48 INSIGHTS Four evening conversations Organized by Ithraa, Oman at Work was a series of four evening conversations held in August 2015. The initiative was designed to help us better understand the challenges and opportunities of today’s evolving work environment and the fundamental impact this is having on how Oman attracts, nurtures, retains and motivates a talented workforce.
The workplace and the way we work is continuously evolving. In the 1980s, companies and the public sector were hiring typists and switchboard operators. Today, they’re recruiting Webmasters and desktop publishers. We’re living in a world few could have imagined even 20 years ago – a world powered by technology, fuelled by information and driven by knowledge. Gallup conducted a worldwide study mapping ‘global desires’ and the results were clear: people want a job – ideally with steady hours, a regular paycheck and all-round stability. But in the years to come, this is going to be challenged and the changes being wrought by the Digital Age will reshape not just our concept of the workplace and a career but also the reality of how we actually earn a living. In the future, people will have shorter careers and more of them. Increasing numbers of people will work independently in small businesses and more women will work from home. And our notion of a company will also change. What today's companies provide salaries, benefits, education and security - will also change. In tomorrow's companies, salaries will function more like incentives, while benefits will be more like menus where not everyone will have access to the same options.
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If you have any comments on 48 Insights or would like to join the conversation we’d welcome your contribution. We’re available on omanatwork@ithraa.om
48 INSIGHTS CONVERSATION 1
THE WORLD OF WORK A NEW DYNAMIC
You may be on your way home but you know that the working day isn’t over yet. The moment you have web access you’ll be checking your email. And what time did you really start work this morning? Was it 8:00am, when you sat down at your desk, or was it 5:15am, when you first looked at your iPhone?
The CEO leaves the office at 5:00pm to have dinner with the children but is back on the laptop and emailing by 8:00pm
WORK-LIFE MERGE Welcome to work-life merge, a term coined by former Snapchat, COO, Emily White to
describe a life in which work and free time are no longer neatly compartmentalized but merged. It's a world in which staff take two hours out of the working day for something personal, but also routinely spend the same time answering emails at the weekend. Whatever your age, one of the most important questions we face is how the future of work will develop and the impact it will have on us and our organization. What’s inevitable is that, for Oman’s youth, work will change dramatically - and for those already employed, we’ll be employed in ways we can hardly imagine.
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Only organisations with a strong sense of purpose and clear identity will be sustainable and successful in the future.
Building strong managers and leaders challenges every company.
It’s a challenge for employees to manage the ‘always on’ digital culture.
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Investing in employee development is no longer a luxury.
The future workplace will be multi-generational.
Employees need to be engaged and involved in decision-making.
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Embrace the fact that the world of work is changing.
The number of college graduates is growing but there’s still a shortage of candidates with the right combination of technical and soft skills.
Today’s talent is confident and self determined and seeks engagement and enrichment.
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Companies need to re-evaluate their approach to mentoring.
Advances in technology will continue to change how we work.
THE SKILLS TO SUCCEED IN TODAY’S ECONOMY
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48 INSIGHTS CONVERSATION 2
MILLENNIALS
A DIFFERENT WORK PERSPECTIVE Oman is investing heavily in education and training to create the next generation of business and public sector leaders. The Millennial generation is better educated and more diverse than any other generation in Oman’s history. And their working lives will be very different to previous generations.
A typical Millennial will have had 10 jobs by the age of 38
2025
Millennials make up 75% of the global workforce
THE NEXT GENERATION
But questions abound about how work fits in to Millennials’ lives and long-term aspirations. For example, how will motherhood impact well-educated women’s professional aspirations? How have tough global economic times influenced Millennials’ attitudes to work and career goals? Is today’s youth ready to join the corporate world or are they looking for alternative employment options?
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The future of work lies in empowering young talent.
Young talent wants the opportunity to learn from someone with expertise, that on-the-ground experience needs to happen today.
The changing world of work means young people won’t stay with one employer for their entire career.
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Young people are aware of their shortcomings.
Young people expect lifelong growth. They’re curious and keen to learn, and develop their skills and knowledge.
Work-life balance has become a priority. Young people want work itself to be fulfilling, not just a paycheck.
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With the growth of social media, young people are creating strong personal identities.
The youth of today believe business should have a clear sense of purpose and should focus on the well-being of employees and the wider community.
To remain impactful and competitive, companies will have to design roles for a purpose-driven millennial workforce.
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In today’s information-based, skills-intensive economy, one thing is clear: knowing means growing.
