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The Many Extensions of the Future of Work

Business Leadership Direct Sourcing Podcast Talent by Christopher J. Dwyer on 09/07/2022

The Future of Work Exchange podcast features coverage of industry news, software developments, Future of Work happenings, and, most importantly, conversations with industry thought leaders.

The Season Seven premiere of the Future of Work Exchange Podcast, sponsored by Beeline, featured in-depth, Future of Work-oriented discussion with Jen Torney, VP of Client Engagement at Talent Solutions TAPFIN, and Brian Hoffmeyer, SVP of Market Strategies at Beeline (click to listen to the full interview).

Today’s article recaps a piece of the podcast discussion focused on several key Future of Work-focused topics. [Note that this excerpt has been edited for readability.]

Christopher Dwyer: We’re going to close things out with what I call the “Future of Work lighting round.” Let’s start with remote work.

Brian Hoffmeyer: Remote work is here to stay. We’re talking to our clients considerably about it and doing several workshops with them about the best way to handle it from a contingent workforce perspective. Because it’s not as easy as saying, “I want to hire from low-cost areas.” What does that really mean? What are the tax implications of doing that? There’s a different tax rate and a lot of complexity behind the scenes to work out. I’m still seeing companies make pretty arbitrary decisions about remote work, saying you have to come in on Tuesdays and Thursdays — when that doesn’t make sense. Companies need to be very purposeful in making these decisions as they go through the process.

Jen Torney: Yes to all of that. I would say this is so much bigger of a conversation than whether or not you’re going back into the office. We’re encouraging organizations to really look at their true workforce plan and strategy. Because this changes everything. It changes how you can hire, where you can hire, and at what cost. It becomes a much bigger holistic conversation around the opportunity to completely rebuild organizations. There is a lot of hybrid work, but it’s very arbitrary in approach. Now that I’ve been back to traveling at a pre-pandemic level, in-person makes a difference. It really does. But I’m not sure that clocking in at eight and leaving at five to fight traffic and get home is really going to be a part of our culture anymore — except when there’s a requirement. There are several smart ways to get work done, and that eight-to-five model doesn’t need to be the model to do that.

CD: Up next: direct sourcing.

JT: Direct sourcing is smart sourcing. We think direct sourcing is blowing up. It is definitely a new layer of workforce strategy. I don’t think this is going to replace traditional staffing, but it has its place in niche areas within our workforce. I’m certainly excited to see how this proliferates in the organizations that we’re working with. The smart sourcing aspect of layering and upskilling is going to be the future.

BH: Just do it. Just do it. I think too many companies are taking too long and overcomplicating things. Pick an area, pick a geography, pick a skillset, and get the right providers together and start somewhere.

CD: Off to the next one: purposeful work.

BH: I love this. We’re in this position in our industry to help people find meaningful employment and to get them the skills they need to improve their lives. That’s the ultimate purpose that I see in what we’re doing. I want to continue to see companies not treat contractors as less than and make them part of the workforce. Yes, there are rules you have to follow, but include them in D&I initiatives and company events.

JT: One of the things we’ve realized as a global society over the course of the pandemic is that it’s critical to be part of something, to feel that you are contributing value, and to be able to show up as your best self. Purposeful work is so important to the younger generations, especially those coming up into the workforce. So, figuring out ways as employers to build that into your culture so that you’re creating an environment for the future leaders to feel it is the right place for them from an employment experience.

CD: Let’s roll into conscious leadership.

JT: Yes, it kind of dovetails. All this focus on D&I has been so amazing because of the evolution of how we’re approaching these conversations around belonging and inclusion and truly showing up as your whole self. It allows for more creative outputs, better collaboration with your team members, and better energy all around. But again, we are shifting and changing how we approach non-employee labor.

I was just with a client last week talking with its DE&I team. Throughout its history, it was focused on the FTE. But going forward, they’re really trying to move the needle on the entire culture of inclusiveness within their organization. The client has 40% contingent labor, and we’re trying to figure out ways to untangle the risk associated with supporting those goals within their contingent labor population, which is unfortunate that we must think that way. However, I think we are breaking down barriers every day in this industry trying to get to a place where we can truly forward the momentum of DE&I for contingent labor, and truly inclusive and conscious leadership for organizations at that stage.

BH: Jen mentioned letting people be their true selves at work and I think that’s incredibly important. Because that’s going to make them feel included and allow them to bring up ideas that give them the space to fail. As leaders, we must do the same thing — show our own vulnerabilities and give people that space. The blending of work and life is going to continue to happen. And that to me is a good thing. Because you don’t want people to be fake, you want them to be who they truly are. While it seems obvious, the world didn’t use to be that way. The more those separate work and home personalities go away, the better.

CD: Crystal ball for the second half of the year into 2023?

BH: With respect to our industry, you’re going to continue to see an emphasis on the worker themselves and giving the worker good experiences because so many people want to work in this way. You know, permanent employment isn’t really a thing. Even if you take a so-called “permanent job,” your tenure is 18 months on average…or even less now. We’re focused on several things around that to make sure the worker can continue to advance their career in the ways they want to. You’re going to see a lot more of that.

JT: With obvious recession concerns, we’re going to continue to see organizations be more cautious. It’s about hiring and making very intentional decisions to get in front of that. There will probably be a curb in the aggressive hiring that we’ve been seeing over the course of this year. And then absolute radical growth in our travel MSP clients. Travel is returning to pre-pandemic levels and certainly out pacing their expectations. There will be some growth there despite the recessionary concerns.

A recession is an economic trend and part of the cycle. It’s going to happen, it’s just a matter of when. This recessionary period will be a bit more interesting for our business because there will be some contraction but also some expansion in certain categories as well.

The Five Things Driving the Future of Work (Right Now)

Business Leadership by Christopher J. Dwyer on 08/23/2022

If you take a step back and say the words aloud (like I do dozens of times a day), it seems quite weird: the “Future of Work” is about the future, but it also revolves around the present, right? So, when we discuss the Future of Work, we’re essentially discussing the continuous optimization of work through current progressions and how it will evolve over the coming months and years.

And the most interesting idea around the Future of Work movement is that there are so many attributes of work, talent, technology, and business leadership that serve as real-time accelerants and harbingers of things to come.

Here are the five things the Future of Work Exchange believes are driving this moment today (and will drive tomorrow):

The “human” elements of work and talent. From pandemic-driven anxiety and the desire for more purposeful work, today’s business professionals crave more than just a paycheck. These workers truly require an emotional connect with their work in such a way that it solves both the work-life integration problem and allows them some semblance of flexibility in both their personal and professional lives.
Direct sourcing’s continued impact on talent engagement and talent acquisition. Many large-scale enterprises have begun “reactive layoffs” in anticipation for a possible recession. However, as many news outlets would note, there are more job openings right now than there are job seekers. This weird labor market translates into the need for businesses to harness the power of talent pools, talent communities, and talent clouds to essentially overcome the rigidity of engaging and acquiring talent through traditional means.
The transformation of business leadership. This item has long been a foundational element of the Future of Work movement; however, the way leaders lead has been continually evolving since Day One of the pandemic. There is, of course, the notion of conscious leadership and being in-tune with the workforce. And, on top of that, especially today, business leaders must fuse empathy and flexibility into their strategies. They must contend with the remote vs. in-office conundrum, the specter of a recession, and applying the best talent retention strategies to their talent. Transformation, in this case, isn’t a one-shot alteration.
Artificial intelligence drives decision-making. AI can be considered “vaporware” to some executive leaders, however, many of the prominent solutions in the workforce technology industry provide real-deal AI to help procurement, HR, and talent acquisition leaders understand the best-fit talent for a role, how their workforce will look given current economic trajectories, and support DE&I initiatives, as well as fuel enhanced candidate screening and candidate assessment.
The strategic application of new and innovative work models. Worker-led work structures. Digital collaboration augmented by infrequent in-person meetings. AI-fueled process management. Consumerized capabilities across core enterprise functions. An enhanced hiring manager experience. Developing a path to total talent acquisition (and then, perhaps, total workforce management?). The reimagination of worker productivity. These are all innovative ways of rethinking the boundaries of how work gets done, and, true extensions of the Future of Work movement.

