Three Major Traits of the (Near) Future Employee
Volumes have been written on organizational leadership. And while the topic of employees in an organization has not been neglected, that topic certainly does not get the same attention as key leadership issues.
In this brief article, I want to examine three overarching themes of the employee of the future. Allow me a few caveats though. First, the future of which I speak is likely a very near future. Indeed it is already a reality in many organizations. Second, these future employees are not limited to large organizations. They are present in small companies, churches, and most any other organization that has employees. Let’s look, then, at each of the major traits.
Trait #1: The Free Agent Employee
Employees of the past most often saw their place of work as a career. They went to their jobs with long-term expectations, even lifelong expectations. Most of these employees could meet certain minimal standards and, as a result, the organization rewarded them with pensions and security.
Employees today are less long-term loyal to organizations because the organization cannot or will not offer them long-term security. The agreement of employment thus lasts only as long as both parties see it as beneficial. The employee does not see his or her role as a career person. The employee is a free agent. He or she will move on to the next opportunity once the present relationship has outlived its usefulness and benefit.
Trait #2: The Less Constrained Employee
IBM recently conducted a fascinating study, interviewing 1,709 CEOs around the world. The study, “Leading through Connections,” included a detailed perspective of the CEOs’ attitudes toward employee. The research found that higher-performing organizations are moving from tight controls to more openness.
That openness means that the policy manual, though useful, does not become the authoritative whip used on employees. It often means that dress codes are relaxed. And it most always means that the organization seeks input and ideas from the employees. Everyone can be an innovator, not just those at certain pay and responsibility levels.
Employees thus have more freedom. But with that freedom comes an expectation that the employee is adapting more readily to the fast-pace world in which they live and work.
Trait #3: The Reinvented Employee
The IBM study also found that the best employees are reinventing themselves. They become more digitally savvy. They embrace social media. They adapt to the changing world so they can be more valuable to their present and future organizations. Today’s connected world is full of ambiguity; future employees must live and thrive in a world where the rules change regularly.
The IBM study called these employees “future proof” employees. They were assuring themselves a place in their current and future organizations because they adapted well to the changing world and marketplace.
The Dual Challenge
This new employee model is fast becoming a reality. As it becomes more pervasive, both organizational leaders and employees will have to make significant changes. The leaders of organizations must be more open and less controlling of employees. Certainly such a move carries risks. It’s always easier to say “no” and not worry about the challenges before an organization. But the “no first” organizations will fast lose their attraction to employees, and the organization will quickly become irrelevant.
Employees have their own challenges as well. They can no longer look on the organization as a benevolent parent. Employees must be wiling to reinvent themselves regularly and thus demonstrate their relevance and value.
The perspective of these new realities is largely in the minds of leaders and employees. They can be lamented with nostalgia to return to the good old days. Or they can be seen as an opportunity and challenge to make a difference in an increasingly confusing world.
