To understand what makes one staff member perform better than another or how to help employees improve, companies need to become sensing organisations. Thanks to the IoT and sensor technology, as well as the omnipresence of mobile devices and wearable tech, limitless amounts of data about mood and stress levels are now easily accessible. This information about employee well being can be used to improve social dynamics and productivity.

AI is evolving into intelligent assistants that help us work smarter. It is not the future of work – it is already happening today. These intelligent assistants, algorithms or chatbots, developed to replicate human conversation, can now also be implemented to personalise learning experiences, answer HR questions or recruit employees. As AI becomes more widely used in our private lives, expect to see similar adoption in the workplace.

Advances in robotics will replace many skilled trades: drivers, machinists, forklift operators, factory workers and even professions like surgery, dentistry and nursing will see smart machines replace human workers. High skill jobs like programmers, engineers, researchers, accountants and managers will eventually succumb to the rise of machines as well. In fact, very few jobs of any kind will remain available for the less than super-high skilled.

Blockchain is a powerful system, a networked database that enables the secure representation of things and transactions – from currency to property title deeds to front and back office processes, contracts and employee records. It records every transaction executed between the network’s participants and its possibilities are endless. Once Blockchain is as common as the Internet, social media and email, the workplace as we know it will have changed forever.

21st century skills include knowledge construction, collaboration, self-regulation, problem solving and innovation, skilled communication and the use of technology for learning. Studies have shown that people who have developed these skills are most likely to find rewarding and lucrative careers in the knowledge based economy of the future. They are also positively correlated with higher work quality.

The trend toward the freedom, or gig, economy has begun and there are various forces behind the rise in temporary jobs. In this digital age, job and location are no longer necessarily connected; people are becoming increasingly mobile and can work from anywhere. Providers can select from short-term projects and jobs around the world, while clients or employers can hire the best from a global pool of professionals.

The future of work requires a new type of manager, one who challenges the status quo and is willing to abandon 20th century ‘best practices’. There will be a move to flatter hierarchy as millennials are great team players and see hierarchies as outdated. They are result-driven and expect their managers to be the same. The managers of the future offer employees opportunities to develop new skills and explore new positions.

The company of the future is hyper connected. It closely monitors new developments and collaborates with startups, scientists and universities. It uses smart algorithms to analyse the world and employs a flexible workforce capable of rapidly developing new products, services or processes and offering support on complex issues. The company of the future requires accessible leaders who inspire, have new visions and are prepared to veer off the beaten track.

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