The 2019 IPR Future of Work Study

THE 2019 IPR
FUTURE
OF WORK
REPORT
By Melissa D. Dodd, Ph.D., APR, and the
IPR Organizational Communication Research Center

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This report is produced by the Institute for Public Relations (IPR)
Organizational Communication Research Center, the most
comprehensive source and thought leadership on internal
communications.
Melissa D. Dodd, Ph.D., APR, Associate Professor, Communication –
Advertising, Public Relations, Nicholson School of Communication
and Media, University of Central Florida (Orlando, Fla.) completed
the report.
Thanks to in-kind sponsors:
Special thanks to Gary Grates, Alan Chumley, Stephen Yoon, Dr.
Sarab Kochhar, Dr. Tina McCorkindale, Mary Beth Perry, and The
Conference Board for their contributions.

INTRODUCTION
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This Institute for Public Relations (IPR) report investigates the future of work and the impact of
several factors on the changing nature of work, including a rapidly and continuously shifting
technological landscape, the growth of globalization, and the juxtaposition of new and tenured
members of the workforce. While some technological innovations have already made a
significant impact on organizations, the future of work is more than just artificial intelligence (AI)
and automation. The intent of this project was to investigate the three interlinked dimensions of
an organization: the work (the what), the workforce (the who), and the workplace (the where).,
Each offers unique challenges and opportunities for organizational (internal) communication.
Technological innovation is accelerating the ways that business must think and operate, affecting
the skills and mindset of the workforce. A 2018 McKinsey Global Institute report places work
skills into five different categories: physical and manual, basic cognitive, higher cognitive, social
and emotional, and technological. Of those, the report estimates that by 2030 physical-manual
skills and basic cognitive skills will show a steep decline in the percent of hours worked; whereas,
higher cognitive skills, social-emotional skills, and technological skills will dramatically increase.
A 2019 report by the Pew Research Center found a deep divide in how segments of today’s
workforce view technology. Adults 50 and over are more likely to believe that automation
negatively impacts workers; whereas, young adults and part-time workers are more likely to view
technology as enhancing the work experience. In looking at innovations like AI and automation,
assembly-line workers, drivers, cashiers, customer service staff – those people who primarily
perform physical-manual labor or basic literacy/numeracy tasks – will be adversely impacted.,
Likewise, innovations in information and communication technology are advancing global
competition by breaking the boundaries of time and space. Widespread adoption of the internet
and other technologies gives workers the freedom to operate outside of traditional
geographically-bound office spaces and nine to five work hours. Researchers term this growing
population of independent workers “e-lancers” or “free agents.”,