Can We Measure Empathy at Work?

Business Leadership by John Yuva on 08/10/2022

As part of the Future of Work Exchange (FOWX), we host a regular podcast featuring coverage of industry news, software developments, Future of Work happenings, and, most importantly, conversations with industry thought leaders. Recently, our own Christopher J. Dwyer, architect of the Exchange and host of the Future of Work Exchange Podcast, had the tables turned on him: Afterhours, sponsored by Utmost and hosted by Neha Goel, the company’s vice president of marketing, featured Christopher as part of its Contingent Workforce Radio series.

Neha and Christopher discussed a variety of issues related to the state of talent and the future of work (click to listen to the full interview). This is an excerpt from that conversation. (Note that this excerpt has been edited for readability.)

Neha Goel: As we explore the human element in the workplace, let’s talk about another tenant of the Future of Work — empathetic leadership. Is this something you are seeing put into action? And can empathetic leadership be measured in a meaningful way?

Christopher J. Dwyer: Yes and no. I feel like there is an appointed effort. There is a very focused effort for leaders to be more deliberate in leading with empathy and leveraging conscious leadership tactics. But, I do not think many organizations have a handle on how to measure it.

That is where we need to go as business leaders. It is tough to measure something like that, however, because it is so qualitative. How do we know that we are doing the right things as leaders? Or how do we know that we are leading in the right way? How do we know that our employees are having a positive experience and that they feel safe and comfortable? Do they feel that they are part of an inclusive culture?

It circles back to the question of how to measure those things. NPS scores are not going to help. Informal surveys may give you some type of picture. This is the next big leadership challenge going into the second half of the year and into 2023. It can be difficult measuring not just empathy, but how cognizant you are of your leadership and its impact.

It is encouraging to see that more leaders are very conscious of their styles of leadership. But you still see many leaders who are not flexible and still rigid — the Elon Musk-type celebrity CEO who does not care about flexibility or employee feelings, and insists we need you in the office and you need to be part of the team. (Editor’s note: check out yesterday’s article on Malcolm Gladwell’s horrible take on remote work.)

We are so far past that. I have been saying for over two years that there is no way you can put a positive spin on a worldwide pandemic that has killed so many people. It has disrupted life so much. But if you were to take the positives of the fallout from the pandemic, there are many accelerants from the Future of Work angle that came to light.

You have remote work, the reliance on automation and tech, and the desire to be more data-led to gain a better understanding of where we are going as a business and how we are going to survive. But there is the other piece where leaders need to realize that they need to change their leadership style or risk losing workers.

“I am going to lose the talent that exists in my business, and I do not want that to happen.” I do see leaders doing it, but measuring it continues to be a challenge. I do not think many organizations have that figured out yet.

NG: That is fair. It would be fascinating to have you back in a few months and see potential progress.

CJD: Absolutely. I look at some of the most read articles on the Future of Work Exchange since we launched, and one of the top three articles is a piece on why empathy is the only way forward.

A reason it is one of the most popular pieces is that business leaders are interested in trying to hone their style to be more flexible, more empathetic, and more conscious in thinking about their workforce and their staff.

I remember the early days of the pandemic quite clearly. Memories of COVID-19 close contacts and quarantining, 14-day isolations, and kids unable to go to school. Neha, you have young kids, as I do. How disruptive was it to have kids at home for weeks and months at a time? And remote learning was not exactly a conducive way to learn for them (even though it’s a great way to work, haha).

Truly conscious leaders understood how difficult that was for their staff. And they were the ones who were offering flexible options or realizing that, “Hey, this person needs to sit with his or her daughter as she does second grade remotely. Yes, he or she is going to be offline for a couple of hours, but will be back in the afternoon.”

