1. CIOADVISORAPAC.COM
$15
FEBRUARY 2017
IN MY VIEW
CIO INSIGHTS
PETER AUHL,
CIO,
ADELAIDE CITY COUNCIL
NATALIA SHUMAN,
SVP AND GM, APAC AND EMEA,
KELLY SERVICES AND KELLYOCG
Ultimate Software
WHERE PEOPLE
COME FIRST
HCM SPECIAL
The Impact of Disruption
on the Future of Work
D
isruption continues to change life as we know it. The significant
advances in digital technology over the last decade have given us much
more flexibility and choice in our personal lives and at work. There is
no doubt we are on the cusp of the fourth industrial revolution with the
rise of artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and the sharing economy, but do
organizations really understand what it means for the future of work.
As this disruption continues to advance at a rapid rate and ‘employee’
expectations continue to change, a new model for the future of work is fast
emerging. It is important all businesses start contemplating the impact of this
disruption and how they need to respond. There are three critical areas to start
thinking about.
The Future Employee
The rise of the sharing economy is challenging the traditional definition of
‘employee’. While this is currently being debated by courts, governments and
unions around the globe, what we do know is that new types of employment
relationships are forming and a significant number of today’s jobs will be gone in
the next 10 years. This means companies will need a different mix of talent
and skills to succeed in the future.
It is hard to predict exactly what new jobs will be created in the next
10 years (who would have thought 10 years ago we would have a Chief
Digital Officer), but to bridge the inevitable knowledge and skills gap that
will occur as part of this disruption, it is essential for organizations to
understand the types of skills and attributes they will need to succeed
in the future. It is then a choice; provide existing employees with the
right development opportunities to grow these skills and attributes
or recruit these into the organization. For most organizations it is
likely a combination of the two options.
This is even a challenge for universities who aim to equip
students with the skills they need for the roles that will exist
in the future. But with the rapid rate of disruption this
model is also being challenged as during a four year degree
a lot can change. What is now required is a stronger
partnership between universities and organizations to
ensure students are job ready.
One thing we do know is that we are going to need
employees who can work effectively with machines.
This is going to re-define the definition of ‘team’.
By Liam Hayes, Chief People Officer, Aurecon
CXO INSIGHTS
Liam Hayes
The Future Work Environment
The future work environment will be one that combines
the physical and virtual worlds. This is a significant shift
from the physical office environment we know today.
The ‘office’ of the future is fast becoming your home, a
coffee shop or a shared collaboration space. In the future
artificial intelligence will take care of mundane tasks and
possible more based on the recent AI announcement from
Google. Also with technology like the Microsoft HoloLens
the physical location is becoming irrelevant.
Organizations are no longer restricted to accessing
skills and talent in locations they have an office. Platforms
such as freelancer.com is connecting organizations and
talent across the globe, but how people complete tasks
and work effectively as part of collaborative teams in
these situations still requires more thought and most
importantly a change in behavior of how we use the
digital technologies now available to connect and work in
a more virtual world.
The Employee Experience
Organizations have for many years put considerable
effort into defining their client experience but there
has been less (if any) focus on the employee experience.
The employee experience in most organizations has just
evolved over time with not too much thought. This is a
missed opportunity and is one of the reasons organizations
fail to deliver on their desired client experience as it is
often forgotten that the employee experience is the
client experience.
As we prepare to enter the fourth industrial revolution
this is the perfect time for organizations to re-define both
their client and employee experience. And ensure the two
align! Involving clients and employees in this process is
going to be critical in getting it right. Too often in the past
a small internal support team will define these experiences
and then tell the rest of the organization or their clients.
We have enough evidence now to know this does not work.
As this new model for the future of work takes
shape a strong partnership between the CIO and CPO in
organizations is going to be critical as they help transition
their companies and employees through this disruption.
While it is the advances in digital technologies that in
many cases is allowing this disruption to occur, we can’t
forget that people are the agents of any transformation
and without their input nothing will change.
Aurecon is a global engineering and infrastructure advisory
companywhich brings ideas to life to design a better future.
Privately owned by employees, Aurecon was formed in 2009
when Africon, Connell Wagner and Ninham Shand announced
the formation of a new global group.
The future work environment will
be one that combines the physical
and virtual worlds