The second edition of Capgemini’s quarterly magazine: in a remote setting, productivity has increased and operational costs have decreased, but gains may come at the expense of employee well-being
The second edition of the Capgemini Research Institute’s “Conversations for Tomorrow” publication titled, “The Future of Work Starts Now,” highlights that to build competitive advantage and resilience, organizations need to make upskilling and reskilling an integral part of their hybrid work model. According to the publication, which includes contributors from leading global organizations, the precise definition of hybrid working may vary, but the consensus is that there will be no return to a 100% in-office model in the near or mid-term future. It discusses the challenges of new working models and why upskilling is mission-critical as technology redefines jobs.
In this edition, Capgemini examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a wholesale rethink and reimagination of how organizations work, collaborate, source talent, and motivate employees. It also examines how certain employee populations will be impacted, including women, underrepresented minorities, and young people who are facing increased unemployment and a widening digital skills gap. The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on unemployment was twice as strong for young people as for the total population, with 23.4 million young people unemployed in the OECD countries at the end of 2020 cites the publication. As with any business evolution, there is the need to find a balance between huge opportunity and managing critical people issues, the publication concludes.
“Conversations for Tomorrow” includes contributions and insights from leaders including, Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management Practice at the London School of Business; Thierry Baril, Chief Human Resources Officer at Airbus; Gloria Chen, Chief People Officer and Executive Vice President of Employee Experience at Adobe; Kelly Palmer, Chief Learning and Talent Officer at Degreed; Rémi Lugagne Delpon, Senior Vice President Human Relations for L’Oréal Asia Pacific; and Peter Cappelli, George W. Taylor Professor of Management at The Wharton School and Director of Wharton’s Center for Human Resources.
“Although the future of work brings with it many new opportunities, some groups are less equipped to take advantage of them. Businesses today need to shift from survival to optimizing the hybrid model for current and future talent,” explains Claudia Crummenerl, Managing Director, People and Organization at Capgemini Invent. “Younger employees in the global workforce are in a particularly vulnerable position, subject to widening skills gap and increased automation. To build and retain competitive advantage and resilience, organizations need to make upskilling and reskilling an integral part of their modified social contract — playing the role of lifelong partner in employees’ learning and development.”
Shayne Elliott, Chief Executive Officer, ANZ Bank said, “Business leaders must embrace the hybrid work model and view it as a source of competitive advantage. Hybrid models have boundless potential, from broadening geographic diversity to optimizing employee home and work-life balance. Companies that harness hybrid working successfully today will set the course of their future trajectory over the next twenty years.”
To download a copy of the second edition of the Conversations for Tomorrow magazine, click here.
