Preparing For The Future Of Work: Thibaut de Lataillade of GetApp 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 Thibaut de Lataillade.

Thibaut de Lataillade, GetApp Group Vice President, has more than 25 years of experience in business management, sales, and marketing under his belt. He has a proven track record in cloud, mobility, digital marketing, CRM, marketing, sales, and growth strategies. Thibaut has held managerial and executive positions at large tech companies such as Cegedim and SAP.

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 started working in the early 90’s and my career as a whole has led me down some interesting paths. I would say a key moment that has shaped my career was when I took on a role at strategic consulting firm Arthur D. Little. This role gave me the opportunity to learn about and address the issues that C-suite leaders face.

I then left the consulting world in 2000 to become an entrepreneur, co-founding a website for healthcare professionals in France and the U.S. We eventually sold the company and I’ve been in the tech industry ever since.

In my past role understanding the issues impacting executives and becoming an entrepreneur has helped shape how I approach my current job as the General Manager and Group Vice President of GetApp, helping small and midsize businesses (SMBs) make the right software choices and leverage technology for growth.

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?

It’s no secret that the pandemic has fueled the increasing desire for worker flexibility. For some, increased flexibility may mean the ability to work remotely. Our recent survey found that 53% of small business employees say they are moderately or extremely likely to consider looking for a new job if they aren’t allowed to work from home at least part of the time.

The Great Resignation has forced companies to evaluate their employee experience, and the changes resulting from this “look in the mirror” is expected to have long-term impact. One area of focus is the candidate experience. Research from Talentegy shows 54% of job seekers say that a negative hiring experience would impact their brand perception of the company and their decision to purchase its products or services. But, according to a GetApp survey, only 27% of employers are using an applicant tracking system that could boost HR efficiency and improve the candidate experience.

Companies should adapt to evolving employee expectations by leveraging software and technology, whether it be to stay connected with colleagues around the world, tap into cloud-based services for remote document sharing, or to improve the interviewing experience for job candidates.

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 adamantly believe that people should commit to continuous learning regardless of whether they are pursuing a formal degree. Employers would do well to support their teams with professional development, and there are many options available, from online courses to custom content through Learning Management Systems. It is more than just a “nice to do,” it can be crucial to business outcomes. For example, GetApp research found that only 60% of businesses provide data security education and training, leaving a full 40% of employees without any education on data security. This leaves companies vulnerable not only to malicious attacks, but also threats posed by employee negligence. Education is a lifelong journey and should be embraced by individuals and organizations alike.

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?

Right now, there is tight competition for talent and the pandemic has encouraged workers to take stock of their own work-life balance. I expect that job seekers will look for different approaches to work including more remote work that offers flexibility or expanded benefits. Based on a recent GetApp survey, recruiters who offered commuter benefits said that, on average, it was 20% less difficult to fill job openings compared to those who didn’t. And recruiters offering childcare benefits said that it was 13% less difficult to fill job openings compared to those that didn’t.

I’ve shared before that a company’s vision gives it purpose. Job seekers value this too. Beyond having a purpose-driven job, more people want to be part of an organization that takes a stand on social justice issues. According to a GetApp survey, 53% of workers say that they want their employer to take a public stance on social justice issues, even if it doesn’t align with their personal beliefs.

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?

It’s important to note that while some routine jobs are being replaced by automation, many jobs are evolving to work in tandem with advanced technology. In 2019, Gartner predicted that hundreds of millions of jobs will move from humans to AI, and new jobs will be created as traditional jobs change.

While we all know that AI will change the nature of work, many employees don’t feel prepared for the transformation. From our research, only 12% of employees confirmed that their company uses AI. This is where additional training can be beneficial to learn how to apply AI in the future and an opportunity for companies to be transparent about how they’re using the technology.

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

Absolutely. The work from home trend is here to stay. Remote work has increased 400% in the last decade. Our recent survey into employee compensation also shows that 73% of companies with remote workers have already, or are planning to, adjust their pay based on local cost of living.

This trend is understandably driven by employers adjusting their work models, but the rise of entrepreneurs in the past year is also a contributing factor. Those who have started their own businesses see the value in being their own boss without having to commute to a physical workplace.

