Over the course of this year, we’ve hosted conversations with leading experts and thinkers to explore their perspectives on the future of work and consider the opportunities and challenges ahead for employers and their people as the world of work continues to evolve rapidly.

In this final episode of 2023, our podcast host, Lucy Lewis, Employment Partner at Lewis Silkin, reflects on the conversations she has had this year and draws together a range of insightful perspectives shared by her guests.

Lucy spotlights the key themes that emerged across her conversations - from the role of trust and employee voice in the workplace, to the four-day working week, the importance of organisational resilience, adapting to an ageing workforce, what the future of the platform economy looks like and the impact of automation and AI on jobs and workforce skills. 

At the end of each discussion, we asked each of our guests to share their thoughts on what is missing from the current conversation on the future of work. What is not getting enough attention? What are we not talking enough about? Tune in to hear what they had to say!

In the tenth episode of our “In Conversation with…” podcast series for 2023, Lucy Lewis, partner at Lewis Silkin, speaks to Shruti Singh, Senior Economist at the OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs.

Lucy and Shruti discuss the impact of ageing populations on the world of work and how employers, governments and individuals can respond to demographic shifts and build productive intergenerational workforces.

Key takeaways from the conversation:

• Ageing populations are a growing issue: Rapid population ageing due to increases in life expectancy and falling fertility is a key issue for businesses, policymakers and governments across the OECD. By 2050 the proportion of the population in OECD countries aged 65 and over is expected to increase to nearly 28%.
• Employers should focus on the employee life cycle: There is substantial individual variation in the support that is needed within age groups and at different life stages. Rather than looking at what certain generations might want, employers should focus on supporting a multigenerational workforce through the whole life cycle at work.
• Intergenerational workforces work: Employers that promote age inclusive workforces and successfully combine the talents and diverse outlooks of their employees, whatever their age, generally find that their workforce is enriched and more productive as a result.
• Employers can take steps to support older workers: An age inclusive organisational culture plays an important role in supporting longer working lives. To succeed, support must be integrated, taking into account job quality, health and flexibility. Line manager training is essential to embed these components into company culture.
• Skills are key: It is important that older workers continue to upgrade and expand their skills over their working life, particularly in light of continuing technological change. Mid-life career reviews, personal development plans and career conversations are increasingly used by employers.

In the ninth episode of our “In Conversation with…” podcast series for 2023, Lucy Lewis, partner at Lewis Silkin LLP, is joined by Paul Miller, Chief Creative Officer and founder of the Digital Workplace Group. 

“We are living in a time which is no longer the industrial age, it’s not even the digital age; it is the living age.”

Lucy and Paul discuss the need for organisational adaptiveness and resilience to better withstand and respond to the current disruption and pressure on business, and explore concepts from Paul’s book ‘Nature of Work: The New Story of Work for a Living Age’. In this book, Paul draws on patterns from the natural world to provide leaders with the language and questions to evolve their workplaces from organisations to organisms. 

Key takeaways from the conversation: 

• Organisations are organisms: Companies seeking to build a sustainable organisation and to humanise workforce experiences can benefit from viewing their organisation as a dynamic and living thing rather than a rigid and industrialised structure. 
• Corporate purpose is key: Companies must focus on taking corporate purpose from concept to practice and identify where they can have a direct impact at a local level. 
• Leadership today is challenging:  To succeed, leaders should consider adopting “servant leadership” and reflect on core values around meaning, purpose, empowerment and agility. 
• Advances in generative AI are deeply significant: AI will change the way we work and raises important ethical and societal concerns. However, the current labour shortages experienced by many countries are likely to remain. 
• We may need to rethink tax: As technology continues to significantly impact on jobs, debate is growing on the merits of an “AI tax”. 

In the eighth episode of our “In Conversation with…” podcast series for 2023, Lucy Lewis, partner at Lewis Silkin LLP is joined by fellow partner James Davies. 

What if these optimists have been seriously underestimating the pace and scale at which automation will replace and change the jobs of today in the second quarter of the century? What if the insipid productivity growth we have experienced over the last 10 years or so continues into the second quarter of the century? And what if we have too few workers with the skills needed for the occupations of tomorrow? 

Lucy and James discuss James’ upcoming report for the Future of Work Hub, and consider whether, despite current skills shortages, the future world of work in 2050 could feature too few jobs.  

