Reinventing jobs for the future of work

How can we build a workforce strategy for an unknown future?

The emergence of new business models has created opportunities for many sectors to change how they operate — automating jobs and creating new opportunities for the entire talent ecosystem. As work roles are reconfigured to embrace AI and robotics, organisations must rethink the critical skills they need and build talent platforms that provide maximum agility.

#1 people priority in business? Defining future workforce needs and/or restructuring.

Prepare for the future of work

Respond proactively to the new opportunities, and redesign jobs for an optimised and sustainable combination of human and automated work. Designing for the future is not hard with Mercer’s proven methodology and innovative AI-driven digital platform.

Deconstruct jobs

Analyse the tasks and activities that underpin jobs and workflows.
Identify tasks that are best suited for automation or redeployment to alternative talent.

Redeploy tasks

Determine which task delivery can be enhanced through automation or other means including gig work, internal talent marketplaces, outsourcing, shared services and more, and understand the impact on your organisation.

Reconstruct work

Create new jobs and workflows based on the new work options.
Discover the skills you need for more efficient and sustainable operation.

How do you get to the desired state?

To break out of the rigidity of existing organisational structures, leaders must reassess and craft new operating systems. These should support work transformations that better enable agility, fluidity and sustainability. This involves:

Starting with the work (current and future tasks), not with existing jobs
Combining people and automation
Considering the full array of work arrangements (such as full-time employment, gig and freelance working, alliances, joint projects and other alternatives)
Allowing talent to “flow to work” rather than being dedicated to fixed, permanent jobs

Recognition

“With so many employers looking to adopt a skills-first approach, many of them are realising that it's incredibly difficult to go beyond jobs to granular skills insights for decision-making purposes. To solve that, Mercer Work Design helps employers to deconstruct, analyse, and reconstruct jobs down to the fundamental skill level. Mercer's global expertise in workplace trends, skills and other areas makes this a tremendous offering for future-focused employers."

- Ben Eubanks, Chief Research Officer, Lighthouse Research & Advisory

Why Mercer?

We deliver hypothesis-driven and evidence-based transformation, underpinned by industry benchmarks and deep analytics to demonstrate the return on investment. Our approach has a number of advantages over traditional and emerging competitors.

Human-centred and empathetic. We believe transformation only works when it’s people-centred. Empathy is our core competency for activating each and everybody for the change.

Senior adviser guidance. Our senior consultants observe, listen and challenge the status quo. They guide by leveraging decades of experience and globally recognised thought leadership.

Enablement for self-sustainment. We become an integral part of your team, activating people around us. Working closely together, we transfer knowledge and digital assets while building the capabilities you need for a successful and sustainable journey beyond our engagement.

Radically rethink and reinvent work design

Become skills focused and future ready

Work has changed dramatically over the decades. Status quo is no longer working — and it no longer has to, if leaders are ready to radically rethink the way work is performed.

Rethink and reorganise work

How can we build a workforce strategy for an unknown future?