It is leaders who truly step into their workforce’s shoes and acknowledge what everyone is going through and recognizes the need to support them through this. Those are the leaders who are realizing their workforce is happier. They are more engaged. They know that we are here to support them.

I would love to come back in four or five months and say we have a couple of real-life cases we can share of how a business was able to measure its effectiveness. Did our profits go up? Did we have less turnover? I think those could be some of the early metrics to use.

The State of Talent Today and the Future of Work

General Insights HR by Christopher J. Dwyer on 07/19/2022

I recently had the pleasure of joining Utmost‘s VP of Marketing, Neha Goel, on the company’s Contingent Workforce Radio podcast. Neha and I chatted about the state of today’s workforce, the continued transformation of work, how empathy and the candidate experience are altering talent acquisition strategies, the ultimate impact of remote work, and much more. Tune in below.

There’s So Much More to the Future of Work

Business Leadership Direct Sourcing HR Technology and Innovation by Christopher J. Dwyer on 07/14/2022

There’s so much more to the Future of Work than what we’ve experienced thus far.

Around two years ago, during the very first summer under pandemic-era living, we had all had a strong taste of what the so-called “Future of Work” had to offer: remote work became a normalized attribute of the modern business, corporate leadership was consistently changing in the face of survival, and digitization proved to be a competitive differentiator as enterprises moved operations as a direct plan of attack against transformative times.

Since then, we’ve collectively learned to “live” with a life-changing virus whilst embracing the major changes in the way we address how work is done. While some businesses have instituted “return-to-office” plans, many others have settled on models that work well for both productivity and the satisfaction of flexibility for the workforce.

More so, businesses are operating in environments that are increasingly more digital and more human, two vastly different elements that are shaping the Future of Work for organizations across the world. The Future of Work Exchange has covered these aspects since its inception, however, there is so much more to this movement than what we’ve experienced thus far over these past two-plus years:

The (continued) transformation of talent acquisition and the power of “open talent.” The extended workforce continues to grow. Freelancers and contractors, sparked by The Great Resignation, are “resettling” into new and different (and most importantly, flexible) roles that better suit their needs and purpose. The technology behind how we find and engage talent has been centered on innovation more now than ever before. We haven’t even begun to truly think about how functionality like blockchain can change the Future of Work game; just look at an organization like the Velocity Network Foundation, which blends digital wallets, blockchain-fueled credentialing, and a truly foundational, evolving “rulebook” that guides candidates/talent and businesses.
The real-deal application of artificial intelligence within the confines of “work.” Just because an organization currently leverages a flavor of AI does not mean that this translates into a true application of the technology. AI can become even more of a Future of Work gamechanger when organizations apply deeper elements of its powerful reach, including driving efficiency in hiring, powering predictive and prescriptive insights, and enabling stronger DE&I efforts in recruitment. Platforms like HiredScore, Glider.ai, Eightfold.ai, and ModernHire are taking AI in talent acquisition and talent management to a new and exciting era in today’s frenetic labor market.
The rise of conscious leadership. The realm of conscious leadership follows a similar path to the one paved by empathy, in that nearly every facet of human contact between an executive and his or her colleagues and staff is rooted in a meaningful, genuine purpose. A leader’s core approaches involve them becoming more aware of their actions, more aware of how kind and, yes, conscious, those actions and insights may be perceived by the organization’s workforce.
Strategies that began as extensions of extended workforce management that will become table stakes for the world of talent and work…particularly direct sourcing. Direct sourcing experienced its biggest spike in both prominence and utilization since the beginning of 2020 and there are no signs that businesses will slow how they leverage talent pools and talent communities to inject top-tier talent into their organizational projects and initiatives. Direct sourcing technology is evolving, too, in such a way that “Direct Sourcing 2.0,” which follows AI-fueled, digital recruitment-led functionality (as well as next-generation talent curation), will become the prominent form of direct sourcing as businesses progress their utilization of these critical platforms. Providers such as WorkLLama, LiveHire, Prosperix, Opptly, High5, PRO Unlimited (Direct Source PRO, which has recently integrated WillHire into its solution), and AMS are all contributing to the Direct Sourcing 2.0 revolution.

