People Trends 2019: The Future of Work

Automation across industries has brought in one of the biggest transformations since the first Industrial Revolution. According to Forrester’s 2019 predictions, it will be the year where transformation in the business world will go pragmatic. Decisions and actions will not be based merely on the ‘AI-hype’ but on actual learnings from 2018 - the year that AI theoretically took over. Irrespective of the amount of disruption companies believe they have undergone, there is one critical aspect that has evolved the most - talent. And with this, it is imperative that HR as a whole also reinvents itself periodically to align with the talent of today. While the entire process of people management has been steadily transforming along with businesses. 2019 is when we’ll see a lot of ideas go mainstream. Here are some employee-centric trends that I believe should be and will be the priority for most organisations in the coming year:

It’s all about Millennials
With an average age of 29, India is on track to become the world’s youngest country by 2020. The power of the millennial workforce is immense. They want to be highly effective and create a lasting impact on every aspect of the workplace they operate in. Their biggest strengths lie in their diversity, affinity towards acquiring experiences than material things. In fact, they have the perfect ingredients to become transformational leaders and it is of key importance for organizations to harness such potential. It is not merely enough to understand their mindset, organisations need to reinvent to create an ecosystem for this generation. 2019 will see several changes in the traditional way workforce is structured to cater to this generation. From promotions, trainings, to rewards and recognitions, the millennial aspirations will dictate the A to Z of employee policies and activities. For example, international exposure as a form of reward & recognition or proactively developing young leaders and entrusting them with managerial responsibilities - at BYJU’S our focus has extensively been on providing an environment where millennials can harness their strengths and explore various work styles.

L&D takes center stage
Five years from now, over one-third of skills (35%) that are considered important in today’s workforce will have changed. Some jobs will disappear, others will grow and jobs that don’t even exist today will become commonplace. What is certain is that the future workforce will need to align its skillset to keep pace. 2019 will see the role of learning & development teams get equal prominence as the recruitment teams. With rapid technological transformations, L&D’s responsibility is to train employees for jobs that don’t even exist yet. Right investment in equipping this team can be a huge advantage for organisations in the long run. Training and retaining skilled talent is far more profitable than finding and hiring suitable talent frequently. Critical training also goes a long way in keeping millennials engaged and fueling their sense of purpose. Organisations with a solid vision will focus on making their L&D intuitive, futuristic and well-oiled training machines that are able to skill employees for the future.

Emotional Intelligence is key
As automation liberates employees from routine and mundane work, we are moving towards a time where it is imperative that humans use technology in the best possible way to  produce the most useful and effective outcome. Soft skills is one area where there is no match to the human mind. From conflict management, creativity and most importantly, emotional intelligence, 2019 will be about the right amalgamation of tech and human. By 2020 top skills required in the job market will be – Complex problem solving, Critical Thinking, Creativity, People Management, Coordinating with Others, Emotional Intelligence, Judgement and Decision Making, Service Orientation, Negotiation and Cognitive Flexibility. From recruitment to inhouse training, organisations will focus on finding candidates that encompass these as well as impart these skills rigorously.