Dive Brief:
- More than a third of knowledge workers (35%), defined as employees whose job is to "think for a living," in the US, UK and Germany believe the roles they have today will not exist in five year's time, while 65% believe that their current roles will not look the same, according to a new survey.
- The survey, called the Way We Work Study, commissioned by Unify, a communications and collaboration software and services entity, also found that 52% of knowledge workers say that they now work in more virtual teams (distributed across offices and locations) than they have done in the past.
- 42% of the 9,000 respondents believe virtual teams can be more effective than face-to-face teams, and 49% report that their organizations operate through technology and communication, rather than through offices and locations.
Dive Insight:
Jon Pritchard, CEO at Unify, says that the belief that their jobs may not even exist within five years may be due to the rapidly changing work environment, on-demand economy or global digital transformation. But it is clear that change in the working world is being felt at every level, from the boardroom to the employee lounge.
According to Pritchard, today's knowledge workers have an unrivaled freedom in how they connect and engage with each other thanks to technology.
To Pritchard, the study proves that there are some dramatic changes ahead in business. As knowledge workers continue to construct the future of work, employers and HR must keep up, he says, adding that technology will play a vital part in employers realizing their ideals while ensuring that top talent remains engaged with their organizations.