The future of work

Previously people got job placements in the traditional workspace environment based solely on their qualifications or skills contained in their resume . However sometimes it turns out that the practical applications of the skills or capabilities claimed were deficient.

Though this approach is still being used as a baseline for recruitment there's been a shift in favour of practical or hands on experience. The focus now especially with technology disrupting how we get work done is more in favour of skills or what one can actually do irrespective of what's contained on the resume. Similarly other novel or new concepts to work continue to emerge. Some of them will be discussed in this write up.

Gig economy: As the name implies this is a niche for freelancers or contract workers to offer their services to clients who are in need of them. The gigs could be short or long term depending on the nature of the task or project to be executed.

The gig economy is fast gaining popularity as firms are tapping into the remote work sector to get tasks done without having to engage all their staff on a full time basis. This is especially useful when firms or companies have one of tasks to execute and cannot find a staff within its payroll with the required skill set.

Thus instead of having to employ an additional full time staff, the job can be outsourced. This option offers some flexibility to the employer as well as the worker who can be engaged in multiple gigs at a time. While the gig economy may seem too good to resist, it isn't without its own fair share of challenges. The most glaring one being the absence of job security and other related benefits such as health insurance which comes with a full-time job.

Reduction in the number of days at the office: One of the biggest lessons or gains from the Covid pandemic was the fact that productivity can be achieved without having to show up at the office everyday from 9 to 5.

Though this may not be applicable for healthcare facilities and a few other institutions where services are best rendered and certain decisions best taken via in person assessment or meetings. Some forward thinking firms have started adopting this standard and allow staff to work from home for some days. Ironically this may enhance productivity by some staff especially those who ordinary have to commute long distances to and from work.

Remote working: This is one of the tools used by freelancers in the gig economy. It involves not being physically present in the office workspace to get things done. The location from where it is done is usually at home or any other convenient site of choice.

Regular 9 to 5 workers may also work remotely when there's a need to work and for cogent reasons the office workspace is inaccessible such as during the pandemic. Remote work is gradually become an acceptable practice in the conventional workspace.

However nothing beats good old human interaction thus for some individuals engaged in remote working there's a chance they might occasionally experience feelings of isolation. There might also be challenges with communication. Distractions in the home could also potentially hinder effectiveness of the worker if measures aren't put in place to block such out.

Automation: Automation in the workspace has multifaceted applications. It ranges from using technology and software to machines to aid human workers carry out tasks, in some instances replacing humans altogether.

The objectives of automation are to enhance efficiency, streamline (production) processes and minimize the need for human involvement in executing routine or repetitive tasks.It can range from simple tasks like email filtering to complex processes in manufacturing and data analysis.

With advances in robotics and machine learning, fears have been raised about job losses as machines steadily step in to carry out roles that were traditionally done by humans.

The dynamics of work have been disrupted by the pandemic in tandem with more robust applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning to the workspace environment.

Although machines have not been able to completely replace humans because of the fact that they can only do as much as they've been programmed to, fears have been exercised of machines being run via artificial intelligence becoming self aware and potentially going beyond their mandate.

Irrespective of these fears or concerns it is necessary for anyone who wants to remain relevant in the workspace of the future to be ready to adapt and equip themselves with the skills that are currently in demand as well as those that are likely to be in demand in the future. Remember

"The future belongs to those who prepare for it today"

Thus learning, unlearning and relearning is the new watchword. The trio is now a necessity not something that's optional with the constant evolution in the workspace environment no thanks to Artificial Intelligence and robotics.

Thank you for reading.