No matter the functional group, today’s business executives are consistently exposed to discussions related to the Future of Work.
Be it artificial intelligence, blockchain, or some other technological progression, the Future of Work is a conversation that is unfortunately always linked to the continued evolution of automation. Ardent’s new Future of Work Compendium (the second annual edition of this report) dispels many of the rumors behind the Future of Work and addresses its true goal: optimizing how work is done via advancements across talent, technology, and business strategy.
Last year’s edition of the Future of Work Compendium helped business leaders understand the link between the contingent workforce (the continually growing and expanding contingent workforce!) and the Future of Work. The 2019 edition of this report takes a definitive stance by discussing:
- Why the Future of Work is not a mere concept or idea…it’s a movement. The Future of Work is often misunderstood; calling it a simple “concept” does not do it justice. The Future of Work is a real movement that reflects how businesses are revolutionizing the ways they think about work and talent and the symbiotic relationship between the two.
- Why the Future of Work has three distinct components. The Future of Work Compendium builds on last year’s edition by breaking down this movement into three distinct categories: the continued evolution of talent (direct sourcing, self-sourcing, digital staffing, the agile workforce, etc.), the impact of innovation (progressive contingent workforce management technology, artificial intelligence, intelligent automation, etc.), and the transformation of business strategy.
- How the transformation of business strategy could be the most critical component of the Future of Work. As stated earlier, conversations around the Future of Work are typically dominated by thoughts about technology, however, innovative thinking is proving to be just as crucial. Transformational thinking, flexible attitudes towards work, and new focal areas within business strategy are the hardline linchpins for bringing organizations into the Future of Work. The “talent experience,” inclusive business environments, and innovation-ready cultures all promote the ideal means of transforming how businesses develop forward-looking strategies in relation to talent and work.
Understanding that there is an inherent link between today’s non-employee workforce and the Future of Work movement is only a starting point. As businesses continue to strive to be more agile, and as the impact of the “agile workforce” continues to grow, there are many factors that play directly into how work must best be addressed. The Future of Work Compendium highlights these attributes and discusses why today’s procurement and HR/human capital management leaders must think about the revolutionary triumvirate of the evolving world of work: talent, innovation, and the transformation of business strategy.
Christopher J. Dwyer is a 14-year veteran in the talent and workforce management industries and has long been considered the leading authority on contingent workforce management. As Vice President of Research at Boston-based research and advisory firm Ardent Partners, Christopher evangelizes the Future of Work movement and how businesses can optimize “how work is done” via transformations across the realms of talent and technology. Christopher is also the voice behind Contingent Workforce Weekly, the non-employee workforce industry’s first and only dedicated weekly podcast. He can be reached at cdwyer@ardentpartners.com, on Twitter (@CJD_Ardent), or on LinkedIn.
