How can organizations design resilient future of work systems?

The purpose of this paper it to review how organizations can design a resilient future of work systems. The aforementioned Strategic Decision Area (SDA) will be unpacked better in order to adequately answer this question as well as to review its relevance against the SDA assigned to group 1. With the conclusion of the recent COVID-19 pandemic which took place globally, a good point to start in reviewing this SDA is on how organizations have had to adapt their policies and processes to accommodate a post COVID-19 work environment. According to Antonacopoulou & Georgiadou (2021), the COVID-19 pandemic significantly changed how we live, work and relate to each other. Organizations are therefore having to decide how they can adjust their work processes to suit this new reality. One of the major impacts of the pandemic was the ability for employees to work remotely, provided they have the tools and resources to do their job (Antonacopoulou et al. 2021). This has served as a positive change for many organizations as employees are now able to practice work/life balance (Antonacopoulou et al. 2021). This, however, is dependent on context as some individuals are not able to ‘log off’ after hours. It is then crucial for organizational leaders to review how employees can continue to maintain work/life balance (Antonacopoulou et al. 2021), thus advocating for a resilient future of work for all employees. Antonacopoulou et al. (2021) also state that a major part of advocating for remote work is the digital capabilities involved. Digitalization has changed the way employees interact with each other, their expectations from their employees and their career advancements (Antonacopoulou et al. 2021). Leaders now need to be more aware of what impact can digitalization have on becoming a detriment to employees’ way of working. By having the correct policies and tools in place for employees to utilize, employers can start to create resilient work environments for their employees. This also includes incorporating the correct mental and psychological resources to assist employees who may not find the balance between work/life, thus leading to burnout. As we continue the theme of the impact of digital tools on employees in the workplace, it is most appropriate to mention the new generation of workers entering the workforce, also known as Generation Z/GenZ. This is the generation of individuals born between 1995 and 2012 (Gomes, Duarte, Marques & Cunha, 2023). Gomes et al. (2023) mention that it is important for organizations to accommodate GenZers in their work processes as this will help with creating a resilient workforce. This is also the generation that will help bridge the technological gap between older generations and any current or future generations as they are the most technologically advanced. Gomes et al. (2023) also state that Human Resources (HR) departments also need to actively plan and organize initiatives that create employee resilience in their younger workforce as failure to do so may impact company performance. This also aligns with group 1’s SDA which is job design and sustainability. HR departments can ensure that job designs incorporate strategic positions which are aligned to the needs of the newer generations, ultimately ensuring a sustainable and resilient workforce. The GenZ workforce currently is most likely to enter the work environment into entry level jobs or as graduates. According to McQuillan, Wightman, Moore, McMahon-Beattie and Farley (2021), corporations expect young employees to enter the workforce with certain skills such as the ability to quickly adapt to change and with a level of professionalism. Practically it is not possible for new, young employees to possess these skills without prior exposure and training. Therefore, it is imperative for higher learning institutions to provide training opportunities such as vocational training to upskill their students (McQuillan et al. 2021). It is then important for organizations to collaborate with the same higher learning institutions to obtain the correct individuals when they enter their workforce as graduates (McQuillan et al. 2021). By advocating for collaboration with learning institutions, organizations can begin to create a sustainable and resilient workforce which has been carefully crafted for the intended outcome. Wojčák, Poláková, Copuš & Suleimanová (2021) state that in order to continue to remain competitive in the market, employees and organizations need to start asking the correct questions such as: Where will I work? How will I work? Etc. these questions provide a good framework for how organizations can create a resilient work future for their employees. Wojčák et al. (2021) also mention that the main answer to these questions lies in the flexibility of the organisation. Flexibility in terms of digital resources, work flexibility, time flexibility etc. therefore corporations can make provision for the various flexibilities that are important for their specific workforce to create a sustainable workforce that remains competitive. A number of these provisions can also be facilitated by HR work designs to cater for a more dynamic workforce. This aligns with group 1’s SDA as many elements included were directed to the HR department and the crucial role they play in creating a sustainable future for its workforce. Rankin, Lundberg, Woltjer, Rollenhagen& Hollnagel (2014) state that when designing a resilient work system, it is important to understand how adaptations take place and how many people actually perform. This will allow organizations to be able to make decisions on behalf of employees based on information that is tangible. In addition, from their study, Rankin et al. (2014) concluded that employees can adapt in complex and uncertain environments. Therefore, it is up to organizations to provide the resources to allow employees to be adaptable in their work environments (Rankin et al. 2014). These resources can include the update of policies to suit evolving work environments or tools to be able to work adequately in the face of uncertainties. This will ensure that a resilient work culture is formed and that sustainability can take place for the organization. In conclusion, this paper has unpacked the question of how can organizations design a resilient future of work systems? It specifically made reference to the newer generations entering the workforce (GenZ) as they are most appliable when referring to future work systems. This paper has also demonstrated the close correlation between the aforementioned SDA and that of group 1, ultimately indeed there are various initiatives/resources/tools that organizations can use to create a resilient future of work systems.