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It’s safe to say it’s been a turbulent year. Accelerating technology, political headaches and pressured work environments have hurried us through the past twelve months without giving us much opportunity to reflect upon things. While we now have a chance to wind down over the Christmas break, there seems to be one key theme beginning to emerge; we’re now questioning the contemporary world we’ve built, and the values that motivate us.
So how will things change in 2020? What will be in store for the world of recruitment? How will our working lives evolve, and will this be for the better?
We’re not expecting to see all of our predictions come true, but our team have been busy comprising a list of ideas that we think are most likely to come to fruition in 2020. We’d also love to hear your own thoughts on the next big changes for the year ahead, so do feel free to swap and share your predictions with us accordingly.

Workers will demand more time

As we cited earlier this year, flexible working is the most sought-after benefit for modern workers. Millennials and Generation Z have led the way in leading the change, with some businesses going as far as testing out a four day week for its employees.
John Pencavel, an economics professor at Stanford University, stated that ‘benevolence might pay for employers. Shorter hours might not compromise output, and may involve lower labour costs. Not only does the employer benefit, but the employee does too’.

The climate crisis will become more critical than ever

2019 was the year of environmental awareness. The Extinction Rebellion, school strikes and Greta Thunberg ensured that the climate crisis was at the very forefront of the public eye, which has put pressure on worldwide green initiatives.
By 2030, 184 countries must follow through on their commitments to reduce emissions to ensure that global temperatures do not rise another 2 degrees. But right now, these pledges are not being met. Scientists are now stating that these targets were too low in the first place. Activists are therefore pressuring governments ahead of the United Nations COP26 summit in November 2020, in the hope that this target will be changed.

Capitalism will come under further scrutiny

The current model has come under increasing fire in recent times, even from those who profit from the system.
‘The system of making capitalism work well for most people is broken’ advises Ray Dalio, hedge funder and American billionaire. ‘The world is approaching a big paradigm shift’.
As such, two potential options are now on the table in 2020. Capitalism either reforms itself by serving the needs of all stakeholders, looking to take corporate responsibility and improve society, or governments (and voters) may well take matters into their own hands.

The age of the entrepreneur will begin to change

While we’re not suggesting an end to entrepreneurial spirit, we suspect there may well be a shift in dynamics next year. 2019 was the year of the brand ‘story’, but as numerous casualties have demonstrated, desperation to buy growth inevitably impacts upon operating margins. Companies quickly rise to astronomical heights, but fall just as fast.
This then paves the way for a new breed of start ups to emerge in 2020. If investors catch on to the general fatigue in the market, there could be room for budding entrepreneurs to focus on transforming industries and fixing real-world problems by building sustainable and profitable businesses that grow at a more manageable pace.

Your ability to focus will be your most important asset

In a world where we’re surrounded by distractions, being able to concentrate on your work is tougher than ever before. Many of us will be guilty of scrolling through our phones during work hours, especially when a steady stream of notifications begin to pile up.
It’s a problem that is now having a serious effect on our productivity levels. Brian Solis, author of Lifescale: How to Live a More Creative, Productive, Happy Life advised that ‘each time employees reach for their phone or tend to a distraction, they are pulled away from their work, relentlessly. This is having an incredible, understudied impact on employee productivity’. As highlighted by Solis, there is surprisingly little research upon the issue, but a couple of independent studies have demonstrated how much distractions on our phones are costing employers in the US alone. It’s estimated that hundreds of billions of dollars are being squandered, highlighting the impact of our increasingly mobile-centric lives.
Have you got your own set of predictions for 2020? Leave your comments below- we’d love to hear your thoughts on this one.