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Meanwhile, an aging Baby Boomer workforce means that by 2020, one out of four workers is
projected to be over the age of 55. As Baby Boomers retire, they will be followed by a
substantially smaller generation, Generation X, leaving a potential talent shortage.A 2018 study
by McKinsey Global Institute reports that executives increasingly see investment in retraining
workers as an urgent business priority. Some 62% of executives said they will need to retrain or
replace more than a quarter of their workforce by 2023 in order to meet evolving needs.
The IPR Future of Work Report arose from a need to understand current and continuous forces of
change impacting organizational operations and communication. The report focuses on the
disruptions in the workforce, how organizations are dealing with those changes, and how
organizations are communicating to a diverse and evolving workforce.
For this report, the IPR interviewed 25 executives responsible for organizational communication
to determine how they are strategizing around this new reality. To protect confidentiality,
interviewees’ identities are white-labeled. Interviews were transcribed, and thematic analysis
was conducted using a process of open and axial coding.
Three meta-themes framed the report’s findings:
• The future of work in a global, technology-driven reality;
• Reaching a diversifying workforce;
• Investing in employees for the future of work.
Schwartz, J., Hatfield, S., Jones, R. & Anderson, S. (2019, April 1). What is the future of work? Redefining work, workforces, and workplaces. Deloitte Insights.
Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/insights/us/en/focus/technology-and-the-future-of-work/redefining-work-workforces-workplaces.html
World Economic Forum (n.d.). Preparing for the future of work. Retrieved from
http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_System_Initiative_Future_Education_Gender_Work_Preparing_Future_Work_2-P....pdf
Bughin, J., Hazan, E., Lund, S., Dahltrom, P., Wiesinger, A., & Subramaniam, A. (2018, May). Skill shift: Automation and the Future of the Workforce.” McKinsey Global
Institute. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/skill-shift-automation-and-the-future-of-the-workforce
Geiger, A. (2019). How Americans see automation and the workplace in 7 charts. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-
tank/2019/04/08/how-americans-see-automation-and-the-workplace-in-7-charts/
Ogasawara, Y. (2007). Globalization and the future of work. (p. 1). Retrieved from http://www.eco.nihon-
u.ac.jp/center/economic/publication/journal/pdf/37/37ogasawara.pdf
Malone, T. W. and R. J. Laubacher (1998) “The Dawn of the E-Lance Economy,” Harvard Business Review, September-October, pp.144-152.
Tamburo, J. (n.d.). Issues, impacts, and implications of an aging workforce. American Society on Aging. Retrieved from https://www.asaging.org/blog/issues-impacts-
and-implications-aging-workforce
Illanes, P., Lund, S., Mourshed, M. Rutherford, S., & Tyreman, M. (2018, Jan.). Retraining and reskilling workers in the age of automation. McKinsey Global institute.
Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/retraining-and-reskilling-workers-in-the-age-of-automation

PART ONE:
Forces Shaping The Future Of Work
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The future of work and the workforce itself are facing incredible transformation driven largely by
technology and globalization, both conspiring to create new behaviors, expectations and skills.
In a 2018 report for the National Bureau of Economics Research, researchers Daren Acemoglu from
MIT and Pascual Restrepo from Boston University argue that “we are far from a satisfactory
understanding of how automation in general, and AI and robotics in particular, impact the labor market
and productivity.” They contend that much of the debate in the popular press and academia is around
a false dichotomy: “On the one side are the alarmist arguments that the oncoming advances in AI and
robotics will spell the end of work by humans, while many economists on the other side claim that
because technological breakthroughs in the past have eventually increased the demand for labor and
wages, there is no reason to be concerned that this time will be any different.”
Speaking to the technological forces shaping the future of work, internal communicators in this report
were largely concerned about the pace of change, organizational technology, resources for internal
communication and the emergence of a contract economy.
The Pace of Change is More Significant than the Change Itself
Organizational communication executives largely attributed technological advances (i.e., automation,
AI) as the major driver of workforce disruption. However, it was not the actual technologies that
concerned them. Rather, communicators referenced the pace and the resulting expectations – driven
in part by these technologies – as the greater challenge.
Organizational communication executives emphasized that speed and agility present challenges to
communicating and maintaining organizational culture and values. Employees may become
overwhelmed and lose a sense of connection to the organizational mission, vision and go-forward
strategy. Communicators indicated the pace distracts frontline employees from their primary
responsibilities, as well as from maintaining connections between those responsibilities and the overall
goals of the organization.

