This Ebook, the final of four in the Kelly Services® series on the scientific workforce of 2020 and beyond, will explore how free agency, hybrid workgroups, and the virtual workplace are trends that are converging to define how the world’s businesses and organizations will utilize their most valuable resources—talent—in order to compete more effectively, both today and tomorrow.

1. 2020:
the new world
of work
Three innovations
that are changing the
global workforce.
Mark A. Lanfear

2. 2 | 2020: the new world of work
Introduction
There’s been a lot of talk over the last workforce is transforming will seem as This whitepaper, the final of four in the Kelly
couple of years about what the workforce old-fashioned as the rotary telephone. Services® series on the scientific workforce
of tomorrow will look like. Futurists of 2020 and beyond, will explore how free
An evolution of the traditional employer–
have focused, perhaps arbitrarily, on the agency, hybrid workgroups, and the virtual
employee relationship. Professionals banding
year 2020, plastering across the Internet workplace are trends that are converging
together to work in highly technical hybrid
thoughts and ideas about how everyone’s to define how the world’s businesses and
groups. Collaboration across continents
concept of a “normal” day of work will organizations will utilize their most valuable
where “virtual” is the new bricks and
be shattered in just a few short years. resources—talent—in order to compete
mortar. These are three fundamental
more effectively, both today and tomorrow.
Actually many of these changes are workstructure innovations that will seem
happening already, and, by 2020, as normal in the future as water cooler
companies that fail to embrace some very conversations were in the 20th century.
fundamental ways in which the global

3. 3 | 2020: the new world of work
01. FREE AGENCY IS HERE
In fields like engineering, IT, and science, highly skilled and experienced
employees are already showing signs that they are less willing to compromise
on location and compensation when it comes to the work they do. This is free
agency supercharged and it could dominate the world’s workforce by 2020.
This trend has actually been developing those who do not have full-time traditional organization to know what is right for their they possess—not just for the job or task
for close to a decade, but only now has it employment with an organization. career progression. at hand—will become the lifeblood of the
come to be seen by futurists as a viable Internationally, the percentages are smaller, organization and perhaps one of the most
These workers know that demand for
work model for the majority of the world’s but growing. Kelly research shows that the powerful drivers. Free agents are critical
their skills is high, but they also know
workforce. In the past, if companies saw free agent population is now at least 20 to components in this equation, and talent
that corporate paternalism is dead. Many
“free agency” or “consultant labor” as 30% of the entire global workforce. As soon acquisition teams who fail to acknowledge
will ultimately come to place more value on
just a gap-filling measure, today the most as 2013, there will be 1.19 billion free agents, this will see valuable talent go elsewhere.
working on projects of interest to them with
sophisticated organizations are seeing it or about 35% of the worldwide workforce,
colleagues they respect, and on innovations These factors reinforce what we
as a forward-thinking strategy capable of according to a study by global research
that lead to results—with less focus on have theorized for a long time as
delivering improvements and efficiencies firm IDC.
climbing the corporate ladder. companies continue to grapple with the
which may add to their bottom lines.
There are many reasons for this growing hypercompetitive nature of global business:
The challenge for companies will be to
Why should companies investigate free trend in employment engagement, and an organization’s ability to recruit, engage,
embrace through tangible infrastructure
agency as a serious topic? There’s some many experts believe that global economic and develop talent is a vital indication of its
and corporate culture these new workforce
proof in the numbers. The Kelly 2011 Free
®
uncertainty, coupled with the desire for better ability to remain competitive and relevant.
models, and to appreciate how it will
Agent Survey found that 44% of American work–life balance, is inspiring workers— Making free agents an integral part of a
contribute to long-term organizational health.
workers across all industries, when asked, especially those in highly technical fields company’s strategy will ensure that the
classify themselves as free agents— —to trust themselves more than an Hiring focused on the person and experiences organization is able to engage needed talent.