Key takeaways from the conversation:

• We could see a future with too few jobs: there is a significant risk that the future of work could be characterised by too few jobs for the number of workers. Employers, policymakers and individuals must take steps now to prepare. 
• Skills shortages will persist: employers, policymakers and educators must invest in developing the skills of the future. If workers do not have the skills needed for the occupations of tomorrow, we could see a future where high unemployment co-exists with significant skills shortages in some areas. 
• The current tax regime is becoming untenable: as companies decide whether to automate jobs, we should reconsider how we tax employment so that there is less of a cost disparity between employing people and automation.    
• Cross border competition for key skills will become more intense: employers will need to deliver on the values and priorities of workers, particularly younger generations, to attract and retain the best people. 
• Technology and AI are not the only drivers of change: other drivers, such as demographics and geopolitics, could significantly impact the jobs market of the future. 

In the seventh episode of our “In Conversation with…” podcast series for 2023, Lucy Lewis, Partner at Lewis Silkin LLP is joined by fellow partners Colin Leckey and Tarun Tawakley. 

“There is the opportunity to be ahead of the regulators and not wait for the regulation to catch up with you but be the ones who are innovating and taking the lead when it comes to developing the models that are most attractive for the people who want to work with you.”

As expectations around work continue to evolve, Colin and Tarun discuss the big questions surrounding the future of the platform economy, including opportunities to foster good work and the impact of regulation on the future landscape. 

Key takeaways from the conversation: 

• Platform work has advantages: whilst there are well-publicised concerns that the platform economy could foster insecure work, it can provide individuals with genuine flexibility and enhance DE&I. 
• Good work and platforms: platforms are starting to offer more benefits, perks and a sense of community, notwithstanding the current legal uncertainty and risk of reclassification from self-employed to worker. 
• Regulators are playing catch up: achieving an appropriate balance between heavy and light touch regulation is very difficult, there is currently no consensus and approaches vary across the globe. 
• Platforms have the opportunity to take the lead: platforms can be ahead of the regulators and be the ones who are innovating and leading when it comes to developing models that are attractive for those that want to work for them. 

In the sixth episode of our “In Conversation with…” podcast series for 2023, Lucy Lewis, Partner at Lewis Silkin LLP speaks to Nimmi Patel, Head of Skills, Talent and Diversity at techUK and advisory board member of the Digital Futures at Work Research Centre. 

“The impact of generative AI is expected to vary from industry to industry and people have said it can cause significant disruption. But, email caused significant disruption, the printing press caused significant disruption, and I think we can handle it as long as we focus on people first solutions.”

The launch of ChatGPT has reignited the debate about how advances in technology could reshape the world of work. In this podcast, Nimmi and Lucy explore the opportunities and challenges that automation and emerging AI technologies present and the extent to which these technologies can be leveraged to create good work and more diverse and inclusive workplaces. 

Key takeaways from the conversation: 

• Jobs are at risk (but jobs will also be created): more than 6,000,000 people in the UK are employed in occupations that are likely to radically change or disappear entirely by 2030 due to technological progress and changing demographics. However, the adoption and use of AI will generate opportunities for the creation of new innovative jobs. 
• Humans will work alongside tech: AI will not be able to replace human judgement and it is the responsibility of humans to decide how to teach it, deploy it and acquire the skills they need to thrive in the workplace of the future. 
• Risks of algorithmic bias: while the risk of biases in AI are not new, generative AI’s ready accessibility to public data may magnify the risk. Maintaining trust in AI development will be essential and regulation will play a key role. 
• AI can enhance DE&I: deploying AI in recruitment can mitigate biases in traditional decision-making and increase the pool of applicants. 
• The metaverse presents opportunities: building the metaverse gives us the chance to better reflect our humanity and remove societal biases. 

In the fifth episode of our “In Conversation with…” podcast series for 2023, Lucy Lewis, Partner at Lewis Silkin LLP speaks to Joe Ryle, Director at the 4 Day Week Campaign.

“All these long working hours that we put in don’t really produce very good results but produce a lot of burnout, a lot of stress, a lot of overwork, a lot of unhappiness and, not only is that no way to live, it’s also no way to run an economy.”

The UK’s four-day week trial has been hailed as a breakthrough moment for the move towards a four-day work week. Joe and Lucy explore what this means for employers and the future of work. They consider key learnings from the trial and address the most common concerns held by employers when considering moving to a four-day week. They also reflect on the important role government has to play in driving an economy-wide transition, and the potential for lasting legal and societal change.  

Key takeaways from the conversation: 

• The UK’s four-day week trial was a success: the vast majority of companies (almost 95%) have decided to continue with a four-day week following the end of the trial. 
• Introducing the four-day week benefits employers as well as employees: companies adopting the four-day week can benefit from higher employee retention, more motivated staff and increased revenues. 
• Employers should avoid top-down implementation of the four-day week: organisations that empower their staff and consult with them in advance are more likely to succeed.  
• The four-day week can drive wider cultural change: individuals can balance different aspects of their life, enabling men to take up a more equal share of caring responsibilities. 
• The government has a key role to play: an economy-wide transition to a four-day week will require industry leaders, business leaders and trade union leaders to work with the government, supported by the introduction of new legislation. 