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A director of employee communication and engagement at a U.S. health services company said:
“There's a lot of change happening and a lot of uncertainty, and I think that can make it difficult
for a workforce to really understand what it is we're trying to do here as an organization and
where we are going. So, you start to see this climate of ‘I'm feeling left behind, I feel like I'm in
the dark, I don't know what's going on around here.’”
A vice president of internal communications at a multinational consumer goods company said:
“I think we're in for an interesting wild ride for the next three to five years as so much changes
around us and so much disruption continues to take place. For us, it's really important to keep
our eyes and ears open and understand the trends we're seeing already happen now, knowing
that the pace of change is accelerated, and it just keeps getting faster and faster.”
Moving the workforce ahead in a manner that allows for the assimilation of new technology requires
leadership commitment and direction demonstrating investment in development and new
performance criteria.
Internal Resources Are Lagging
Compounding issues of managing this technologically-driven reality is the fact that many internal
communication tools and technologies are behind, especially by way of comparison to external tools
and technologies. Communication executives largely indicated that internal communication
technologies and tools are far behind where they should be to effectively manage change. A few
organizations were in the process of introducing new technologies, but admittedly were “early in the
journey” for internal communication. A senior director of communication at a research firm said:
“The future of work needs to catch up because, especially on the internal side, we have
antiquated systems with our intranet. [With] any internal communicator, their intranet is
like a big eye roll sometimes.”
Acemoglu, D. & Restrepo P. (2018, Jan.). Artificial intelligence, automation, and work. National Bureau of Economic Research. Retrieved from
https://millstein.law.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/content/docs/Greenwald%20-%20acemoglu%20&%20restrepo.%20AI-automation-work%202018.pdf

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The issues with this appear to be two-fold. First, communicators indicated a desire to upgrade tools
and technologies, but this requires training and often skills-building for an aging Baby Boomer
generation. Second, organizational technology resources have traditionally been invested in external,
consumer-facing communication efforts, rather than internal efforts.
Communicators did indicate an organizational culture shift toward understanding the importance of
technology as not only an external tool, but also to be used internally to communicate with employees.
This will become increasingly important as the workforce becomes more global and mobile.
Identifying and retaining talented workers will require ongoing investment in communication
technologies to connect them. Workers of the future will expect organizations to be technologically-
savvy in their communication. They will expect a quality of experience that mirrors that of their user
experiences on external-facing websites and social media.
The director of internal communication at a healthcare organization said, “This inequity has to be
addressed so that we can offer our staff that seamless communications experience.”
The Contract Economy Will Continue to Grow, Altering Communications Functions
Although the use of contractors is not new, research demonstrates that the evolution of
communication technologies paired with falling transaction costs for forming temporary organizational
teams means a contract economy or “gig economy” will continue to grow. A 2017 study by the
Freelancers Union, “the fastest growing labor organization representing the independent workforce,”
and Upwork, “the world’s largest freelancing website,” found that the majority of the U.S. workforce
will be freelance by 2027.
New communication technologies make it easier to find and participate in e-lancing. CEO of Upwork
and Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Council on the Future of Gender, Education, and Work,
Stephane Kariel said, “We are in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a period of work driven by increasing
automation, but we have a unique opportunity to guide the future of work and freelancers will play
more of a key role than people realize.”

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In this IPR report, communication executives similarly indicated the emergence of a contract economy
is another technologically-driven workforce disruptor. Communicators are concerned about how
contract employees may disrupt organizational culture, as well as how to effectively communicate and
form relationships with a mobile workforce.
The chief communications officer for a travel and tourism organization said, “The gig economy is here.
And spoken in other ways, what are the implications of people not having pensions, not having long-
term relationships, maybe not having community in a work setting?”
More so, communicators indicated the communication profession may similarly become more
contract-based and mobile.
The vice president of employee communication at a global shipping company said:
“We're not experiencing this right now, but I can see this as a trend in the next couple of years,
and that is gig workers or contract workers within communications departments. I can see it on
the horizon with the things that our organization is asking us to think about and to look at. In a
lot of countries that we operate in, we have a full suite of services, but we don't have a single
hourly employee. We have some management people, but we don't have a single hourly
employee. They're all service contractors.”
The workforce of the future – the communication profession included – will be more independent and
mobile than ever before. The implications for internal communication are great with regard to both
effectively communicating with contract employees, as well as the implications for relationships, trust,
loyalty, and talent acquisition/retention. Communicators will need to rethink traditional models of
effective internal communication. However, it’s probable that technological advancements, while
drivers of this workforce disruption, will also help facilitate connections in this regard.
Upwork & Freelancers Union. (2017, Oct. 17). Freelancing in America: 2017. Retrieved from https://www.upwork.com/press/2017/10/17/freelancing-in-america-2017/

PART TWO:
Who Are You? Communicating
To A New Workforce
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When we talk about the future of employee communications, we think of concepts like identity,
empowerment, engagement, culture and a sustainable workforce. Communicators addressed concerns
about communicating with a changing workforce across generations that have differing expectations of
companies. A changing workforce requires methods of personalization and relevance in
communication efforts while at the same time, presents the additional challenge of maintaining a
consistent organizational culture.
It begins with a thorough analysis of the current workforce. Analytical models can discern archetypes
with the organization describing behaviors, interests, methods of information flow and use, etc.
The Tried and True Basic Principles of Effective Communication are Still Critical
Communicators frequently noted how the technologies will change, but the basic principles of
effective communication remain the same. The director of communication and public affairs at a
national health services company said:
“You need to keep people motivated, keep them inspired, and make it challenging, and, I mean,
this has been since the beginning of time. But even with new platforms and new technology, it's
still the basics. You have to interact with your team. You have to give them feedback. You want
to listen to their ideas, and you have to make it fun and inspiring.”
Similarly, the chief communications officer at a large insurance company said:
“Almost ironically in the face of all this technology and automation and so forth, actually going
back to basics and opening up communication with open, two-way, candid, face-to-face
communications is often ideal. And if that's not an option because people are working remotely,
being able to do that virtually through teleconferences and video conferences and conference
calls and Zoom technologies, and anything that gets people to be more engaged and feeling like
they're part of the organization versus feeling like they're not part of it.”
Strategic communication may best be categorized as higher cognitive skills and emotional-social skills,
which are anticipated to grow (as opposed to physical-manual labor, for instance). Recognizing this,
communicators specified how hiring practices are evolving in two ways: more generalist roles and an
increased emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving.

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One the byproducts of a digital world is that the lines between internal and external communication
have disappeared. The result is a 24/7 seamless ecosystem of information exchange.
The director of communications at a worldwide pharmaceuticals company said:
“Because of the influence that internal can have on the outside of the organization and what we
say outside the organization can affect what's happening inside the organization, we're trying to
recruit people that are more generalists than are specialized. You have to have a keen
appreciation for both.”
A move toward generalist roles runs parallel with basic communication skills as foundational to
effectiveness.
Communicators emphasized the importance of hiring for strategic and critical thinking with an
expectation of having strong core skills and abilities, such as writing.
According to the director of public affairs at a nationwide insurance company:
“One of our focuses is more on strategic thinking, critical thinking versus being able to string
some sentences together. We need that critical thinking to think through some of the
communications challenges that we have as an organization and how we can tackle them. We
need to make sure our people can think through and help solve business challenges from a
communications standpoint.”
Executive communicators indicated more behavioral-based hiring practices. When candidates’ skills and
experiences are equal, there is an eye toward cultural fit with the company. For instance, an internal
communication executive explained how interview questions should focus less on “tell me about your
past experience” and more on assessing attitude, leadership potential and problem-solving skills.
Rossheim, J. (n.d.). Algorithmic hiring: Why hire by the numbers? Monster. Retrieved from https://hiring.monster.com/employer-resources/recruiting-strategies/workforce-
planning/hiring-algorithms/
Smith, A. & Anderson, M. (2017, Oct. 4). Automation in everyday life. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewinternet.org/2017/10/04/automation-in-everyday-life/
Society of Human Resources Management (2015). The aging workforce: Recruitment and retention. Retrieved from: https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/trends-and-
forecasting/research-and-surveys/Documents/2014-Older-Workers-Survey-Overall-Results-Part2-Recruitment-and-Retention.pdf

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The Growing Generational Divide in the Workforce
Offers Challenges and Opportunities
Often referred to as the “silver tsunami,” 78 million Baby Boomers represent the largest group of
workers in their 50s and 60s, signaling a striking demographic shift for the future of work. The Society
of Human Resources Management conducted a survey of 2,500 human resources managers that
identified common advantages of older workers: more work experience, knowledge and skills; greater
maturity and professionalism; stronger work ethic; greater reliability and loyalty; and less turnover
compared to younger workers.
Communication executives in this IPR report recognized these advantages of older workers, despite
technological advances that may require “upskilling” or “reskilling.” Some organizations in this report
offered multigenerational training programs for both leadership and workers.
Yet, communicators agreed that the generational divide offers internal communication challenges –
both for how the generations consume media and the organizational culture. For instance,
generational differences led one interviewed organization to retain the print publication of the
company’s magazine, despite the implementation of a new company-specific app. The VP of internal
communications for a multinational consumer goods company said her department conducted an
employee survey of media preference and determined there was about a 50-50 split in preference
between print and digital. She said, “One solution is not going to work for all.”
More than media preferences, communicators expressed how evolving demographics would lead to
shifts in expectations, and therefore, organizational communication and culture. Communicators
expressed an emphasis on the importance of diversity and inclusion across demographic groups, with
no “easy button” answer.
Upskilling and reskilling refer to training processes and continual learning or professional development opportunities for employees. Upskilling is generally
understood as learning new skills that enhance an employee’s potential for success within their existing occupation, whereas, reskilling is generally
understood as learning new skills that allow for employee success in a new occupational role.

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The director of corporate communication at an energy organization where 50% of employees would be
eligible for retirement in the next five years said:
“Generational change will bring with it new expectations from employees, and we will respond
to that. But really, we try to look at it more holistically, as a push for inclusiveness as a core
cultural element here. Of course, we need to make everyone feel welcome, and we work better
when we have diverse experiences and diverse thinking in our projects. The focus of our
approach to a changing workforce is to have everyone thinking about it from the standpoint of
diversity and inclusion.”
Similarly, the vice president of corporate communications at a research firm said:
“I think there are certain generations that have expectations that are different of their
employers and the people they work for, that maybe are in alignment with some of their
personal beliefs. And it is a challenge for corporate communicators to think about how the
corporation communicates at large, as an entity, but still feels diverse, and inclusive, and
welcoming of its employees … to find that balance of what the entity is actually going to say
about perhaps, a societal issue.”
The chief human resources officer at a health services company with low turnover explained a lifecycle
approach to the organization’s workforce. The organization partners with universities for pre-
employment opportunities, but also contracts retired workers to consult on projects where their
expertise is valued. The organization emphasizes career development and provides opportunities
accordingly, without an expectation that the employee will remain with them for the entirety of their
career. They said:
“The hope is that by keeping current with your former alumni that shared your values, that
shared your thinking, that they will continue to be great promoters of you. We are early in our
journey. But it's something, I think, is going to be an untapped area for our organization let
alone, other organizations that might aspire for that.”
Internal communicators should be prepared to address a generational divide where one in four
workers will be over the age of 55 by 2020. This means identifying ways to retain organizational
knowledge and competencies, while preparing for a generation of younger workers who have different
expectations for organizational communication and culture. Listening to workers, planning for the
lifecycle, and striking a multigenerational balance will be key.

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Developing a Consistent Organizational Culture and Personalizing Experiences Are Key
Communicators overwhelmingly noted that the current landscape creates more opportunities for
internal communication with a changing workforce, but also more hurdles. With a diverse workforce
and more communication channels than ever before, communicators emphasized the importance of
developing a consistent organizational culture, as well as adding “personalization.” The vice president
of internal communications from a multinational consumer goods company said it is important to
“meet workers where they are” and have the “right information at the right time and place.”
Consistency and personalization present the challenge of being seemingly at odds with one another.
The executive said:
“A lot of employee communications is focused on growing, building, and enhancing the culture
of an organization, whatever that culture may be. It is becoming more difficult to have that
consistent culture that you're growing and building, fostering because more and more people
are having a different experience, a different employee experience, if you will, because of where
they're working. I think we as employee communications experts have to continue to evaluate
what is culture and what are the most important aspects we need to try and keep employees
connected with to achieve the outcomes we need for our organization.”
Fostering a shared organizational culture is challenging in and of itself, while organizations must
simultaneously meet diverse employee communication preferences. The chief communications officer
at a large insurance company said:
“It's almost like building a model that meets people where they are and is able to have the right
information at the right time at the right place based on how people want to engage with it …
Do they want to have a face-to-face interaction? Yes. Provide that. Do they want to have just an
online experience? Okay. You can do that too. Can you do it in a kind of both personal and
personalized way and then give people the option to engage on their own? Yes. So, I think a lot
of the challenge now is can you do enough of that right and do it well so that you can
differentiate yourself against your competitors, let alone as an organization that's trying to be
an employer of choice in the markets in which we compete?”
Communicators indicated that preparing to address this challenge involves strong leadership and hiring
practices that emphasize flexibility and agility. The chief human resources officer at a health services
company explained a new initiative:

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“We're implementing something that's called agile and flexible staffing. And we've put
some pilots on it where we have identified some people that have a real interest in
intellectual curiosity that love this, kind of, more project work or just are on that, ‘I'm
constantly wanting to learn’ view. And there's a subset of people that are like that. And
we are putting them in this pool, which we're calling the agile staffing pool. And then
we're identifying high priority projects that are multi-disciplinarian.”
In other words, the future of communicating to a diverse workforce may be the integration of
flexibility and agility as core to the organizational culture (e.g., in the case of agile staffing pools).
Effectively communicating to the future workforce means cutting through the clutter, meeting
employees where they are, and emphasizing the organization’s business strategy, external
industry context and trends, core mission, vision, and values – all while remaining open to
change management opportunities that emphasize the achievement of organizational goals. A
major foreseeable hurdle for companies with high levels of bureaucracy will result in less
independence and ability for internal communicators to pivot as needed to effectively operate in
this complex landscape. Companies would do well for preparing for the future by beginning now
to break down more rigid organizational structures that will prevent the flexibility and agility
necessary to succeed in communicating to a changing workforce. The director of
communications at a worldwide pharmaceuticals company said:
“An employee culture is not something that's driven from the top down. An employee
culture is a shared currency between you and I and how we like to do business ... At the
end of the day, it's the behaviors and actions of your people that drive the culture, and if
you're a global business or a global organization, being able to replicate that at every site
can become extremely challenging. So that's where I think it's creating a unified culture
and an engaged workforce that organizations are going to be challenged.”

PART THREE:
Planning For The Future Of Work
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We are living through a fundamental transformation in the way automation and machines are
assisting with and even replacing human tasks and jobs and changing the skills that organizations
are looking for in their people. Research finds high levels of anxiety toward technological
innovations. According to a 2017 study by the Pew Research Center, not only were Americans
twice as likely to express worry (72%) than enthusiasm (33%) about the future of automation and
machines, but 85% of Americans are in favor of public policies that limit machines to performing
primarily those tasks that are dangerous or unhealthy to humans.
In this report, communication executives addressed how they are planning for the future, mainly
by investing in their employees through educational partnerships and career development
opportunities that include upskilling and reskilling. Despite widespread anxiety about the
transformation of traditional human tasks to automation and machine tasks, one idea particularly
stood out among communicators: the importance of the human element. In planning for the
future of work, communicators acknowledged that changes are inevitable; however, the
prevailing idea was the importance of investing in people, in human capital. It was not the
replacement and displacement of workers by automation and machines.
Investing in People and Communicating the Future Must Begin Now
Communicators can increase awareness and reduce anxiety among workers by communicating
about changes and opportunities to come. The communications manager at a financial services
firm said:
“We need to make sure folks are trained up and know what's happening in all of those
areas. And I think with all of the advances and the different technology options that we
have, I think we also need to make sure that we're keeping our employees in the loop on
the fact that they are an integral part of our success and they're not being replaced by
robots….And how can we help them [employees] learn, maybe not a completely different
job, but how to do their job in a different way that's more efficient? Because if you're
making use of this complementary technology, I think there is some fear from people that,
‘I'm not going have a job anymore.’“
Nearly all communicators in this report identified opportunities offered by their organization
such as educational partnerships, upskilling, or reskilling programs.

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The vice president of internal communication at a large insurance company said:
“We've had several key partnerships with universities in several parts of the country in the
U.S. And while I think we have traditionally looked at those partnerships as being able to
cultivate talent that we'd like to bring into our organization, that provides us an
opportunity to maybe use those partnerships to help onboard workforces in the future.”
At some universities, curriculum was augmented in partnership with the organizations to best
serve the needs of those organizations’ future employee needs. Other organizations partnered
with scholars to develop internal curriculum and training. There was an emphasis on
multidisciplinary and project-based opportunities for career development and training that
reflects predictions about the desires of employees in the future.
Communication executives emphasized their role as being transparent internal communicators
about the future. However, communicators also emphasized the personal responsibility of
employees for taking advantage of these opportunities. The vice president of corporate
communications at a research firm said:
“All of us have to take a personal responsibility to invest in our own careers, in our own
viability, in our own value. That's something everybody really should be doing, thinking
about their own development and trying to invest. I would say our organization is very
supportive and has some pretty robust initiatives around the growth and development of
our employees to encourage that.”
Smith, A. & Anderson, M. (2017, Oct. 4). Automation in everyday life. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from
https://www.pewinternet.org/2017/10/04/automation-in-everyday-life/

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A communication executive from the healthcare industry explained:
“I think treating people like adults and saying, ‘Hey. Here's what's going on and here are
the options. And yes, it looks like that may impact some positions, but here's maybe some
things that may enable you to either up-skill and/or redeploy and/or at least be
employable, even though it may not be with this organization, it might be with another
one….Historically what's happened is that organizations don't do enough of that, and then
when you do have the conversation, you haven't really fertilized that relationship for a
period of time and now, it becomes an even more difficult conversation. And that's where
people start losing trust and faith, and ‘you're not telling me the truth, or why didn't you
tell me this before, if I would've known earlier, then I could've made appropriate plans and
so forth.’ If you create an open, two-way, more engaging environment that's really focused
on people and enabling people, I think there's a greater appreciation for when something
maybe has to be done that isn't quite employee-focused, where people at least
understand it better and appreciate it better versus it becoming some kind of an
existential crisis.”
Internal communicators are drivers in ensuring employees are not only aware of and understand
upcoming technological advances and changes taking place in their organizations, but also
incorporate into their own development realities. Transparent communication paired with
opportunities for development will allow current employees to appropriately prepare themselves
for the future. They will also engender alignment around how employee roles in the organization
ladder up to larger business objectives. Cultivating ongoing opportunities to communicate with
employees about the future will be key to successfully reducing anxiety and retaining talent.
The Most Important Element is the Human Element
People recognize that it’s all different, and that business and roles will need to adapt, too. Senior
internal communicators in this report referred to the “human element” in planning for the future
of work. The human element refers first, to a genuine investment in employees through
educational and professional development opportunities. Also, the human element refers to the
inability to effectively perform many tasks – even as they are increasingly performed by machines
and robots – without a human touch. Machines and robots require humans to operate them, but
also, executive communicators emphasized that many workforce positions are effective because
of a human interpersonal-relationship quality, such as empathy in customer service.