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

I believe there’s more we can do to change how we’ve traditionally viewed work. The pandemic has led the workforce to move away from the status quo. Moving forward, we can create change by tapping into underserved populations and removing unnecessary job requirements that have traditionally kept some people from pursuing certain jobs that may qualify for.

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?

In an increasingly data-fueled business landscape, neither employers nor employees feel prepared to manage the security challenges that comes with one of the most valuable assets in business. Our research shows that only 2 in 5 employees receive regular data security training. This leaves many companies vulnerable to business disruptions.

More employers are monitoring employee conversations than in previous years, a change that’s expected to continue due to increased remote work. This may be difficult for employees to accept because there’s a disconnect in employee monitoring awareness. According to GetApp research, 69% of small business leaders say that their companies monitor employees. But, only 24% of employees say they are monitored by their employers. This means that many workers aren’t aware that their employers are using monitoring tools. Setting data usage rules and establishing transparent communication is critical to help employees understand how information is being gathered and for what purpose.

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?

After a year and a half of lockdowns and remote working, the pandemic has made a lot of us realize that some people don’t have a strong system of support. From a work perspective, it’s important for managers and leaders to listen intently and to be aware of challenges that may hinder an employee’s ability to meet work expectations. Each person’s circumstances are different and they may need to make adjustments to focus on personal needs. I hope we continue this empathy, understanding and flexibility because it’ll help us build more empowered and resilient teams.

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

Remote work has reduced geographical boundaries, meaning we can attract more diverse talent in tech and find the right people for each role regardless of where they live. I currently lead a global team representing 37 nationalities and the diverse perspectives each person brings is key to our collective success.

I’m also excited to see software and technology play a key role in the future of work by improving efficiency, effectiveness, customer experiences and employee engagement.

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?

There’s more we can do to better plan for future roles that may not exist yet, pushing up the timeline for the development of new jobs. With technological advances, companies are considering hiring people for new functions like algorithm editors and human-machine teaming managers.

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. Remote work as a standard practice. Unsurprisingly, remote work has become less of a privilege and more of an expectation among workers. As I mentioned, GetApp research found that 53% of small business employees say they are moderately or extremely likely to consider looking for a new job if they aren’t allowed to work from home at least part of the time. During the pandemic, many workers were able to find more time in their days by cutting back on lengthy commutes.
2. Technology for an improved employee experience. More companies are seeing the value of leveraging technology to attract talent, onboard remote workers, engage employees and train their workforce. To meet the demands of an increasingly digital workplace, software helps employers reduce inefficiencies, streamline processes and create meaningful touchpoints with employees.
3. Different employee compensation options. Many employees have expressed interest in getting paid for their work in different ways such as on-demand pay or through cryptocurrencies. From our recent survey, 61% of companies say their workforce has expressed at least some interest in receiving their pay in the form of cryptocurrencies, and 74% say their workforce has expressed at least some interest in receiving their pay more frequently than their organization’s current pay period allows. These compensation strategies give workers more options for financial planning and reflect how our global economy is moving towards digital currencies.
4. More purpose-driven workplaces. The pandemic has led people to evaluate the “why” behind their work and reinforced the importance of a purpose-driven culture. People want to know that their work matters and that the companies they work for will take a stand on important issues. Maintaining a strong purpose will be a differentiator among companies and contribute to overall business success.
5. AI-enabled machines as independent workers. In the near future, we should expect to work alongside smart machines. As AI algorithms become more robust and failsafe, smart machines will take on more responsibilities, starting as our personal assistants and eventually evolving to become our co-workers.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how this quote has shaped your perspective?

“Leading without a vision never works.” I’m passionate about sailing and like to compare it to leading a business. You need to know where you’re going in order to prepare your boat and your crew for the race.

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.

I would love to sit down with leading-edge technology leaders in the AI space like Peter Norvig of Google or Elon Musk. AI is a fascinating topic with lots of philosophical considerations, but also many practical applications for businesses. For example, at GetApp we are testing a Virtual Assistant powered by AI and Natural Language Processing. It’s promising, but the key challenge is to ensure it understands more than 90% of the intent which is not so easy! When a user types “teams” do they mean Microsoft Teams or “how to build great teams.”

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

You can find me on LinkedIn and Twitter. I’d also recommend readers check out the GetApp blog, where my team shares technology insights and advice for SMBs and entrepreneurs to help them grow their business. The stats and research cited in this interview are available there.

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