Future of Work Trends in 2022 Report: The New Era of Humanity | Korn Ferry

This 48-page report provides insights into how the general shift in power dynamic—from employer to employee—continues to reset workers’ expectations of their employers. While this report has various insights, a section on p.33, titled “Individuality,” caught my attention. It emphasizes how the employee experience will be influenced by “variable customizations,” where employees want greater choice and autonomy over their experiences at work. This tactic requires firms to go beyond the overly simplistic approach of personalizing the employee experience by creating personas based on demographics (e.g., New Mom Returner). It correctly notes how this demographic-based approach, by itself, cannot capture multiple aspects of one’s identity and values; a BCG report that I previously shared illustrates this point. It uses the example of Jane (p.6), who falls into the traditional segments of being female, white, and straight. However, those segments don’t factor in Jane being an immigrant, Type 1 diabetic, caregiver, part of a dual-career family household, and is without local family help. Each of these factors will affect how Jane experiences the workplace. This approach to individualization will require managers to understand their workers on a deeper level and move beyond assumptions based on broader segments. Firms will need to figure out how to factor individuality into the employee experience while considering scalability and alignment to the broader employment brand and value proposition.