Being More Human In A Digital World

IN A DIGITAL WORLD, HOW CAN BEING MORE HUMAN BE KEY TO UNLOCKING MORE GROWTH? EY, UNILEVER AND THE B TEAM EXPLORE WHY ORGANISATIONS MUST BE MORE HUMAN IF THEY ARE TO DELIVER SUSTAINED GROWTH IN A CONNECTED WORLD

We are living in an increasingly fragmented world with a crisis of slowing growth in many economies. Meanwhile, many brands and employers are attempting to become more meaningful: those with clear purpose are prospering, while many corporate “dinosaurs” that refuse (or are unable) to adapt are dying off as the rate of change increases.

Organisations of the future need to embrace fully the concepts of empowerment, learning and balancing technology with the individual if they are to succeed, by using the power of technology and automation to rehumanise — rather than dehumanise — the workplace.

There are several significant trends driving change in the new working world:

The range of workforce generations is growing: More generations are working together than ever before, with different expectations and attitudes. It is estimated that by 2025 millennials will make up 75 per cent of the workforce — and life expectancy is still rising, so up to two thirds of babies born in the last year could live to be 100. People are retiring later, or not at all. We now have an environment in which older workers already report facing prejudice at work and millennial executives struggle to gain acceptance from older colleagues.

Work is less permanent and more flexible: By 2020, almost 20 per cent of US workers will be “contingent” rather than permanent. That’s 31 million people. If that sounds like bad news, consider that 80 per cent of today’s contingent workers appreciate the flexibility. Most of Uber’s growth has come from drivers who use their own cars, and 75 per cent of them have other jobs. (What happens when a job for life becomes a job for a day?)