At a time when global economic growth is stagnating, shaken by the Covid-19 crisis, and when the new generation asserts its intransigence on social, environmental and ethical issues, the evolution of work is questioned.
In 2019, two-thirds of the Millennials Interviewees stated that they aspire to work for a company that has a positive impact on the world and that gives meaning to work.
Thus, our companies would be asked to reinvent themselves and prioritize long-term impacts. However, the question of role to be played in economic, social, societal and environmental terms In the coming years, this is far from being a light or obvious task for the company!
Organizations that take the path to becoming a mission-driven company make a radical choice. This choice impacts not only the strategic direction but also daily operations… and determines the The future of work.
Future of work and a new role for the company
The members of the working group Amcham France They have addressed the question of the «meaning» and raison d’être of our companies (as defined in the 2019 PACTE Law), and their role and added value in our societies.
The result of 9 months of work, the white paper «Future of work – Let's commit to positive impact!» unveiled in September 2020 draws on the expertise and experience of the OECD and the European Commission. Experiences from large international companies and many public and research actors.
Through a pragmatic approach in the form of a «toolbox,» supported by concrete examples and inspiring testimonies, this publication builds on three major principles:
- It is up to our companies to give meaning to work;
- The implementation of new working methods must be accelerated to achieve positive impact and sustainable performance;
- To build the world of tomorrow, today’s innovation must be responsible.
12 recommendations for the future of work
Through this publication, the AmCham working group proposes Twelve recommendations that are both ambitious and concrete in order to give meaning to the foundation of tomorrow's work:
- Defining its positive impact Companies must now understand that it is possible and even indispensable to Reconciling economic profitability with social and environmental impact.
- Reconsidering the performance measure We must strongly mobilize our human resources, the collaborators, and therefore rethink their operational objectives and the evaluation of their performance.
- Unleashing responsible leaders The development of leadership involves a change in behavior, from the end of the reign of the pyramid scheme or hierarchical authoritarianism, in favor of more agile, authentic organizations that guarantee a community of trust.
- Injecting action into everyday life The theory of Nudge and gamification can help us take action by making our actions tangible.
- Training in the trades of a sustainable economy In order to successfully transition to «green and social» skills, it is imperative that the state, schools, and businesses work together to train the workers of tomorrow.
- Putting agility at the service of meaning Beyond a purely IT issue, agility is today a key factor in the transformation of organizations and management.
- Democratizing the donation of skills New working methods are essential to encourage the civic engagement of your employees.
- Re-thinking the workplace around the individual The working environment must provide the appropriate health and safety conditions while promoting Collaborative work and collective intelligence.
- Engaging in the circular economy Explore new ones business models, for sustainable consumption.
- Creating responsible ecosystems Tomorrow, companies will have to collaborate more and create more responsible and virtuous ecosystems.
- Turning diversity into a lever of innovation The collaborators bring to their organization qualities that artificial intelligence cannot and will not be able to take on: creativity, passion, personality, and a collaborative spirit, in short, their humanity.
- Reinventing the social pact The generalisation of a greener economy will require close and indispensable cooperation between governments, businesses and the social partners.
«The future of work will be rooted in meaning but also intrinsically linked to the development of a sustainable economy.»
In short, giving meaning to work would mean aligning three dimensions: the individual dimension, which comes from the meaning that each person finds in their daily work, the the collective and organizational dimension of a company, which must allow everyone to express their talent at all levels, and social dimension which anchors a company in a responsible and sustainable approach over the long term.
«The future of work: let’s commit to a positive impact!»
AmCham France
