In the first of a three-part series looking at the COVID-19 pandemic and worker displacement, Emma Smith and Ross Smith look at the accelerating effect the outbreak will have on the future of work.  

We’ve heard a lot about the Fourth Industrial Revolution and how the nature of work will change as machine intelligence starts to pass human intelligence. Advancements in robotics, computer vision and speech, and machine learning will accelerate the application of automation to human tasks.

It looks like the novel coronavirus has hastened the entrance into this future world...

Can you feel and see the rumblings of the next phase of the COVID-19 crisis on the horizon? We’ve been in a mix of constant change, uncertainty and regulatory direction. People are getting antsy. People are getting even more expressive and emotional. The feeling isn’t all good either. With the inevitable lifting of restrictions, people are voicing their opinions on timing, the extent of movement and political posturing is growing. To be honest, this next phase can be almost as unsettling as the front part of this time in our history.

We were asked to take drastic and immediate...

As we enter another week in quarantine we've all figured out how to use zoom and have adapted the ability to wear shorts with a sport coat. We're tired of hearing strategies of how to work from home and we certainly aren't delighted when receiving cold calls from vendors "just checking up on us". Many people have lost jobs, others their businesses, and some, their lives. There simply is no silver lining.

As we traverse another day in the bunker, unsure if it's Saturday or Monday, little wins are the thing that...

Tracie Sponenberg, Chief People Officer for the Granite Group, shares how her HR team and senior leaders are communicating continually, and with transparency, through the COVID-19 crisis.

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