The research highlights the economic and social trends that are influencing the future of working life.
It identifies organisational design as a key consideration for businesses. It shows four trends that will shape how firms are structured:
* Virtual organisations. The report claims this will be a feature of future organisations
* Flat organisations, which replace hierarchies with fluid, flexible project teams.
* Decentralised organisations, where decisions and innovations are shaped by those closest to the customer.
* Networked organisations, where many objectives are achieved through partners and external contributors rather than permanent employees.
The report suggests organisations can combine some or all of these features as they consider how to design for the future.
The research urged HR to introduce flexible working into the workplace, saying it would produce significant business benefits. However, organisations will have to manage difficulties such as knowledge exchange and re-examine management practices to ensure they support fresh ways of working.
The report states that leadership teams need to consider how practices have to evolve. The HR function must scan capability so future trends become a key part of strategy and people management. It must also look at the implications for talent management and operate flexible career structures.
The report gives the HR function suggestions to improve its understanding of future work and help their organisations prepare for it:
* Ensure someone senior is responsible for identifying trends and reacting to them.
* Be aware of the 'Growth Leader' concept. Does your leadership development approach allow for people with these skills to emerge and grow?
* Include future scanning in leadership development activities. Make time to think about the implications of the future and make it part of the planning agenda.
* Train the HR team in how to scan the future and make it part of everyone's job. Is the organisation exploiting opportunities in areas such as resourcing, virtualisation, building networks and automation? Are you too conservative?
Mike Haffenden, CRF co-founder and director, said: "The report helps highlight the tensions and contradictions faced by organsiations in considering how to respond to these challenges, while exploring the implications for business leaders and senior HR professionals and offering recommendations for future plans.
"He added: "It presents an opportunity for the HR function to demonstrate leadership and maximise business benefits presented by future trends.
"The challenge remains for HR to understand the business strategy and shape solutions that help their organisations achieve their commercial goals, rather than simply following the latest HR fad or fashion."