In the tenth episode of our ‘In Conversation with…’ podcast series for 2022, Partner Lucy Lewis speaks to Elizabeth Bieniek, Director of Innovation at Cisco and an internal start-up founder. 

Elizabeth’s particular focus is on the interface between people and emerging technology, developing technologies that will help build a bridge between our experiences today and the experiences that might be possible as technology advances. 

In this fascinating discussion, Elizabeth and Lucy consider how technology can be used to build trust and a sense of belonging to make hybrid and remote working more ‘human’. Elizabeth explains the important focus that is needed on the underlying human motivations driving societal trends when anticipating future technology that will successfully enable human interaction when people can’t be together physically.  

Finally, with growing discussion on the impact of the metaverse and other emerging technologies on work, Elizabeth lays to rest any confusion we might have had about the differences between augmented and virtual reality and their role in the future world of work.

In the ninth episode of our ‘In Conversation with…’ podcast series for 2022, Lucy speaks to Ritu Mohanka, Managing Director and Head of EMEA at Syndio, a leading workplace equity platform.  

In this episode, Ritu shares her fascinating insights into how data can be used to drive workplace and pay equity and how businesses are responding to increasing pressure from stakeholders, employees and legislators to address systematic bias in the workplace. 

Ritu discusses the important role that communication and transparency have to play in building and creating high workplace trust and considers some of the key factors driving the creation of pay gaps, including the ‘opportunity gap’. She goes on to explain why data driven decision-making is one of the most important components for future strategic decisions, pushing it to the top of HR’s agenda.

Turning to intersectionality, Ritu explores how this poses particular challenges when assessing and tackling pay gaps and illustrates the different approaches employers are taking to address these. Finally, Ritu and Lucy discuss the role that pay transparency legislation has to play in driving change, and how multi-national companies can navigate their global obligations from a cultural and regulatory perspective.

In the eighth episode of our ‘In Conversation with…’ podcast series for 2022, Lucy speaks to Dr Grace Lordan, an Associate Professor at the London School of Economics and the Founding Director of The Inclusion Initiative which supports firms to build more inclusive workplace cultures. 

Dr Lordan discusses the importance of leveraging under-represented talent in the workplace and the practical steps that businesses can take, particularly in light of the challenges presented by hybrid working. She questions the concept of the four-day work week, arguing that employers could instead increase productivity by reducing presenteeism and offering greater flexibility. 

Moving on to technology, Dr Lordan touches on her recent research which finds that AI is actually less biased than humans when used in recruitment, and discusses the value AI can bring to employers. She also considers her research findings on automation, including the prospect of widening inequalities, and reflects on how the skills agenda needs to shift to accommodate the changing needs of businesses.”

In the seventh episode of our ‘In Conversation with…’ podcast series for 2022, Lucy Lewis speaks to Harriet Molyneaux, Managing Director at HSM Advisory.

As a future of work expert, Harriet shares her practical expertise on the big future of work trends of the moment. Harriet explores how organisations can embrace hybrid working to create sustainable high performance environments with productive and happy employees before turning to how employee voice can be harnessed as a check and balance mechanism for organisations. 

Moving onto demographics, Harriet explains how the three stage life of education, work and retirement isn’t fit for purpose in technical high speed change environments, suggesting that it might be time to retire the word ‘retirement’. Finally, Harriet concludes with her thoughts on what the future holds for HR and how HR professionals need to evolve. 

In the third episode of our ‘In Conversation with…’ podcast series for 2022, Lucy speaks to Kit Krugman, Managing Director and Derek Newberry, Senior Director co:collective's Org + Culture Design practice.

In this episode, Kit and Derek discuss their approach to gender parity and what companies can do to create greater diversity, both inside and outside of their companies. Derek shares his view that the ‘Great Resignation’ is really the ‘Great Re-calibration’ meaning employers should be re-defining their relationship with their staff to architect their value proposition. 

With offices re-opening again, Kit and Derek share practical insights into the drivers of culture and relationship building that can help businesses navigate this new transition. Derek leaves us with his thought-provoking hope that the office of the future will see a revival, not because staff feel they have to be there, but because they want to be there. 

If you would like to find out more about co:collective you can visit their website here: www.cocollective.com.

In the second episode of our ‘In Conversation with…’ podcast series for 2022, Lucy speaks to Dr Carl Benedikt Frey, Director, Future of Work, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford. 

