We discuss current trends in technology and human capital development space extensively. For the past couple of years, our world has been on a rapid digital transformation, heightened by the sudden and dire need for the world to be connected virtually due to a global health emergency. Breakthroughs such as the rise of blockchain technology and IoT brewed exciting discoveries in respective spaces. However, with changes comes less desirable consequences like zoom fatigue, anti-work movement, etc. Let’s explore a few examples of some of the new concepts established in the past two years.
The Great Resignation
According to the US Labour Department, the past year has been a period when workers quit their jobs at a historical rate— a whopping 4.5 million workers leaving their jobs. Covid pandemic has left people to rethink one’s life seriously and live it and, of course, what they want to make out of it. This was the case for baby boomers to take early retirement. Also, high-skilled employees in the labour sector have been quitting their jobs due to burnout and high stress. Employers can no longer entice new talents with a benefits package as the primary motivator. As we discussed previously here, workers now want inclusivity, flexibility, and management to consider personal time off and mental health days for them and the best of their families.
Zoom Ceiling.
According to various sources, “zoom ceiling” is coined from the bias of favouring those in the office compared to those who are not, which keeps remote workers from getting promotions and leadership positions. The pandemic rejuvenated the meaning of remote working so that it is viewed as the ideal working lifestyle for many. However, recent data suggested that it presents as a barrier to progress at work with the rise of hybrid working alike. With the physical absence of remote workers at the office, it seemed to be missed opportunities at work for post-meeting catchups or impromptu elevator pitches to happen. However, there are ways to counter this issue, such as formalising remote work policies to outline clear expectations and setting up frequent one-on-one meetings between remote workers and managers.
Metaverse
Metaverse is a virtual world that combines advanced AI technologies such as virtual and augmented reality. Although this is a computer-created world, it looks more accurate than the real world. Facebook’s creator rattled the globe when he renamed the company to Meta in 2020, and this catapulted the concept to extraordinary lengths. Metaverse works as a digital intersection of social media, augmented reality, virtual reality, gaming, shopping, cryptocurrency, and actual reality (of the natural world). Moreover, blockchain technology will underpin the metaverse and help create a sustainable ecosystem for all players, such as the abovementioned.
These rapid changes have paved the way for considerable breakthroughs in working habits, employment culture, and technologies and tools to cater to these changes in a monumental way. The conceptualisation of the metaverse is a whole new world reimagined in an alternate universe. It comes with promises to be far more immersive, interactive, and collaborative than what the internet has accomplished so far. The revolution of the deeply tech-driven workforce, the Great Resignation was just a chip from the mountain as we are shifting to a knowledge-driven society that prioritizes the quality of a working lifestyle versus the hours you burn through that ends up burning you. With all being said, have you been affected by these phenomena? If so, what’s your story?
