The future of work is now a reality. Annabel Rake, Partner and CMO at Deloitte discusses what it means for marketers
Robots, automation and artificial intelligence. All of these have become workplace buzzwords in recent years, and the ‘future of work’ is a topic now very much centre-stage in the business world.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is here and it has raised many questions about where, how, when and by whom, work will be done. The good news – and there is good news – is that we as marketers are in a prime position to shape this future. To do it successfully however, will require us to rethink what the new world of work will mean for us as individuals, for our careers, and for our brands.
In an automated workplace, marketers must focus on their strengths
Marketers have already noticed a massive shift in the industry in recent years, with many new roles, such as social media managers and app developers, emerging. While new jobs have been created, many others are coming under risk of automation. Deloitte’s research shows that those at the start of their marketing career more susceptible to seeing their jobs at threat of automation than those in more experienced roles.
How should we address this? The simple answer is that firstly, we must understand the way technology can enable, rather than replace, our roles. Secondly, we should focus on our strengths.
I got into marketing as I was interested in the blend of left and right brain thinking. I sought a job that allowed me to critically understand and apply human behaviour – be able to review data, develop hypotheses and turn that into the creative insight to drive campaigns forward. These skills will continue to stand the test of time. Data is useless without interpretive, skills such as creative thinking and judgement, and these skills are far less vulnerable to automation.
We should all be looking to develop our own strategic roles and creative skills. We should also be supporting those within our teams to do the same, by giving them the opportunities and the training to do so.
Not everyone will have a 9-5, we should all consider how to adapt to the gig economy
Another factor for us to consider is how our role will adapt in the gig economy. Many routine marketing tasks will become automated, freelanced, contracted, and crowd-sourced. These working arrangements will become more common as businesses shift to recruit workers on an as-needed basis. We must ask ourselves whether staying in one organisation is the best option for our careers, and whether it’s right for our lifestyles.
To prepare for this, it’s crucial to develop skills that will enable us to get to know new organisations and their networks quickly. In the future, we may work with multiple organisations in the same week so developing our own brand will be vital to securing future opportunities and repeat contracts.
At Deloitte, I also have to think about how I embed new ways of working for my team. I have colleagues who want to work at Deloitte for three days a week and freelance for two. In an organisation where we have to ensure we remain independent for assurance clients, this is a huge consideration. We’re now testing ways of making this work – it’s not easy, but we have to do it or we’ll lose talented people.
To thrive in the future, safeguarding the brand must be a priority
The rise of contingent workers will also have serious implications for brands, yet the need for a strong brand will remain. Therefore, brand learning and engagement must be encouraged and extended beyond the traditional employee group.
Just as you would engage internal staff to ‘live the brand’ and act as brand ambassadors, it will become vital to bring the contingent workforce into the fold. Similarly, it will be important to ensure their ethical principles align to the rest of the business.
At Deloitte, we are addressing this by engaging with a contingent workforce who already knows us – our alumni. And we’re working closely with specific agencies that understand us, and our brand, and act as an extension to our team. We’ve also spent time looking at what type of work needs to be done and by whom. High impact work may be done by agencies that know us; simple artwork can be done by those we’re not so familiar with.
How to be on the front foot for the future of work
When looking at how to approach the future of work, the key point to remember is that technology is a tool, and throughout history new tools have always empowered humans to focus on higher level, more productive activities. Technology will continue to enhance, not replace our efforts.
Indeed, our human traits and soft skills – such as empathy, communication and persuasion – are likely to become higher value assets.
What we must do now is work out what we’re good at, how we’d like to work. From that we should map out how to develop and enhance our personal brand and develop our personal networks. We don’t have much time to waste. These efforts will take time and the future is upon us.
