The impetus for a workforce transformation has never been stronger. Employees are struggling with record high burnout, mental stress, social issues, pressures to reskill and upskill, and, in many countries, caregiving crises. There is an opportunity now to boldly design a future of work that will deliver what the work requires and what the talent needs.
As we envision the workplace of the future, we know that employers will continue to deal with labor shortages, low engagement, and real and quiet quitting, on top of the pressure they already feel regarding escalating technology (for example, generative AI), innovation, and environmental, societal, economic, and geopolitical changes and imperatives. One thing seems certain: disruption will only accelerate. How to prepare for the future of work?
BCG’s Future of Work approach is focused on making work work better, for everyone. Through this lens, leaders and organizations are able to deepen relationships with employees and customers and deliver innovation, productivity, quality, and value generation. They are able to address needs and challenges related to remote work, the skills gap, flexible work models, workplace technologies, and more. To achieve a more energized, engaged, and productive workforce of the future, organizations must excel in six areas:
We have developed an integrated approach that enables companies to understand how to prepare for the future of work, expand their thinking from the tactical to the strategic, and redefine the way work gets done.
With the cultural shift sparked by the pandemic, BCG managing director & senior partner Debbie Lovich gives three essential tips to help leaders reinforce autonomy, let go of rigid corporate bureaucracy, and reshape work to better fit the lives of all employees.
Retention is a complex issue unique to each company, but research suggests a universal solution: doubling down on employee joy.
Research shows intense stress is one of the primary reasons working parents consider quitting their jobs. Organizations need to respond in three core areas.
As companies bring employees back to the workplace, it’s tempting to revert to old work models. But doing so would be a missed opportunity to redesign work for the way it should be—not the way it used to be.
There is compelling evidence that shows employees can be just as productive working without the former constraints of time and location. Business leaders have the opportunity and imperative to intentionally design the future of work to unleash a new wave of productivity.
If leaders have been paying attention, they should now appreciate the fact that different employees need different settings to perform at their best.
BCG’s latest global employer survey reveals that finding and keeping employees are among the top reasons that organizations are supporting new workforce initiatives.
A conversation on the future of work with work, technology, and organizations expert, author, and Harvard Business School professor Tsedal Neeley.
The question facing many employers is how to create the right models for hybrid working—models that preserve the benefits of remote and flexible work while recapturing the energy of in-person interactions—without unintentionally creating new frictions and inequities.
Understanding what enables employees to do their best work is essential to finding the right kind of flexibility.
There are five prerequisites for hybrid work to work successfully. How do you measure up?
Hybrid working models can get messy. Companies must establish principles to focus the organization on behavior change—and put guardrails in place to avoid creating inequitable experiences.
One in five knowledge workers is likely to jump to a new company in the next year, and more than half are open to looking for a new position. Meanwhile, companies are rethinking their talent models—including what a “job” looks like. This is about to be the fiercest race for talent we’ve ever seen.
To keep up with a rapidly evolving job market, hiring practices must also change. BCG managing director and partner Nithya Vaduganathan shares how to cultivate an inclusive work culture, inspire productivity, and unleash talent hiding in plain sight.
Employers underestimate how many PwD work for them, so they are missing opportunities to improve inclusion and retention. Here’s how they can do better.
More than half of US parents need better care options for their children. Governments, employers, providers, and philanthropies can all help.
Managers with great people skills act as organizational glue, binding employees to their jobs and work. The opposite kind of manager chases people away.
Companies that understand which jobs are growing and which are disappearing—as well as which skills are increasingly in demand and which are becoming obsolete—will gain a significant advantage over competitors.
Yes, GenAI can improve productivity, but to be really effective it must also help employees enjoy their work, argues BCG’s Deborah Lovich.
Companies take three key actions to find talent in new and hidden places.
A study of 209,000 people in 190 countries shows the appeal of professional reinvention at an uncertain time.
Companies are transforming their operating models to enable faster innovation and adaptation using agile at scale, AI at scale, and new ways of working. The best way to redesign an operating model in the postpandemic era? Boldly and quickly.
AI as a personal assistant is powerful. The next frontier is using AI to make entire processes more efficient, says Microsoft’s Jared Spataro.
Why do digital natives grow into the world’s most valuable companies seemingly overnight while the world’s largest legacy companies achieve only incremental digital progress?
