Future of Work
Through the Future of Work project, RDA Illawarra will explore the continuum of the future of work, from 100% working in the office, through to 100% working from anywhere. In the middle of the continuum are the blended models of remote working, which include combinations of the rise of co-working spaces and ‘hubs’, working from home and the regional decentralisation agenda.
During April – June, RDA Illawarra will issue a series of articles that will propel your thinking and discussions about the future of work in the Illawarra region. The articles will cover the trends and flexibility to work from virtually anywhere, the rise of co-working and shared officed spaces, the new leadership and management concerns arising from staff working anywhere. Keep reading as we explore how to best cope with the blurred lines between home and work, the impact of technology and changes to our workplace cultures, how the changes will flow to the commercial landscape and the options for the future for your workplace.
See articles here:
Article 1 - Is remote working here to stay?
Article 2 - White sand, coffee in hand; is this the future of work in the Illawarra?
Article 3 - The 'Amazon Effect' taking over the workforce since COVID-19
Article 4 - Is Working from Home really the Future of Work?
Article 5 - Who decides where we work from?
Article 6 - Creating New Work and Social Paradigms
Article 7 - The Impact of COVID on Wollongong's Commercial Landscape
In October 2020, which effectively kicked off our Future of Work project. At the round table, we heard from three inspiring speakers, namely:
- Craig Osborne - Managing Partner of RMB Lawyers, Director of Unison Outsourcing and RDA Illawarra board member
- Greg Doyle - General Manager of Wollongong City Council and RDA Illawarra board member
- Renee Whiteside - People & Culture Leader of Mercer Wollongong
We discussed our experiences of remote working (Fad Vs Future), the challenges and opportunities for managing employees, and the regional development and commercial risks and opportunities.
The key take-outs from the round table attended by 45 people were:
- What’s the new Professional services operating model – and how you can deliver baked goods (high quality French pastries) transported by the internet, while working from Anywhere!
- Why country people like working with Wollongong people more than City/Sydney people
- ‘We all have a little GPS in us that drives us back to the Illawarra’
- Lifestyle (white sand beaches) and proximity (just far enough away) are our competitive advantages for regional development
- Illawarra real estate prices and residential interest is driving new opportunities
- Flex work, or the new Hybrid model, is an opportunity, but also has its challenges
- Regional/virtual decentralisation is a huge opportunity – and local is the new lovely
- #allrolescanflex is an innovative campaign
- ‘An hour of power’ – gives time for deep thinking work
- How to develop self care plans for our people
Thanks to the generosity and insights of our three round table speakers, we are pleased to share our Future of Work round table recording with you on our YouTube channel. Please take the opportunity to subscribe to our channel while you’re there.
Subscribe to our Future of Work stakeholders distribution list to get updates on project initiatives as they unfold, including:
- Thought leadership articles
- Case studies
- Opportunities for further engagement through initiatives such as research, pilot development and further information sharing/round table discussions.
We welcome your feedback, input and contributions to this project – so at any time you have something to say, please just email our CEO, Debra Murphy at admin@rdaillawarra.com.au.
We look forward to sharing more on the Future of Work as this project unfolds.