https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXCuIpIbnLY
“We devote the first years of our lives—roughly 20%—to studying 100% of the time, and then we focus on working. This is an outdated model in a world where skills are constantly changing. I propose that we spend 20% of our time studying 100% of our lives,” said Carolina Bellora—executive director of BizArt Group and visiting professor at the Graduate School of Business at Universidad ORT Uruguayduring the conference “Human Resources in Times of Disruption.”
The event, which was held online on Thursday, February 25, 2021, was part of the ORT Graduate School of Business’s Management and Business Lecture Series.
“In the future, new types of jobs will emerge, and adapting to them is the challenge we face as professionals. We must not only rethink the structure of work, but also the skills we need to perform it,” the expert noted, citing five trends that will shape the future of work:
Prioritize well-being
First, he mentioned the redesign of work: more distributed, flexible, and focused on well-being.
“The shift to virtual platforms, brought about by the coronavirus, took us by surprise. We experienced it as a misfortune, but it also gave us an immense advantage. We were able to foster opportunities for exchange, build communities, and reach places we never would have imagined reaching. Not because we lacked the tools, but because it hadn’t occurred to us,” Bellora noted.
The expert mentioned the possibility of collaborating from any physical location: “We don’t need to have someone living just a few blocks from our company. We can rethink the how, when, and where.”
“The shift to virtual work has forced us to think about spaces in a different way. When my dad used to say, ‘I’m going to work,’ I understood that he was going to the office. Today, when I tell my kids, ‘I’m going to work,’ I don’t necessarily mean the office.”
The expert emphasized the importance of companies prioritizing their employees' well-being. Instead of, for example, offering workshops on stress management, she proposed redesigning work so that employees never reach the point of stress.
Reskilling
Second, Bellora highlighted the importance of reskilling to prepare for an uncertain future by acquiring new skills and competencies.
He noted that training the workforce is essential. “If companies think education is expensive, let them try not investing in education over the next few years. Today, staff training is practically a prerequisite for an organization’s survival and for the successful implementation of work plans.”
“The jobs of the future will require different skills. It is essential to organize the workforce not based on past performance—which we already know will change—but rather on the potential it has to acquire new skills, ”said Bellora.
“We spend the first 20% of our lives studying 100% of the time, and then we focus on working. This is an outdated model in a world where skills are constantly changing. I suggest we spend 20% of our time studying for the rest of our lives,” he added.
Various equipment
Third, he emphasized that having diversity in work teams is very beneficial. In this regard, the coronavirus pandemic proved useful in establishing crisis committees. These committees brought together people from different areas who would not normally have worked together.
“This trend is here to stay,” he added. “If I spend every day with people just like me, I come up with fewer ideas. Work, rather than being organized by functional areas, tends to be organized by projects: it comes together, forms, and dissolves according to the organization’s priorities.”
“We are experiencing a structural paradigm shift. We need to throw the organizational chart out the window, adapt, and navigate the uncertainty,” he said.
Talent Strategies
Fourth, talent strategies must be taken into account.
“The pandemic taught us that, when faced with necessity and urgency, we were able to become very creative. Companies loaned out staff. Businesses that experienced a sharp decline in operations—for example, large restaurant chains—loaned staff to companies with high demand, such as e-commerce firms and logistics companies,” he said.
On the other hand, task automation is a strategy that had begun before the coronavirus and continues to grow today.
People can be retrained, helping them develop new skills so they can be useful in the new positions the company will create. “This is called a bridge. That is, building a bridge between who the person is today, with their current skills, and the skills they need to ensure their job performance.”
Create social value
Finally, Bellora emphasized that companies must rethink their role in society, prioritizing a culture of transparency, respect, and purpose.
“We are at a turning point for capitalism, with organizations increasingly seeking to create social value, benefit their employees, and contribute to the community. We will have to reflect on our purpose as an organization and ensure that our members feel they are part of something worthwhile,” Bellora said.
The expert questioned the statement “I don’t come to work to make friends,” noting that a sense of belonging to a social group improves job performance and reduces turnover.
“We need to rethink how to make people feel comfortable, so they feel valued and respected,” said Bellora. “We can reinvent work by taking the lead, which means putting our talent, innate skills, and passions to work in pursuit of a meaningful cause.”