In this episode, Carl revisits the landmark study he co-authored in 2013 “The future of employment: how susceptible are jobs to computerisation” and discusses their conclusions - that 47% of jobs in the US, and 40% of jobs in Europe, would be vulnerable to technological displacement in the next 20 years. As well as exploring the types of work that are at risk of being easily automated, Carl also identifies three areas of work that aren’t readily susceptible to technological displacement.

Carl explores the impact of current labour shortages on driving automation and the importance of focussing on skills to allow people to better transition into new jobs and industries. Finally Carl shares his thoughts on the importance of our physical in-person networks and communities for innovation, and the crucial role communication has to play in overcoming automation fears in the workplace.

For further information about Carl, Carl is active on Twitter @carlbfrey or you can visit Carl’s website www.carlbenediktfrey.com where you can also find details of his latest book “The Technology Trap: capital labor and power in the age of automation”.

Our first  ‘In conversation with…’ podcast for 2022, features Claire Haidar, technology entrepreneur, future thinker and Founder and CEO of Wndyr and Pattyrn.

Claire explains how the future of work is chaos, why we should all be embracing it and how companies can build resilience to adapt.  Claire shares her view that hybrid working doesn’t work and explores what clashes of cultures can happen in trying to maintain a hybrid workplace. The conversation ends with some lessons learnt from building culture in virtual organisations and Claire’s one wish for the workplace of 2032 – hologram technology.

In our final ‘In conversation with…’ podcast for 2021, our host, Lucy Lewis, reflects on the perspectives shared by our ten guest speakers on what the future of work could hold. Our conversations have covered a lot of ground, reflecting the dynamic landscape of the world of work. Highlights include how the role of trust between people and business is changing, the rise of hybrid working and the future of the office and how the workforce is shaping the sustainability agenda. Lucy concludes with a look back at what some of our ten leading experts and thinkers consider will be the biggest and most radical change for the future of work that we’ll see coming out of the pandemic.

James discusses his new report, the Eight Drivers of Change, analysing that whilst the pandemic has been a leading catalyst for change in the future of work, it is only one of many drivers of change. James talks through the emerging themes he has identified as a result of the drivers of changes, in particular exploring how changes to the labour market will see ongoing skills shortages and the pandemic meaning employers will be striving to restore a sense of belonging at work.  Finally, James makes some thought-provoking predictions for the future, predicting we will all work less hours yet work for longer.

Neta explains how the creation of Vault Platform came about, how being able to ‘speak up’ and report goes hand in hand with creating or breaking trust in organisations and how companies should be striving for high reporting rates. Neta explores how trust tech has the ability to create bonds between a company and it’s people as well as recognising the growing importance of employees having an active voice within their organisation. Finally Neta shares some insight into what companies should be doing to tackle misconduct in light of the impact of the pandemic meaning that open door policies are no longer fit for purpose.

For more information about Vault Platform, please see their website. 

Our fifth episode of our ‘In Conversation with…’ series features Alexander Milner-Smith, partner and Co-Head of Lewis Silkin’s data privacy group. Alexander explores the main trends in data privacy in recent years and what the future looks like in light of the pandemic. The conversation turns to the shifting attitudes towards the handling of health data and what employers can and should be doing to embed a culture of respect for data privacy in the future workplace post Covid-19.

In our fourth podcast of the series, we talk to property workplace expert and change leader, Neil Usher. 

We discuss how the pandemic has caused us to question the purpose of the office, the future impact on our workspaces and the growing importance of sustainability. 

For those contemplating a return to the office, Neil offers advice on how to adopt an experimental mindset when designing a fantastic workspace for the future, without losing sight of employee wellbeing and workplace culture. 

For more information about Neil’s work, he can be found on Twitter @workessence.

In our second podcast of the series, we talk to Peter Cheese, Chief Executive of the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, championing better work and working lives. 
Peter discusses how 2020 has changed the agenda for businesses, the potential for the end of the 9 to 5 working day and the future of the office. We go on to discuss how people professionals should be planning for the future of work, the increasing importance of employee voice and why upskilling to futureproof your workforce is so important.
To learn more about the work of the CIPD and read their People Profession 2030: a collective view of future trends report, please click here.

In our first podcast of the series, we talk to Ian Goldin, Professor of Globalisation and Development at Oxford University and Director of the Oxford Martin Programme on Technological and Economic Change. Previously Ian was economic advisor to President Mandela and then Vice President and Director of Development Policy for the World Bank. 

Ian gives us his views on the key trends at play in the world of work and discusses the Oxford Martin Programme’s research showing 47% of jobs may be vulnerable to technological displacement over the next 20 years. He goes on to discuss the impact of the pandemic in respect of the transformation of office space and property prices as well as the increasing inequality and divisions in society. Finally, we hear about how the global pandemic will affect globalisation in the future.