The art of adaptation: change and humanity in the modern working world

Change is one of the central components of our modern and complex world. But even thousands of years ago, Greek philosophers such as Heraclitus recognized the unstoppable nature of change with its potential for challenges and opportunities. The ability to flexibly adapt existing strategies is particularly crucial in the HR sector.

“Nothing is as constant as change”. So wrote the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, who dedicated his teachings to progress and constant change during his lifetime around 520-460 B.C. John F. Kennedy also summed up the necessity of change: “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present will surely miss the future.”

Change therefore appears to be an unstoppable force that brings with it both challenges and opportunities. This is particularly evident in the world of work. Skilfully mastering constant change often requires adaptation or a fundamental realignment of existing strategies and processes. This has been particularly evident in recent years with the New Work wave, which has been driven by the pandemic and the associated surge in digitalization. However, the structural change in the labor market and the change in values in relation to work, prompted by younger generations, are also driving the trend. The way we work in particular has changed as a result. But where will the journey take us in the coming years? Technical developments such as digitalization and automation are also leading to changes in work itself. We have taken a closer look at the changes this will bring for the labor market.

Using its well-known trend radar methodology, the Zukunftsinstitut has developed a trend radar on the jobs of the future for the Haufe Akademie, which shows future fields of work and the skills required.

Various areas of activity are shown in which a lot of development is taking place – now or in the foreseeable future. One of these is the area of people and culture management, which is identified as an integral factor in future corporate structures and focuses on creating and maintaining a positive corporate culture. Employee health and satisfaction are key issues here, as it has long been recognized that these cornerstones also increase employee productivity. Empathetic leadership is becoming increasingly relevant, as a deep understanding of the needs and perspectives of others is the key to finding solutions that focus on people in their individuality. Intercultural communication and diversity management are also becoming increasingly important: an inclusive and heterogeneous environment promotes collaboration and collective learning.

The trend radar also shows other fields of work that will become increasingly important in the near future. These include the field of AI strategy management, the effects of which on the job market we have already discussed in an earlier blog post (Blogpost Professional Transformation). Many people see this as a threat to existing jobs, but it also offers opportunities for new areas of work. However, the field of agile transformation management (Blogpost Agility at WARGITSCH) is also seen in the trend radar as an important field for preparing for future challenges. In a world full of change, it is becoming increasingly relevant to remain flexible and adaptable through agile methods. Both fields of work are already highly developed. This is followed by fields of work in which forward-looking concepts and strategies can now be developed. These areas include innovative IT solutions and advanced solutions in the field of cyber security, as well as digital transformation management. In the long term, sustainability management will also develop into a major area in which it is helpful to invest at an early stage. Climate change and growing ecological responsibility are rapidly making ESG a priority.

The fields of work analyzed by the Trend Radar therefore show that there will be a number of new developments that place new demands on employees. Globalization and digitalization bring with them new opportunities to shape work differently or to make it easier with tools in the AI and agile area. The associated challenges also bring with them necessary innovations, as can easily be seen in the area of cyber security. Environmental factors demand to be seen and taken into account.

These developments are also reflected in the labor market. In many areas, but especially in IT and engineering, skilled workers are in demand, forcing companies to create better conditions for their employees. On the other hand, jobs are being cut in many places, including at large companies such as SAP, VW and Bayer. External conditions are changing and digitalization is doing the rest: production and organizational processes need to be redesigned. Some companies see this as an opportunity to show their employees new paths through further training or internal retraining. In this context, the “Alliance of Opportunities” was founded, an association of companies that want to actively shape the changes in the world of work through their cross-industry initiative. While some existing areas of activity are no longer relevant for companies, new “green” areas of work or areas that are made necessary by digitalization and AI are emerging. It is precisely in these areas that employees with a technical background are still needed, but with new skills and qualifications. Retraining is often sufficient.

This means that many processes of change can be seen on the labor market at the same time, which are mutually dependent. Many skilled workers are no longer needed, while others are desperately sought after. The world of work is becoming faster and more complex. It is a time of upheaval that also holds great opportunities and possibilities, a time in which change is the new normal and change is once again clearly visible.

Sources: