Preparing For The Future Of Work: Rebeca Steele of State Farm On The Top Five Trends To Watch In The Future Of Work

There have been major disruptions in recent years that promise to change the very nature of work. From the ongoing shifts caused by the COVID19 pandemic, the impacts caused by automation, and other possible disruptions to the status quo, many wonder what the future holds in terms of employment. For example, a report by the McKinsey Global Institute that estimated automation will eliminate 73 million jobs by 2030.

To address this open question, we reached out to successful leaders in business, government, and labor, as well as thought leaders about the future of work to glean their insights and predictions on the future of work and the workplace.

As a part of this interview series called “Preparing for the Future of Work”, we had the pleasure to interview Rebeca Steele.

Rebeca Steele owns a State Farm Agency in Phoenix, Arizona. She has been in the insurance industry for 21 years, starting her early youth handling auto claims and traveling the nation inspecting homes after they were damaged from catastrophes. Rebeca prides herself in building relationships in the community and taking care of her clients. She enjoys being a continuous learner and staying up to date not only with insurance and financial service changes, but the constantly evolving changes in technology and the way she operates her agency. She has a business management degree and holds her Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter Designation and Chartered Financial consultant. Rebeca enjoys traveling, outdoor activities, hiking, and boating with her fiancé and kids.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers like to get an idea of who you are and where you came from. Can you tell us a bit about your background? Where do you come from? What are the life experiences that most shaped your current self?

I’m a first generation college graduate and immigrant raised in Texas. My background began in auto claims as a senior in high school through a work-study program. Without a clear direction for a career, I became fulltime after graduating, diving into the auto claims insurance department. I saw endless opportunities, taking advantage of all opportunities available within the company to grow and expand my knowledge. Within 5 years I sought out an opportunity to join the State Farm catastrophe team, inspecting homes after they were damaged from storms. This afforded me the ability to travel the nation and experience immense personal growth. Though I enjoyed the fast paced life of being on the road and serving customers in person, living in hotels for 10 years began taking a toll on me. I was later offered a position in leadership, managing a call center team, but shortly after I decided I wanted to make more of an impact in the community and establish myself as a resource for others.

What do you expect to be the major disruptions for employers in the next 10–15 years? How should employers pivot to adapt to these disruptions?

The way customers and employees look to communicate has changed drastically in the last decade, with endless new technology capabilities. If the pandemic has taught businesses anything, employees want the flexibility to work remotely and are wanting more independence with their schedules. Employers should be open minded and understand that the work of 3 full time employees may have to be done by 4 part time and 2 full time employees, adjusting office hours or offering 4 day work weeks.

The choice as to whether or not a young person should pursue a college degree was once a “no-brainer”. But with the existence of many high profile millionaires (and billionaires) who did not earn degrees, as well as the fact that many graduates are saddled with crushing student loan debt and unable to find jobs it has become a much more complex question. What advice would you give to young adults considering whether or not to go to college?

I value the discipline and commitment it takes to complete a college degree. However, I do believe there are many options that can still allow young adults to obtain the higher education without getting burdened with debt, such as online schools or going to a community college for the basics then transferring on to a 4 year institution.

Trades schools are often overlooked, yet many offer highly paid, reliable, and ongoing employment.

Young adults should be encouraged to look into the cost of their degree and determine if the potential in pay for that job is really worth the debt that they may incur. Additionally, many employers offer tuition reimbursement or payment for Full Time employees, including State Farm. So searching for a position at a company that offers these benefits is a great way to start your career and get a higher education partially paid for.

Despite the doom and gloom predictions, there are, and likely still will be, jobs available. How do you see job seekers having to change their approaches to finding not only employment, but employment that fits their talents and interests?

Using their connections and networking is a huge benefit. I see a change from submitting resumes to being more intentional and showing extra effort by calling the company, stopping in to show yourself in person, or even finding people that work for a certain company that can make introductions. Also being open to virtual interviews and even submitting a video resume along with a paper resume to make sure you are showcasing talents and differentiating yourself.

The statistics of artificial intelligence and automation eliminating millions of jobs, appears frightening to some. For example, Walmart aims to eliminate cashiers altogether and Dominos is instituting pizza delivery via driverless vehicles. How should people plan their careers such that they can hedge their bets against being replaced by automation or robots?

