Redefining the workforce landscape in the future of work

Does 'place' still shape our identity in a world where people can ‘move knowledge’ freely or with minimal friction across the globe?
The ‘Future of Work’ is no longer a distant concept - it is unfolding before our eyes, driven by rapid technological advancements, shifting cultural expectations, and evolving global challenges. Automation, artificial intelligence, and remote work are redefining the ‘world of work’. At the same time, societal factors like ‘skills pay the bills’, demographic shifts, democratisation of talent leading to movement of work across continents, climate change & sustainability, changes in family structure and the demand for greater inclusivity are reshaping the workforce landscape.
Simply put, the future of work projects how three factors – ‘Workplace, Workers, and Work’ – will change and evolve. It also encompasses ‘How, When, and Where’ people will do work.
Let us look at how some very different communities do work today. First, let us travel to Sub-Sahara Africa to know a little about the Maasai Mara Reserve – it is one of the most iconic and well-known’ game reserves’ (a protected area of land where wild animals can live safely) in Kenya, bordering Tanzania. It’s a famous and most visited park in Kenya, as it is home to incredible wildlife and breathtaking scenery.
The Maasai people live in communities around the Maasai Mara Reserve and ‘Maasai warriors’, as part of the community, are expected to follow a strict code of conduct and act with courage and strength. They are responsible for protecting the Maasai community, their land, and their cattle. They are skilled with spears and shields, and are especially feared for their ability to throw their clubs with great precision.
Here the question arises: what is the connection between ‘Future of Work’ and the ‘Maasai warriors’? It looks strange on the surface, but there is a common factor. Professor Lynda Gratton of the London Business School has mentioned this in her studies of the ‘Future of Work’: the Maasai warriors rely heavily on mobile phones for their economic and social endeavours.

Technology is the key:
Technology connecting the Maasai warriors;
Networking technologies connecting people.
Now, let us cross the Indian Ocean and move to the other side of the globe, about 13,000 km from the Maasai Mara Reserve, and see what is happening there – a marketplace for jobs has been created where prospective candidates and employers from around the globe can meet up at a very ‘low access cost’. For example - a company called Freelancer operates as an Australian freelance marketplace website, where employers and freelancers can find each other. This company was founded in 2009, headquartered in Sydney and growing. Their website allows employers to post work for site members, who then place bids in a ‘competitive pricing’ process. The technology as the ‘middle man’, makes a ‘handshake’ possible between freelancers and the employers.
There are other well-known freelance market places like Fiverr, an Israeli multinational online market place for freelance services, or CloudPeeps, based in San Francisco. Kate Kendall, CEO of CloudPeeps, has said that she sees this new inter-connectedness as a gateway to a new way of working and the entire premise of the platform is about matching talented individuals with online-based, remote work opportunities – a clear democratisation of global talent.
What does this mean for freelancers around the world?
It is estimated that freelancers will begin to specialise according to the segmentation of jobs. For example, freelancers in lower-cost regions like Albania, Thailand etc. may dominate price-sensitive jobs, while those in high-cost regions will focus more on innovation or advanced skills. Further, as client expectations evolve, the freelancers will need to stay ahead by mastering new tools and technologies, therefore, re-skilling, unlearning and continuous learning will become their mantra for remaining relevant.
What we are noticing in the world of freelancers is that the work is moving across the globe. As people are adopting remote work, technology and skills are becoming the key drivers of change. The question comes to mind - does place still shape our identity in a world where people can ‘move knowledge’ freely or with minimal friction across the globe?
From the story of Maasai warriors in Kenya using mobile phones and the marketplace of freelancers, the following inferences can be drawn in the context of ‘Future of Work’:
i. Technology connects people and knowledge.
ii. Technology makes the job market efficient, reliable, transparent and cheaper.
iii. The marketplace of freelancers will promote democratisation of talent and also ‘inclusivity’ by allowing underrepresented groups to compete in the global job markets.
iv. The pricing of skills will become more competitive, possibly it will be driven by the ‘Law of Supply and Demand’.
v. Technology will create a level playing field – making the world flatter – by creating an equal prospect for both workers from low-cost and high-cost regions to participate in the ‘world of work.’
vi. Technology is making the movement of the work possible across the globe with minimal friction - hidden forces that slow down productivity, can be managed effectively.
vii. There is a famous phrase in business – ‘You have time, I have money’ – it is becoming more alive and relevant in the freelance marketplace.
viii. It is likely that more debates will be generated around whether ‘office physical space’ will continue to shape workers' identity or skills will prevail.
ix. Freelance marketplace is a great example of how the ‘office physical space’ is converting from a destination to a tool.
The question of AI in the changing landscape of work
Today, every discussion of the world of work must cover Artificial Intelligence (AI) to be complete. AI is revolutionising the way we live and work. To get the flavour of it, let us look at AI in the health care space.
AI tools assist doctors and radiologists by automating repetitive tasks, such as reviewing scans, interpreting medical images like X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans to enable them to focus on complex cases and patient care. In another study, it has been reported that AI-enhanced image analysis significantly reduces errors and accelerates diagnostic processes, leading to quicker patient diagnosis and reduced healthcare costs.
In addition, AI has led to the emergence of new roles such as clinical data analysts, AI ethicists (a health care professional who specialises in the ethical aspects of artificial intelligence (AI) development and implementation), and healthcare AI trainers. They primarily focus on deploying and optimising AI systems in medical practices. Further, healthcare workers are now increasingly required to develop skills in AI system management, data interpretation, and integration of technology into clinical workflows.
To summarise, AI is reshaping the health care system at a much faster rate than anticipated and adaptability will be the new currency, and those who embrace the change, will lead the way.
Having discussed the role of ‘technology’ and the changing significance of ‘place’, our next question must be: what about us as humans? My next article will delve into this.
Photo: African warrior from Maasai tribe using mobile phone: Bartosz Hadyniak, iStock standard license.