How Digitisation is Changing the Old "Work" Order

IT, covid-19

As the world emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic, work will look forever transformed. The changes that 2021 brings will include faster digitisation across industries as well as adaptations to this new reality. Skills Revolution Reboot: The 3R’s – Renew, Reskill, Redeploy, ManpowerGroup’s newly-released research, highlights key trends seen in response to the pandemic and the future of jobs.

Digitisation fuels flexibility

In the past, many workplaces may never have even considered making meetings virtual, as long as everyone could reserve a conference room. Social distancing has now forced companies to adopt video meeting technologies, making it largely irrelevant where employees physically reside. These new ways of working have also led to the rise and acceleration of individual choice and we are seeing that more than ever people want flexibility to reach the best hybrid of remote and office work.

By taking advantage of improvements in digitisation, companies can offer employees the forms of working that best suit their circumstances, as well as increase productivity and access talent in regions previously untapped.

The new digital giants

Superstar organisations like Amazon were making fast progress on digitisation before the pandemic and are only emerging stronger after the past year’s events. Across industries, those already investing more in digitisation, workforce skills and innovation are capturing a greater market share, pulling away from peers and benefiting employees and customers as the way we work, consume, learn and socialise shifted to remote almost overnight. In short, the most digital-focused companies are succeeding.

Digitisation comes in waves

While larger organisations (250+ employees) plan to digitise and hire more, there are growing trends among businesses of all sizes towards digitisation. ManpowerGroup’s latest research points to larger organisations planning to automate Production and Manufacturing functions first, followed by Admin, IT and Front Office, whereas smaller companies are more likely to be looking to digitise support functions, customer-facing roles and Finance. Globally, sectors that were slow to automate before the pandemic are catching up and doubling down to ensure they are not left behind.

Download the full report today to access further details on UK-specific digitisation plans as well as a practical roadmap you can use to strategise how to attract, develop, engage and retain the best talent necessary to succeed as digitisation continues to transform work.