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Future of Work P
Today's labour markets are undergoing rapid and large-scale changes, given the rise of technology, the upsurge in remote work, and the growing skills gap. We asked the Hon. Monte McNaughton (Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development) and Brandon Gonez (CEO of Gonez Media) to share their expertise on the future of work and provide insights on the trends impacting Canada's labour market. Read their full Q&As on InnovatingCanada.ca.
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Brandon Gonez, CEO, Gonez Media What do you believe are the fundamental forces shaping the future of work in Canada? What trends should businesses consider following? Everything is being disrupted. The archaic ways of doing things in a traditional stringent 9 to 5 office model are quickly becoming archaic. Yes, structure is still essential. But, flexibility is the present and future. That includes flexibility with work locations and hours. That also includes flexibility in the consumption of content. Companies and industries need to adapt to this new model or risk quickly becoming irrelevant.
Hon. Monte McNaughton,
Ontario's Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
Why is it so important that we upskill in the workforce and bridge the skills gap? While the labour shortage is good for job seekers, it's also one of the great economic challenges of our time. It contributes to supply chain disruptions, rising family costs, and billions in lost economic growth. We need all hands on deck to build the homes, hospitals, schools, and other key infrastructure Ontario needs. More importantly, at an individual level, every job going unfilled is a paycheque left uncollected and a missed opportunity for a meaningful career and a better life.
Leading Through The Myriad Of Digital Distraction — Balancing The Pros And Cons Of ‘All Things Digital’ Today’s work environment is filled with more distractions than ever, ranging from smart devices, the Internet, and social media to team channels, group chats, and more. While seemingly convenient, different alert tones keep notifying us where to look and what to read or answer next. To sum up, the multitude of digital platforms in-house and outside the organization keeps growing, and so do the distractions. This myriad of digital distractions truly begs the question: how can leaders help streamline, achieve focus, and build engagement through an empathetic approach while leading by example?
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n an interview with Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia, Senior Director of Digital Economy, Technology, and Innovation and Cyber. Right. Now. (CRN) campaign policy lead at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Kathryn Cameron, Chief Operating Officer of Beauceron Security and a member of the CRN campaign, discusses how to balance the pros and cons of digital transformation and the needs of the employee and employer.
Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia: What are some overarching trends you see in today’s workforce? Kathryn Cameron: As the competition for talent increases, the workforce has been very clear — flexible working arrangements are here to stay. Organizations are willing to accommodate flexible work environments, including flexible hours and flexibility in work locations for individuals working from home full-time. As a whole, the workforce has expectations that employers will find ways to make work fully accessible remotely.
Bahr-Gedalia: What are some trends you see for employers? Cameron: The most significant trend I’ve seen in organizations across industries over the past two years is the need to navigate digital transformation. Employers have needed to find ways to either empower their workforce remotely or engage with their customer base in a new way. Both of these pushes have created opportunities for businesses to be more competitive and creative in reaching new markets. However, these changes have also opened organizations up to increasing levels of digital risk as they make the choice to become more connected online.
Bahr-Gedalia: What risks and challenges do these new expectations of the workforce place on the employer? Cameron: Digital transformation comes with the risk of employees having more data, more ways to access it, and consequently, more distractions for a workforce already inundated with
new processes and technologies. This shift to “all things digital” requires organizations to educate their workforce on how to be mindful of their level of distraction. Often this involves education around the value of the information they have access to and what the impact of making errors due to distraction has on the entire company. Secondly, this requires the employer to provide comprehensive education and support on the internal processes and what to do if someone makes a mistake online, possibly falling victim to a social engineering attack.
Bahr-Gedalia: How do we achieve the potential of complete digital transformation? Cameron: It requires an intentional effort from leaders. Managing this period of transformation requires leaders to stay focused on their economic goals and have an understanding that each individual is going through this period of change. In addition, maintaining an empathetic and positive
approach to how we react when digital mistakes happen — the right phishing email can catch anyone at the right time — is an opportunity to build a team with high levels of trust. This entire shift in how we work is happening in the context of also navigating a global pandemic, economic uncertainty, not to mention the everyday stress people had been carrying previously. This is a significant amount of change to absorb. Onboarding processes with a personal touch that enable individuals to see the impact their work has on others in the organization, emphasizing how to do their job safely as they change where and when they work, will mitigate the security risks of hybrid environments. Training, from personal development plans to cybersecurity awareness, can become an opportunity to reinforce an employer’s commitment and increase workforce engagement.
Publisher: Katie Babiarz Business Development Manager: Sarah Ferreira Strategic Account Manager: Sierra Nardella Senior Strategic Accoung Manager: Anna Sibiga Country Manager: Nina Theodorlis Content & Production Manager: Raymond Fan Designer: Lauren Livingston Lead Editor: Karthik Talwar All images are from Getty Images unless otherwise credited. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve National Post or its editorial departments. Send all inquiries to ca.editorial@mediaplanet.com.
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Ulrike BahrGedalia Senior Director, Digital Economy, Technology, & Innovation, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Kathryn Cameron Chief Operating Officer, Beauceron Security
To learn more about the Cyber. Right. Now. campaign, visit the Canadian Chamber of Commerce at chamber.ca/campaign/ cyber-right-now/. This article was supported by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.