Flexibility Is a Catalyst for the Next Great Iteration of the Workplace

Business Leadership by Christopher J. Dwyer on 05/16/2022

There’s enough discussion around the technological component of the Future of Work movement: artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, digital staffing, etc. While “innovation” in and of itself is one of the three major foundational legs of the Future of Work (the other two being “the evolution of talent” and “the transformation of business thinking”), there’s so much more to the very notion of work optimization than just automation and new technology.

As we’ve learned over the past two-plus years, the workplace itself has become a living, breathing entity that has the power to determine the overall productivity of a business, and, more importantly, how emotionally tethered the workforce is to the greater organization. For the record, it’s not just a matter if or when a business offers remote or hybrid work options, but rather how deeply rooted flexibility truly is within all facets of how work is done and how the workforce is ultimately managed.

Now would be the best time to bring up the annoying factor in every business-related conversation: “The Great Resignation” continues unabated, sparked by a veritable “Talent Revolution” that has restructured the way workers perceive their jobs, roles, and career paths. The very concept of flexibility is not just a “perk” for talent; it’s become a determining factor in whether or not a professional chooses to remain with an enterprise or search for greener pastures.

From here, flexibility is catalyst for the next great iteration of the workplace. There are undeniable roots from the larger idea of flexibility, including empathy-led leadership (more flexibility in how leaders lead), leveraging new models to get work done (distributed teams, new functional collaboration, etc.), more humanity within the fabric of the workplace, and, of course, more malleability in where workers work (remote work, hybrid workplace, etc.).

And, when we bring up this idea of “flexibility,” it doesn’t just translate into specific aspects of the workplace, but rather all of them. That’s right: the next iteration of the workplace centers on how work is done rather than on archaic principles of control and authority, including:

Promoting an inclusive workplace that welcomes and values all voices, no matter their differences, disabilities, etc.
Relying on empathy-led and conscious leadership that takes into account worker emotions and perceptions.
Offering various outlets of paid leave (maternity, paternity, wellness, etc.).
Embracing flexible work models, including fresh takes on shift-based work, four-day work-weeks, collaborative-led schedules, etc.
Supporting remote and hybrid work options (including offering proper hardware, software, leadership support, etc.).
Augmenting these remote and hybrid models with digital workspaces.
Measuring both employee engagement and productivity, and;
Detailing flexible work options within new job requisitions (to attract talent).

Interested in learning more about the critical role of flexibility in today’s transformative world of work? Join the Future of Work Exchange at its inaugural in-person, roundtable-styled conference on June 14 in Boston:

Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange Announce “FOWX LIVE,” An Executive Roundtable Event

Events by Christopher J. Dwyer on 05/05/2022

It’s clear that the world of work and talent has changed. Many facets of modern business have been transformed, from talent acquisition and talent engagement to workplace culture and workplace structure. For today’s business leaders, navigating these revolutionary times requires a Future of Work-first focus on work optimization, enhancement of core workforce management strategies, and major, flexibility-led shifts in how executives think about their talent, their operations, and their workplace.

Ardent Partners and the Future of Work Exchange are excited to announce its inaugural Future of Work event, “FOWX LIVE,” a half-day executive roundtable conference that will bring together business leaders at the historic Harvard Club in Boston, MA on June 14.

The event will include both presentations by industry luminaries and executive roundtable discussions for networking and the sharing of best practices between attendees (as well as an elegant lunch to cap off a whirlwind day!).

Registration is complimentary for procurement, HR, and talent acquisition executives. Sponsored by Utmost, WorkLLama, and Atrium, this event will highlight the major issues driving the Future of Work movement, including:

The necessary strategies for managing a remote and distributed workforce.
The approaches for navigating a volatile labor market.
The Best-in-Class strategies for implementing new technology and innovative tools to enhance how work is done.
The ideal pathways to more effective business leadership, and;
What the future holds for the world of work and talent.

