Leeds Digital Festival 2021: The Future of Work

I was very fortunate to attend a webinar hosted at the Leeds Digital Festival 2021 called ‘The Future of Work’. Many panelists from across the UK and even one from the US helped explain many of the things that they had spotted relating to work during the Covid-19 pandemic and made observations about what the future of work may look like.

What was said during The Future of Work webinar hosted by Leeds Digital Festival 2021?

Panelist #1

Yazad Dalal, Head of Strategy, Cloud HCM Applications, EMEA, Oracle kicked off the webinar with the outlining thought that technologies are continuing to develop and enhance the performance of the employee. Yazad expressed the importance of treating employee’s expectations of technology with respect as he explains how crucial the employee is to the employer. Yazad pointed out that in order for the employer to gain more success, thanks to employee performance, it is important for the employer to prepare and adapt to any new situation that is presented to them. This could mean updating new technology or even introducing new techniques to improve employee well-being.

My thoughts about Yazad Dalal’s comments

Yazad came into this webinar with the persona of an employer, since he is the Head of Strategy at one of the leading multinational computer technology corporations in the world. Whilst the performance of the employee is a major component for Yazad, he stressed heavily the value he has of the well-being of the employee. It was nice to see someone in a position of power talk so positively of the employee as we don’t often see this from powerful people. This was proved by his point of respecting the employee’s expectation of technology in the workplace.

Panelist #2

Angela Barnacle, Chief Officer Asset Management & Regeneration, Leeds City Council began her presentation by stressing how far Leeds has come in the technological industry. She explained that Leeds is probably the second-largest city in the UK for technological innovations and infrastructure, behind London of course. She talked about the reasons why Leeds is so high up on the list, with the major factor being the location as Leeds is situated in the heart of the UK.

My thoughts about Angela Barnacle’s comments

It was interesting to hear from Angela about how far Leeds has come and will go within the technology market. She indicated that people will be clamoring into Leeds to set up a base for their HQ which is something that I did not expect to hear a few years ago but is interesting nonetheless.

Panelist #3

Antonia Martin-Wright, Head of Investment – North, Commercial Estates Group (CEG) talked about how she did not see a change in future building plans for offices and skyscrapers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

My thoughts about Antonia Martin-Wright’s comments

I was extremely surprised to hear that large companies did not see any change in the building and design of new buildings in Leeds during the Covid-19 pandemic. I was sure that projects would be put on pause or even cancelled since working from home has become the new norm.

Panelist #4

Matthew Barnes, Area General Director for London, Landmark discussed the use for offices in the future of Leeds city centre and how companies are starting to move out into suburban parks so that access is easier for employees. Matthew suggested that moving to suburban parks will make the well-being of the employee better as they don’t have to travel through the city and pay for trains or parking.

My thoughts about Matthew Barnes’s comments

What I learned from Matthew was something that I hoped would happen in the future. Cities are becoming too busy and populated which means that accommodation, travel and life are getting too expensive. By moving out to the suburban parks, it allows employees a quieter and cheaper journey due to the reduced number of people travelling in that direction. This is a production step forward by the employer as it helps improve the overall well-being of the employee.

Panelist #5

Jonathan Shires, Director/Owner, Occprops Ltd, similarly to Yazad, discussed the importance of the well-being of the employee. Jonathan provided insight into the thoughts of the employees and how they wish to get back into the office as soon as possible. Jonathan also explained that it is important for the employer to provide staff with choices about working so that they are considered in the decision-making process and listened to.

My thoughts about Jonathan Shires’ comments

As an employee, it was nice to hear from a Director/Owner who cares about the morale of an employee as he expressed the need for employee and employer communication on certain aspects of the business.

My question to the panel

I asked the panel “With the rise of internet performance for the home worker, will there be a need for offices in 50-100 years?” because I was curious about the future of home working and whether we will need offices or places of work in the future.

Yazad’s 3 main takeaways from this question: