As promised, we are back with some further extracts from my previous book ‘The New World of Work’, at that time the book and its contents were looking to the future but now, due to COVID-19, perhaps it’s looking at the present…
…Moving forward, often the best way to predict the future is to look in the rear-view mirror. Back in the 1990s, the lens with which we viewed the internet was publishing – what would the internet do to how we shared, read and produced material?
The printing press was the closest comparison we had. Elizabeth Eisenstein’s analysis of the impact of the printing press identified five impacts that transformed the world:
- Expertise – Experts come under pressure from new voices who adopt new technology early.
- Organisational Transformation – New organisations emerge to deal with the social, cultural and political changes.
- Social and legal norms struggle to respond and revise quickly in response – Especially in relation to intellectual property.
- Concepts of identity and community are transformed – New forms of language come into being.
- Education – Educators are pressured to prepare their students for the newly emerging world.
Using these five as lenses, we can understand the changes that are transforming the way that we work.
As Pendragon looks at its current salary management services – removing the burden of compliance to employers and contractors – we recognise one thing: the process of employing is shifting.
Just as the printing press had a significant impact on society, so too will the emerging new world of work. In order to keep attracting the brightest and best talent, organisations must learn how to inhabit it…
Next week I will share with you some of my thoughts on how Millennials would like to work in the New World of Work and what should organisations be aware of in order to hire them… Meanwhile, please have a look at The New World of Work book… Do you think it’s still true? I would love to know your thoughts…
If you would like to discuss further, please don’t hesitate to contact us…
John Glover, Managing Director, Pendragon
