The New Human Age

Amidst the growing digitalisation of work and the workforce, ManpowerGroup’s new 2023 report on trends, titled The New Human Age, finds that although technology may be the great enabler, humans are still the catalyst for the future. This research, which features input from 13,000 decision-makers, identifies four key forces (divided into 14 key trends) shaping the future of work and impacting today’s employers and the people they employ.

Four key forces impacting the future of work:

Shifting demographics
Birth rates continue to decline while populations age, thus creating acute talent shortages and reduced labour-force participation in many countries. Skills shortages are concentrating in growth sectors and more Gen Z workers are placing greater emphasis on issues that matter to them, from DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging) to climate change.

Individual choice
The pandemic made flexible work a reality for many employees, causing a paradigm shift in how people balance their professional and personal lives. They want more choices about when, where and how they do their jobs, without working from home becoming endless work. And they value things like personal fulfilment, learning and growth over simple career advancement.

Adoption of technology
The marriage of technological innovation and human ingenuity will create broad economic growth and help overcome society’s challenges. As organisations continue to invest in technology, they will need to foster digital skills from within while seeking external talent to maximise their return on investment.

Drivers of competitiveness
In a digital-first global economy, access to highly skilled talent is a distinct competitive advantage. And you need to meet that talent wherever it can be found — the marketplace for the best and brightest is truly borderless. Competing — and winning — is also about managing risk and build- ing resiliency in the face of ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainty.

14 trends driving the new human age: