The Community of Work

In this new research reported in HR magazine it is claimed that a quarter of managers are hoping in the future for more decentralised approach to head office power and 14% hope for a ‘virtual’ head office, staffed by flexible workers, homeworkers or global workers.

Is this what young people about to enter the world of work in the next 10 years want to hear? As the Working Nation Community of Work research revealed, contrary to many other reports it is the youngest workers just starting out on their careers that crave the community and support of a fixed location the most, whilst it is the older workers are the most disposed towards and capable of making a success of flexible working.

Maybe the head of the office of the future will need to be staffed by the younger workers, while their older colleagues stay at home.

Interesting debate going on at the Economist website (the Economist Debates series is very good for those who haven’t had a look before).

The current debate is asking whether retirement in its current form (and the retirement age of 65) should be abolished. The debate moderator explains: “The world is ageing at breakneck speed. About 11% of its population is already over 60. As a result of fewer births and longer lives, by 2050 that share will have risen to 22% and in rich countries to 33%. Once these people have retired, they can expect to live for another 20-25 years. No country in the world can support so many people for so long. The best answer is to abolish formal retirement and promote a later and more flexible transition.”

Comments can be posted up until the speakers closing arguments on June 24.

When Working Nation investigated the state of the workforce’s happiness last year it found that it was those in their 30’s suffering the most disillusionment, with those in their 50s the most fulfilled and the younger generations still full of hope.

How times seewm to have changed. This BBC report claims that it is school leavers and over 50s, the two generations at the extremes of the spectrum, that have suffered the most anxiety as result of recession.

But is the apparent, relative security being experience by the Generation X’rs making them any happier? Probably not. Looking back at that research, it was the 30 somethings ’need’ for security that was making them miserable in the first place.