By choosing a career that requires decision making and added value with a higher level customer service skills will be so important. Human interaction will always be needed, but people should remain open to change and advancement with learning new opportunities that may present themselves as technology keeps advancing. I believe there will be new opportunities and new professional fields as well. Someone has to manage those automated vehicles and self-checkouts right?

Technological advances and pandemic restrictions hastened the move to working from home. Do you see this trend continuing? Why or why not?

Yes, it’s not going anywhere. People have seen that they can work in a hybrid model and still be efficient and some want to work from home completely. Technology allows us to still hold in person activities that many businesses need to run day to day operations. People are reprioritizing their health and families and are attracted to the less risky jobs.

What societal changes do you foresee as necessary to support the fundamental changes to work?

The need for work life balance and mental health benefits are going to be pivotal for all companies moving forward. Society has come to recognize this importance for individuals and it will need to be a priority for businesses to succeed. Society moves in a fast pace world, but in order for the individual to have that balance, people need to adjust to a more casual pace and not rely on “instant” gratification from businesses.

What changes do you think will be the most difficult for employers to accept? What changes do you think will be the most difficult for employees to accept?

It’s hard for employers that struggle with needing to control an employee’s time to guarantee results. However, with a well-defined plan that’s clear for the employee, results can still be achieved as this pandemic has shown us. Employees that struggle with the need to interact with others in person will have a difficult time as we have seen with the rise of mental health issues.

The COVID-19 pandemic helped highlight the inadequate social safety net that many workers at all pay levels have. Is this something that you think should be addressed? In your opinion how should this be addressed?

The pandemic helped expose areas that a lot of businesses were not prepared to handle. Now that we are all aware of it, the inefficiencies need to be addressed and we should be prepared for the next disruption.

Despite all that we have said earlier, what is your greatest source of optimism about the future of work?

People are starting to value their quality of life more and honestly, it’s nice to see that coming from someone that spends a lot of time working and the lost time that I can’t get back from loved ones. Tomorrow is not guaranteed and there is still a balance that can be found in achieving your greatest dreams and living a fulfilling life. Technology is showing us that employers can attract more people by utilizing it to its full capabilities.

Historically, major disruptions to the status quo in employment, particularly disruptions that result in fewer jobs, are temporary with new jobs replacing the jobs lost. Unfortunately, there has often been a gap between the job losses and the growth of new jobs. What do you think we can do to reduce the length of this gap?

Employers need to be more open as to what the right employee for them may look like. And on the other side, employees should look at jobs and realize the possibilities available in so many different companies out there.

Okay, wonderful. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “Top 5 Trends To Watch In the Future of Work?” (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Hybrid workforce — In order to attract the right talent we will need to redefine what the work schedule looks like and what is more efficient for each individual vs a one size fits all approach.
2. Create a family work atmosphere — People will move mountains if they know how much you care for and are there for them. I believe in helping employees grow personally, professionally, and financially.
3. Strong employee appreciation. Employers will pay attention to employee happiness and engagement will be a core focus, particularly after the much discussed Great Resignation. They will also look to processes and tools that help capture employee data and metrics, which will help them gauge employee wellbeing, performance, and commitment to their teams.
4. Reevaluation of how we show gratitude to our employees: the need to keep employees compensated to stay competitive is very important. But understanding that some employees are driven by different motivations will keep a company competitive. Some prefer different benefits such as more time off, while others like food, free vacation, recognition, etc.
5. Emphasis on up skilling and new skilling our workforce. Continued competitive job markets will require employers to equip their current workforce with new skills. This will ultimately lead to better employee retention.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how this quote has shaped your perspective? I love quotes …there are so many. One I really like is

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. “– Colin Powell

Being the only business owner in my family, I have had to try many new things and get out of my comfort zone.

I have always believed in hard work, there is no easy way. Just put in the time and not be afraid to try things that may not work.

Failures are just learning opportunities. Taking risks are inevitable.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

Elon Musk, he is a great inventor and investor. I like his vision for pushing boundaries with technology.

Our readers often like to follow our interview subjects’ careers. How can they further follow your work online?

Rebeca Steele State Farm Insurance Agent — Home | Facebook

Instagram @Agentsteele

Linkedin — Rebeca Steele | LinkedIn

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this. We wish you continued success and good health.