Instead of annual performance reviews, offer more frequent, informal and real-time coaching where strengths are highlighted.
People generally leave bosses, not companies. To retain young people in the workplace, thoughtful, strong and proactive managers are needed.
48 INSIGHTS CONVERSATION 3
VOCATIONAL TRAINING CHANGING PERCEPTIONS
Vocational training still has a reputation as a poor relation to university education. In fact, we’ve arrived at a situation where parents and students believe vocational training is a second class route to a career. If Oman’s economic potential and ambitions are to be realized, then we’ll need a much bigger push for apprenticeships and vocational career pathways. How can we encourage apprenticeships and vocational training into the mainstream? How do we get more Omani youth trained as engineers, technicians, electricians, plumbers, mechanics and carpenters? We do it by breaking stereotypes, and it has to start at school, and it has to start with those who influence young people, and that’s parents and teachers.
We’ll need a much bigger push for apprenticeships and vocational career pathways
BREAKING STEREOTYPES
Let’s talk it up. In the office, at meetings, in conferences and over Twitter and Facebook. The more conversations we create around apprenticeships and vocational training, their value and benefits and how to embed them, the more perceptions we can change.
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Vocational education is often seen as a poor second to academic study.
Vocational training is unique. It delivers a personalised and flexible program of learning, underpinned by links to work and careers.
We need a single, constant message. From Al Buraimi to Sohar, from Muscat to Salalah, vocational education fuels our economy.
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The main reason parents don’t encourage their children to enter vocational training is because they don’t understand it.
Young people require more information on vocational training so they can make informed choices about qualifications and careers.
To prosper in today’s fast-moving global economy we need to upgrade the non-university vocational and technical sector.
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Let’s reassess the meaning of ‘career’ and then figure out how we’re going to achieve it.
Oman’s business community has an important role to play in developing and assessing our vocational training system.
There’s often a view that vocational training is for people who don’t make it to University. This is wrong.
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We live in an age where there’s recognition for students who are going to college to become doctors and lawyers. But there’s not enough recognition for people who could be very good electricians, plumbers, carpenters, car mechanics or builders. Pivotal professions where job opportunities abound.
We need more dialogue with schools, parents and young people to introduce the idea that there are many post-18 study and career options.
A focus on developing vocational training is crucial. Without a high-quality workforce able to support expansion or investment, economic growth will be hindered.
48 INSIGHTS CONVERSATION 4
STEM
JOBS OF THE FUTURE Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workers will drive Oman’s innovation and competitiveness by generating new ideas, new companies and new industries. However, the Omani economy is currently less STEM-intensive than some of its competitors; enhancing our presence in these industries could increase future economic health.
SOLUTIONS
POWERING TOMORROW’S ECONOMY In the decades to come, it’s crucial that Oman’s youth be encouraged to pursue STEM degrees, apprenticeships and careers. Both Oman’s traditional and emerging industries will rely on workers in STEM occupations, and a steady supply will help ensure the sultanate’s future success.
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STEM skills are needed for navigating the modern world and competing in the 21st century job market.
STEM skills aren’t just a source of jobs they’re a source of jobs that pay very well.
The future of the economy is in STEM.
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Women in STEM are essential for building a strong economy and a bright future for Omani businesses.
STEM education should be prioritised.
Mentors play a critical role in bringing new people, and particularly women, to careers in STEM.
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We have to adopt a ‘science is for everyone’ approach.
To get our children more excited about science, adults need to get excited about it too.
STEM can improve Oman’s competitiveness.
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In addition to improving the quality and quantity of STEM educators, emphasis has to be placed on the benefits of STEM education to students, particularly with girls.
With challenges such as climate change and securing global access to food, drinking water and healthcare it’s clear why STEM is fundamental to life in the 21st century.
We need to make mathematics and science “cool” with image-conscious high school students.
48 INSIGHTS If you have any comments on 48 Insights or would like to join the conversation
we’d welcome your contribution. We’re available on omanatwork@ithraa.om
48 Insights is a contribution to a long-term conversation about themes shaping Oman’s future economic success and global competitiveness. At this stage of the conversation we’re looking to provide a perspective on, and an analysis of, the world of work in Oman and the factors influencing its evolution.
TAKE A LEAFLET AND JOIN THE CONVERSATION
TAKE A LEAFLET AND JOIN THE CONVERSATION
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Founded in 1996, Ithraa is a government-run, ISO and Investors in People certified inward investment and export promotion agency. We provide a range of support services and information to help domestic and international investors set up in and export from Oman.