The changing shape of jobs in the post pandemic world

According to an article on the World Economic Forum, there will be 97million new roles in 2025. The division of labour between humans, machines and algorithms is changing at a fast pace and research suggests that the pandemic has catapulted this trend forwards.

As a result of those shifts, 85 million roles will be disrupted. So, what roles are on the increase and which ones will decline, in this new economic environment?

The article indicates that there will be an increase in digital roles like information security specialists, IT analysts, software and app designers and programmers. It also cites business development as an area of expansion and the continuing importance of sales and marketing. Those roles that are likely to disappear, however, are factory assembly workers, general managers, stock keeping and data entry clerks.

Interestingly, on the back of the pandemic, workers are reported as increasingly wanting to develop and learn more self-management skills; to include such topics as mindfulness and meditation. Whilst those currently unemployed are concentrating on technical skills in emerging sectors.

It could be argued, therefore, that the pandemic has catapulted two areas to the fore: the increasing importance of online digital business and the associated rise of new digital roles and the importance of self-management. Did the radical change to our daily lives give those in work the pause to contemplate what new self-development techniques will help us cope with our evolving world and in the same way, give those looking for work, the space to really consider what skills would be required for them to secure employment post pandemic.

Google, famously provide innovative working conditions for their employees, but what may not be as well known is that they also offer 20% of creative free time during the working day. This is gold standard motivational theory, put in practice and led to, not only, significant new business ideas like ‘Gmail’, but also the successful and popular implementation of internal courses on mindfulness. The latter, devised, by all accounts from a senior technical engineer.

So, whilst we are exploring and experiencing this rapidly changing economic situation, it is clear that employers need to promote not only the learning of new technologies and systems but incorporate wide ranging self-management and development strategies to help their employees adapt to the new economic world.