4. 4 | 2020: the new world of work
02. WORKING WITH WORK GROUPS
The formation of hybrid work groups is a natural progression as
the culture of free agency takes hold across the globe.
Concepts such as business colonies, with pending work projects. The operation performed outside of the cultural bounds of Ultimately, these hybrid work groups can
synchronized workforces, and skill-set will revolve around some combination of existing workflow”. all mean very different things to different
modules—all different forms of work resident people based in a physical facility organizations. But at the most basic level,
groups—can be formed to accommodate and a non-resident virtual workforce. Some Similar to business colonies, synchronized these concepts are about engaging the
any type of work or project. This represents business colonies will forgo the cost of workforces and skill-set modules are right talent in the right place at the right
a profound shift in basic employment the physical facility completely, opting loosely defined as pockets of talent time—regardless of a company’s physical
structures, where both companies and instead to form around an entirely virtual that are considered a critical asset to an location. They are about banishing the
individuals are coming together to seek communications structure”. organization, but are not necessarily needed cubicle and fixed schedule. And they
out innovative ways of doing business that throughout the entire process of a project. are about embracing the evolution to a
capitalize on mobile workforces and With these business colonies established, Companies might employ these workforces workplace model independent of traditional
mobile opportunities. they are able to seek work on a project basis with other pockets of talent in a different employment constraints.
from large companies that are seeking their part of the country or on an entirely different
So what are business colonies, specific skills. In some instances, according continent. All work on different aspects These concepts are about fulfilling
synchronized workforces, and skill-set to Frey, “large corporations will launch their of the same project, helping companies the needs and expectations of both
modules? Business colonies have been own business colonies as a way to expand save not only money, but time in the wake organizations and the people who work
defined specifically by futurist Thomas Frey capability without adding to headcount” of global competition that continues to for them, because the best human capital
of the DaVinci Institute as “organizational and could possibly even use these colonies demand that products are developed is now among the most valuable resources
structures designed around matching talent for “experimental assignments best smarter and faster. in the world.

5. 5 | 2020: the new world of work
03. THE VIRTUAL WORKPLACE
With free agency and hybrid work groups in play, the virtual workplace could
be a dominant model in the year 2020 and beyond. This could be especially true
and influential in the science industry, where the days of the insular workplace are
over, and a culture of virtual work is helping companies gain a competitive edge.
As knowledge sharing continues to gain future projects. Essentially, it is a mash-up of the future will have factors that may be advantage of them with regard to building
traction, and as vital economic resources of Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for the virtual. That is, the global workforce and a customized and flexible workforce model
continue to constrict at scientifically science world where scientists can share therefore business economy is now more critical as well. With the proliferation of
focused companies both large and small, their photos and profiles, as well as their “borderless” than in the past, and there is a collaborative cloud computing tools and the
the expertise of others outside a particular work with colleagues around the globe. growing acceptance that work can happen types of social networks discussed above, it is
organization, and the ability to work across Since ResearchGate’s inception in early anywhere regardless of brick and mortar or inevitable that the professionals that scientific
continents within a virtual model, will become 2011, membership has grown to more than company location. companies need will be tapping into these
a more and more important factor for 1.3 million users, and about one million networks to find the projects and teams they
It’s worth noting that the independent nature
reaching business goals. publications have been shared so far in a would like to work with.
of today’s working world is being fueled in no
notable example of the traditional scientific
As a result, virtual scientific networks are small part by innovative social communities Companies will have to be engaged and
journals being bypassed as an avenue
already cropping up all over the Internet. and the collaborative nature of technologies “at the table”, when the moment presents
of publication.
ResearchGate.net is one such network, which (i.e., virtual networks) that continue to evolve, itself in order to locate expert talent as the
has gained popularity over the past year for As the popularity of these virtual networks according to the 2012 independent work proliferation of these work-related social
its ability to easily connect scientists, allow grows in the scientifically oriented, and many report by MBO Partners. This will make a communities allows free agents to find the
them to answer questions from peers, share other technical industries, it will become company’s understanding of these networks best jobs, create teams and partnerships, and
research papers, and find collaborators for even more apparent that nearly all work all the more critical, and their ability to take support professional development.

6. 6 | 2020: the new world of work
04. EMBRACING THE NEW WORKFORCE
Scientifically focused corporations working within the constraints
of traditional employment may find it challenging to take on
these innovative aspects of the workforce of the future.
In fact, utilizing free agency, alternative and Particularly within the science industry, 1. dentify strategic versus transactional
I for talent is dictating that companies must
hybrid work groups, and the power of virtual increased challenges in the development processes within your company. What be able to meet workers’ expectations in
networks may still seem like a completely of drugs and other products are influencing activities are core, but yet could still radically different ways and be open to
novel concept despite how fast workplaces how companies conduct business and control be interwoven into strategic workforce different types of hybrid work groups. Are
across the globe are changing. solutions? Which tasks and process, you willing to nurture new ways of working
costs at practically every step in a particular
transactional, strategic, core or ancillary in order to attract and retain the best
But the very nature of the science industry process. A scientific company’s most
be done on a project basis? Assess your employees?
itself, and how it continues to change to important projects, it could be argued, are
workforce, and figure out how specifically-
meet economic realities, might well be the now often likely to be conducted on a micro, 3. Engage a strategic partner that can help
skilled free agents could efficiently and
driving force behind companies taking a not macro, level. your organization build a better workforce
effectively contribute to your operations by
more strategic approach to their workforce strategy. Going it alone can be daunting.
applying their specialized knowledge.
solutions in the future. Some of the most Companies as a result must take the Look for partners that already have the
obvious changes have come about because necessary steps to adapt their work 2. o a cultural and sociability audit. Is your
D expertise and experience to secure the
of pure economics. Practically everyone workforce solutions according to these company on board with the workplace right talent at the right time for the right
is being challenged to do more with less. challenges: reality of the future? Extreme competition processes.

7. 7 | 2020: the new world of work
CONCLUSION
It may not be a matter of if but when these aspects of the evolving world of work will reach the
workplace and drive a shift that will change the workforce as we have known it. The concepts of free
agency, hybrid work groups, and the virtual workplace are three of the major challenges companies
must prepare for in order to increase their likelihood of continued success, to attract the best talent
in the future, and to maintain a competitive edge within the vast and complex global workforce.
Want more information?
This white paper is part of the Kelly Scientific Resources series The Scientific Workforce of 2020 and Beyond.
Download this and other papers in the series at kellyscientific.com today.
References:
1. “Free Agent Survey”, Kelly Services, Inc. 2011
2. Worldwide Mobile Worker Population 2009-2013 Forecast. International Data Corporation. www.idc.com
3. “Business colonies: A study of structure, organization, and the evolution of work.” Davinci Institute. www.davinciinstitute.com
4. Lin, Thomas. “Cracking Open the Scientific Process.” New York Times. January 16, 2012.
5. MBO Partners 2012 Independent Work Predictions.” Report. December, 2011. www.mbopartners.com
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8. About the Author
Mark Lanfear is a global practice leader for the Life Science vertical at
Kelly Services, a leader in providing workforce solutions. Mark has overseen
teams of scientific professionals around the world for almost two decades.
He has held leadership roles in two of the top three scientific workforce solution
companies and three of the world’s top 20 Biopharmaceutical corporations.
He is a featured speaker at many of the Life Science’s industry conferences, as
well as a university instructor. In addition, he is a published author in industry periodicals.
About Kelly
Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA, KELYB) is a leader in providing workforce solutions. Kelly
offers a comprehensive array of outsourcing and consulting services as well as world-class staffing
on a temporary, temporary-to-hire, and direct-hire basis. Serving clients around the globe, Kelly
provides employment to more than 550,000 employees annually. Revenue in 2011 was $5.6 billion.
Visit www.kellyservices.com and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, & Twitter.
Download The Talent Project, a free iPad app by Kelly Services.
Our science specialty places professionals to a broad spectrum of industries, including
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For more information, please visit kellyservices.com/Global/Science
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