Consisting of an opening talk from Google’s Privacy Lead, Adam Taylor, followed by a fireside chat with M&S, a panel on the future of the working world with Acceleration Partners, KMKA, Digital Execs, and AWIN, a panel on the future of CSR with Ecologi, Save the Children and Double Dutch and a keynote from Maggie Philbin, CEO and Co–Founder at TeenTech it was a jam packed session full of insightful takeaways. With the event open to questions from the audience we’ve rounded up our favorites and asked our speakers from the event to answer them.

1) How does the four day working week work? Do you stagger the staff across Mon-Fri or is it set days? 

We stagger staff across Monday to Friday but we also have employees working every weekday. We allow individual departments to decide how they manage the flexi-week so that it’s fair for everyone and we ensure that we’ve got the required cover depending on the department or need. In some departments, employees may have a set day of the week they have off, in others where there is a need for equal presence every day there may be a rota system in place to ensure everyone gets a fair share of the preferred days off (Friday!). We’ve found that allowing each department to come up with the system that works for them has been really successful. 

2) If a company doesn’t have a chief people officer, do you think that’s something they need?

I think the concept of a Chief People Officer is a really interesting one. A quick LinkedIn search suggests that it’s not that widespread here in EMEA and we’re not seeing a huge demand externally in the job market. I think the answer to the question here depends on how human-centered a company is and how strategic their HR function is. HR has done an incredible job over the last few years, in particular, supporting employees through the pandemic, the shift to remote / hybrid working and consolidating its seat at the table of important business decisions. Companies where HR is still managing that process & still attempting to center employees in business strategy would benefit from a CPO, allowing them to continue to move forward and develop the role of HR in their companies.

3) Does unlimited holiday work? 

In our case (Acceleration Partners) yes, we give people the independence to manage their own workloads and ensure they have a good life balance. The future world of work should see more companies implementing these types of benefits. 

4) What was the prediction that Tomorrow’s World made that seems to be the closest to what we’ve seen come true today?

I’d say the Internet, Mobile and Augmented Reality. We featured the internet ‘the information superhighway’ correctly predicting all homes would have access to it. The mobile phone, the ‘computer in your pocket’. The mobile phone of the 70s and 80s was a very clunky beast and the idea that it would become core to so much of our personal and working lives must have seemed very far-fetched at the time. I (Maggie) demonstrated early versions of Augmented and virtual reality in the mid-eighties and I’ve followed the development of these technologies and I find it very exciting to see how they’re being used in so many different sectors.

5) Do you think society as a whole undervalues science and technology? 

I think in the UK we need to do much, much more to ensure everyone is scientifically and technically literate. It’s not just about helping young people, or older people learn how to use technology , it’s about making sure we have more people in government who understand the implications of emerging tech and how it can be used for good as well as profit. And about equipping every citizen with the tools to be able to ask the right questions of politicians and corporations.

6) Does TeenTech have or offer projects for young people in developing countries?

Young people join our programmes from all over the world but we’re just about to start focussed work in South Africa. We’re always happy to hear from organizations in other parts of the world who may be keen to collaborate.

7) There has been much in the press about governments failing to effectively take care of their citizens. Do you think brands should carry this responsibility? Save the Children

When it comes to the question of the private sector taking on the responsibility of its citizens, it’s the companies we work with that recognise the responsibility they have to the society and communities they are based in. Whether this be looking at how they can have greener supply chains, working alongside their staff to support their wellbeing or looking at the impact their business may have on children’s well-being and how they can work to address this.

8) What about smaller companies that can’t afford big CSR initiatives, how can they make the most impact?

With smaller companies, whilst their impact in terms of reach may not be as attainable as a larger FTSE 200 organization, the ability to form a really comprehensive CSR strategy would be easier.  They would be in a position to create a strategy that would be more inclusive with both their staff and customer base. Using a charity or NGO to enhance this can offer the expertise and direction a small or new company may be looking for when they start their CSR journey.

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To hear questions answered by the live panel, and watch the full session, check out our YouTube page or read our event roundup blog: A Spotlight on Tomorrow’s World.

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