Conscious Leadership Should Be a Future of Work Focus

Business Leadership by Christopher J. Dwyer on 03/28/2022

In the earliest months of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a dearth of the one thing that every person thrives on that, unfortunately, we had taken for granted for far too long: human contact. Every video conference with older family members, every Friday afternoon virtual cocktail hour, the absence of fun evenings at the local sushi joint down the street…there was always that missing sense of human contact that nipped at the back of our minds as we experienced a crisis together.

While we are clearly out of the “emergency phase” of the biggest health crisis of our lifetime, with vaccines and immunity leading to a more “normal” way of life (barring another serious surge of cases), it doesn’t mean we should be abandoning the newfound focus on aspects such as empathy, compassion, and emotional-led thinking both in our personal and professional lives, however.

The Future of Work Exchange has long been a proponent of empathetic leadership and its many, many benefits. We even wrote about it last week and discussed why the Future of Work movement required more humanity within its innerworkings. It’s with this backdrop in mind that business leadership must continue to evolve; what the Future of Work needs today is conscious leadership.

Enterprise leaders in 2022 sit in a very, very different position than they did just a couple of years ago. And while the pandemic played a very critical role in how leadership has changed for the better, the fact is that the business arena would eventually experience this revolution of leadership simply because the workforce, the enterprise vision, and getting work done all now require a reimagined and strategic approach towards leadership.

“For years we’ve recognized that people’s dedication to their work has shifted: whether that be in time, energy, or emotion spent. People have the opportunity to reap so much from their careers, but only if the environments in which they work recognize and honor that and play an equal part in the relationship,” said Ashley Andersen, Leadership Coach and Partner at 10X Leadership Lab. “No longer are people just happy to have a job. They want and deserve more from their work- they want to use their work to create a positive impact and they want their work to in turn have a positive impact on them.”

The realm of conscious leadership follows a similar path to the one paved by empathy, in that nearly every facet of human contact between an executive and his or her colleagues and staff is rooted in a meaningful, genuine purpose. A leader’s core approaches involve them becoming more aware of their actions, more aware of how kind and, yes, conscious, those actions and insights may be perceived by the organization’s workforce.

Andersen and her 10X Leadership Lab team are focused on helping leaders become more conscious in their overall styles and approaches, augmenting leadership strategies with positive psychology and an emphasis on the fundamental behavioral change that is required for executives to reboot their approaches towards revolutionary leadership.

“At 10X Leadership Lab, we see leadership as a tremendous responsibility and, in that responsibility lies to the opportunity to have real impact – not just on the bottom line, but on the overall well-being of those around you and the systems you work within,” said Andersen. “Think about the last time you felt really heard, seen, understood, and valued at work – what was the impact of that? The leaders who show up in that way are the ones we’re willing to go the extra mile for, the ones we want to stick beside and learn from, the ones whose feedback really matters.”

One of the most critical aspects of conscious leadership is purpose (which we’ve written about recently). Workers desire work that has purpose, that is fulfilling, and aligns with their own specific journeys, goals, and life objectives. Leadership must change and evolve to suit this critical Future of Work tenet. Leadership must have the capability to be influential, purposeful, and deliberate in how it drives the overall vision of its staff, its product, its culture, and the greater organization.

“Everything begins with purpose at 10X, whether you are working with us in 1:1 coaching or at the systems level through our Thriving Culture work, because it’s the foundation that determines how we operate, the decisions we make, the attitudes we hold, the language we use,” said Andersen. “At 10X, our purpose is to make the world better by making business better. If we meet with a prospect who doesn’t share an interest in maximum impact beyond profit, we aren’t the right company for them and we politely part ways. It’s not always an easy decision to make, but it’s one that leaves us standing in integrity, which feels a whole lot different than the alternative. This work isn’t easy, that’s not what it’s about, but it’s always worthwhile. It’s what the Future of Work demands and deserves from us, and it’s what we are most passionate about.”