21
Perhaps, the way forward is in the evolution of critical thinking and problem solving for humans
alongside this technological revolution.
Senior internal communication leaders described this as a process of integration, not replacement.
The vice president of internal communication at a large insurance company said:
“The question we continue to wrestle with around [technological advancement] is the
human element. We will still need to be able to express empathy and help people through
very personal things. That impacts the workforce because now it's a matter of combining
some of those so-called soft skills or customer service skills with technology. I don't know
that there is a replacement for that.”
Another communication executive at a multinational chemical company noted:
“The empathy and care and service that employees bring is going to be irreplaceable from
technology going forward. There may be tools to help them be quicker to serve more
members but the human element of that is going to be consistent.”
Senior leaders also described how work-life balance will shift for many employees in an
environment of constant communication. For many industries, the lines between where work
ends and an employee’s personal life begins are increasingly blurred. One example of this is the
increase of employees joining digital communities of shared identity and values (“employee
resource groups”) that operate within the boundaries of their workspace (e.g., LGBTQ groups,
Hispanic and Latino groups). Aligning and providing personal purpose and identity-driven
opportunities for employees at work as these environments continue to blend is prevalent in
future planning.
As the vice president of internal communications from a multinational consumer goods company
explained:
“As your manager, I can never promise you a job here or anyplace else. You can't make that
promise because you don't have enough control over that, but what I can control is that
while you're here, you're going to learn, develop, grow, get a chance to try new things,
succeed, fail, and have a hell of a good time, and you're going to really enjoy the
experience. That I can promise you because that I can help control.”

1. Forces Shaping the Future of Work
2. Communicating to a Unique Workforce
3. Planning for the Future of Work
22
Neural Network Modelling of
Interviewees’ Word Usage
Meeting the Needs of a
Digitally-Adept Workforce
*821
Applying Fundamentals to
Multi-Channel/Multi-
Generational Needs
*281
Changes Caused by
Digital Channels
*469
Purpose-led Mission,
Vision and Culture
*643
Hiring & Building
Communications Teams
*251
Expectations of High-Touch
Communications and
Management Guidance
*288
2
1
2
1
1 3
2
3
1 2
Macro Themes Appearing in Analysis
Analysis Methodology:
The W2O Group employed a machine learning
approach to dissect interviewees’ responses.
Specifically, neural network modelling of word usage
in addition to unsupervised theme clustering and
hand labelling was used to quantitatively surface
patterns in language and context.
The size of the outer-most lighter bubbles represents
the frequency with which this theme was resident in
interview transcripts. Each of the smaller, darker sub
bubbles represent related, sub themes and their size
is related to the proportion of the interview
transcripts mentioning these topical themes.
1
2
3
*how many paragraphs this theme appeared in
Analysis Conducted By W2O Group

METHODOLOGY
The Institute for Public Relations (IPR) conducted in-depth telephone interviews with 25 internal
communications leaders at various-sized enterprises in 2018 and 2019. The intent of this research
was to uncover how communicators are anticipating changes in the workforce—the future of work.
Research participants were drawn from a diverse set of both consumer and business-to-business
industries, including automotive, financial services, healthcare, insurance, pharmaceuticals,
technology and transportation.
All interview participants were assured confidentiality in order to elicit the most candid responses.
Secondary sources also informed our insights and analysis; they are cited directly when relevant.
Because of the small sample size, this study cannot be generalized to the mass population of public
relations and communications professionals.
The Institute for Public Relations: The Science Beneath the ArtTM
The Institute for Public Relations is the global leader in fostering the science beneath the art of public
relationsTM. We create, curate and promote research and initiatives that empower professionals with
actionable insights and intelligence they can put to immediate use. The focus of our research is
always market-driven. Our goal is always research that matters to the practice — delivered fast, at
the speed of business today. We Predict what research and insights we believe the market needs
most now, then Investigate and fund credible, rigorous research into the topics selected and then —
because we want the insights to make a real difference — we employ all of the best techniques in
our field to Amplify the research and actively Engage communications professionals and business
leaders worldwide.
How to Get Involved
There are many ways to engage with IPR. You can attend one of our many events worldwide,
including our Research Symposiums and Distinguished Lecture. If there is an area of inquiry
important to you — research that would matter to your organization — consider joining us in funding
new research. You and your company could also sponsor part of an event to support our mission and
expose your brand to our Trustees and participants. Visit instituteforpr.org to get started.

The 2019 IPR Future of Work Study

The 2019 IPR Future of Work Study

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