Temporary and project-based jobs have become more common. Few people can imagine having the same employer for the rest of their career. Also freelance work based on networks is on the rise. “Creative knowledge work has to break borders, almost on a daily basis. On the other hand, who dares, often wins. You can influence the way your future shapes by being pro-active.” However, the reformation of work is filled with paradoxes. One is, that many organisations still seem to appreciate physical presence and employees sitting by office desk computers as rigidly as possible. Working hours are clearly defined, even though the surrounding society is shifting towards working on a 24/7 basis. future is a subject that has been widely written about and every study seems to put the emphasis on certain things. The significance of communication is often mentioned. The focus in the future will be more and more on interaction and communication between people. Different networks will gain importance when work consists more and more of gathering information, organising, analysing and distributing. This kind of work is based on creative processes, information technology, communication skills and mental alertness. It’s not a coincidence that open innovation has become a primary concept in the discourse. “There is a saying, that we have moved from a time of oracles to a time of dialog and discussion. This interactive basis also depicts the character of knowledge work in the future. The essential challenge for tomorrow’s knowledge work is communication. Work will take place between people, individuals and communities,” Inkinen states. The fragmentation of production we have become familiar with will continue: fields with low wages will execute the parts of production in which labour costs have a remarkable significance, while more demanding tasks will be performed in divisions demanding
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Some protest the change and choose something other than work as the most significant thing in their life.
higher levels of education. Marketing will take place close to the markets. A society increasingly dependent on technology will constantly set new demands on its citizens to update their skills, at work as well as outside it. For example, a gap could form between people that use information technology in their profession and people that don’t. But what is the worker of the future like then? The future worker is either in trouble, or the winner of his own labour market. That depends on the line of work. He is more flexible than before. He will have to be able to react to changes swiftly. He should have a high tolerance level for stress. In addition to operating independently and with self-initiative, working will require being exposed, producing significance and communication, and even branding yourself, as some suggest. Some protest the change and choose something other than work as the most significant thing in their life. They might even give work up entirely in the traditional sense, as Time Magazine wrote in the Drop Out Economy article published in March. With the aging population, this is something the employers can’t afford. The future will also force employers to think about how to motivate their employees. It’s become evident in a number of fields that money isn’t necessary the best lure. Leisure, the satisfaction that the work provides and the moral values of the company can become more important than the salary. The choice of where to work can just as well be motivated by working hours, location, the company’s social responsibility or how trendy it is considered to be. Home and family have also become more significant, especially for younger age groups. This might be connected with the growth of short-term employment. Life and identity can’t be built solely on work when there is no guarantee of its permanence and your job can, for example, suddenly be moved to another country.