Episode description

Over the course of this year, we’ve hosted conversations with leading experts and thinkers to explore their perspectives on the future of work and consider the opportunities and challenges ahead for employers and their people as the world of work continues to evolve rapidly.

In this final episode of 2024, our podcast host, Lucy Lewis, Employment Partner at Lewis Silkin, reflects on the conversations she has had this year and draws together a range of insightful perspectives shared by her guests.

Lucy spotlights the key themes that emerged across her conversations:

• Trust in the Workplace: against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, polarisation, and economic instability, the need for trust in the employment relationship has never been greater.
• Workforce Diversity: embracing the opportunities and challenges of a diverse workforce, including the impact of ageing populations and migration on workforce demographics.
• AI and Emerging Technologies: exploring the transformative impact of AI and automation on jobs, skills and the importance of embracing a human-centric approach to technology adoption
• Ethical Business Practices: the growing expectation for businesses to demonstrate ethical behaviour and manage their social and environmental impact, leading to greater employee activism and increased focus on “good work”.
• Workplace Conflict: navigating the overspill of emerging tensions from a polarised political climate and increased conflict in the workplace 
• Leadership and Management: the critical role of leaders in addressing these challenges and the importance of equipping managers with people management skills.

Whether we’ve been talking about technology, diversity and inclusion, workplace culture, or managing conflict – a consistent message has emerged. And that is the importance of putting people at the centre of workplace strategies. Lucy’s guests were unanimous in their view that giving employees a voice, creating rewarding and meaningful work and bringing them on the journey (whatever the issue), is crucial to building organisational resilience and growth for the future.

At the end of each discussion, guests shared their thoughts on  what priority actions organisations should take to build resilience in the year ahead. Tune in to hear what they had to say!