already and continue to change the entire world - and especially the way people work. For many, the concept of going to work has completely changed its meaning. Some may not go to a workplace at all anymore, and many others go to a workplace where there is much more focus on the individual than before.
More than ever, companies are catering and adapting to their employees and their needs. They are likely to do this even more in the future - and that is a good thing. Because this is how you accommodate and welcome the new generation that is on the verge of entering the labour market. This is according to Anders Raastrup Kristensen, external lecturer at CBS and author of the book "Det grænseløse arbejdsliv: What if they can't?":
"What characterises the new generation is that they have been used to things being based on them as individuals. And it can all come down to one thing, whether it is yearly performance reviews or parents-teachers meetings. The new generations require a lot - and very close management, and you shouldn't look down on that. It is about them needing to discuss direction and reduce complexity. The most important thing for employers is to understand that employees - or the freelancers they choose to work with - are not one-size-fits-all. If employers realise this, they can get more dedicated employees," says Anders Raastrup Kristensen and adds that this is not without its challenges: "The new generations are always going somewhere new. They have to fulfil the next goal of their project. So when you ask them what they want, the answer is 'challenging tasks'. And when you ask them what burdens them, the answer is the same. And that is what the workplaces of the future need to be able to handle."
Diversity, culture and inclusion are keywords for the workplace of the future
But how will the workplaces of the future learn to deal with the fact that young people will have stressful tasks - without putting them under strain? And how does a company manage to be competitive in the market of the future and recruit young, skilled talent? According to Camilla Hillerup, HR Director at Microsoft Denmark, companies of the future need to think about diversity, culture and inclusion:
"We need to ensure that we collectively have bigger brains. In other words, that the total brainpower in a company is as broad and diverse as possible. One example is the importance of women in the workplace - especially in a technology company like ours. If you don't include women, you're missing half of the world's thoughts," explains Camilla Hillerup and elaborates that diversity cannot stand alone when designing the workplace of the future. You also need to make sure you understand the culture of the different people you put together: "You need to understand that employees have different needs and come from different cultures. This is where the companies of the future - and the companies of today - need to provide the right tools for the many different employees. Locally, they need to understand that if you have children, you have to leave early - but you might be able to work evenings. And internationally, companies need to understand that if you have a meeting with Chinese people, for example, they come with a different culture than Scandinavians. They often have a different culture of politeness, which can result in them not saying anything at all in a meeting unless asked. That's why diversity is not enough - you also need inclusion."
Focus on individual privileges
Raastrup Kristensen reckons that the key to success for organisations in the future is to consider the different and individual needs of employees.
"Overall, you shift from a rights-based approach to a privilege-based approach. We're moving away from rights, such as the rights you automatically have in a collective agreement, and more towards individual privileges that each employee has earned. For example, you can imagine that a company can see that one employee will perform best if they work from their garden 80 per cent of the time, while another doesn't get the same privileges. If an employee performs well, the workplace may be more inclined to give them more freedom. Rights can be earned, so to speak. The negative consequence can be that you divide your employees into winning and losing teams, but on the other hand, it also allows for fairly free rein if you perform well," he explains.
He also predicts that young people's greater focus on themselves as individuals will mean that we will see far more freelancers in the future.
"The future of work will be characterised by patchwork work, where more and more people will be freelancers and piece together their own work life. The danger is that you can sell yourself too cheaply just to get something to do - get your foot in the door. We won't be talking about one profession anymore, where we take an education and then work narrowly within it for the rest of our lives. Today and in the future, it will be the individual's project that will define working life to a much greater extent. What is it that you want? And it's also about what you do in your free time, what volunteer work you do and what trips you take. Work and leisure are merging, and the winners here will be those who are good at formulating their project and thinking about the future in everything they do."
Camilla Hillerup doesn't quite agree about freelancers: "It is about learning. Young people see their working life as an extension of their free time. Companies of the future need to understand that you can retain employees for many years if you develop them and let the company develop with them. This is where a permanent connection is crucial."
