April 7, 2025
By Annabel Hooton
We hosted an exclusive dinner for 40 HR leaders - "The Future is Now: Work & Talent, Redefined” - exploring the profound shifts reshaping organisations today & how to build a more resilient, inclusive & adaptable workforce.
It was a pleasure to welcome Morag Lynagh, former Global Future of Work Lead at Unilever and Director of Blue Moth Consulting, who expertly guided our conversation. Morag emphasised that the phrase ‘Future of Work’ is often misleading; instead, highlighting the importance of practically responding to the significant changes that are already happening. The evening provided a valuable opportunity for Morag to share her insights into how businesses can proactively adapt their strategies to evolving talent expectations, ensuring sustainable access to skilled and engaged individuals amidst ongoing workplace transformations.
Changing Demographics and Rethinking Talent
Morag outlined significant demographic shifts driven by dramatically falling birthrates globally and increasing longevity. She pointed out that globally, except for sub-Saharan Africa, birthrates are falling below replacement levels. This shift means that the number of working-age individuals (aged 15-64) supporting those aged 65 and over is reducing sharply—from 9 per older adult in 1997 to 6.5 currently, projected to drop to fewer than 4 (3.9) by 2050. With one-third of the OECD workforce now over 50, McKinsey describes this phenomenon as "the age of youth scarcity". Morag emphasised that businesses must actively leverage the invaluable expertise and experience of older workers while also engaging the rising Gen Z talent pool, given this demographic reality.
New Models of Work and Workforce Flexibility
Morag discussed the growing prevalence of alternative employment models, including gig work, side hustles, and flexible roles. She cited a 2022 McKinsey study highlighting that 36% of US workers (58 million people) now identify as independent workers, up significantly from 27% in 2016. Additionally, she noted a VISA UK report stating 45% of Gen Z have a side hustle, with a third having multiple sources of income. Morag referenced Unilever’s successful "U-Work" initiative, adopted by 2% of its UK workforce, illustrating how flexible employment models can meet employees’ needs for autonomy while enhancing organisational agility and cost-effectiveness.
Reshaping Work: Skills over Job Titles
Addressing the limitations of rigid job structures, Morag stressed the importance of adopting skills-based organisational designs. She shared McKinsey's research revealing a gap between CEOs' understanding of priority growth areas and their allocation of resources to these priorities. Morag encouraged organisations to move beyond traditional job descriptions to fluid, dynamic structures that enable better utilisation of existing talent and skills. She recommended piloting these approaches in targeted areas to gain insights and momentum for broader change, and emphasised the importance of adjusting surrounding systems and structures, such as reward frameworks, career paths, and approaches to line management, to create conditions for the new design to flourish.
Creating a Balanced Culture of Flexibility and Trust
Morag underscored the importance of fostering a workplace culture balancing flexibility, accountability, and community. Referring to Randstad's annual Workmonitor survey involving over 26,000 respondents across 30 countries, she noted that work-life balance has surpassed pay as the top motivator for employees, particularly pronounced among Gen Z with a 10% gap. Morag shared how Unilever successfully normalised discussions about caregiving responsibilities and side hustles through storytelling and role-modelling, advocating a trust-based rather than restrictive policy-driven approach.
Reflecting on her own experience handling employment policies and employee relations, Morag acknowledged that organisations often instinctively aim to protect themselves from potential abuses by implementing restrictive rules. However, she advised against locking everything down to cater for the minority of problematic individuals, as this inadvertently sets a tone of mistrust. Instead, she advocated treating employees as responsible adults, clearly demonstrating expectations and boundaries through positive role models, real-life examples, and storytelling. Her experience has consistently shown that when organisations trust their employees in this way, the vast majority respond responsibly and constructively.
Conclusion
Morag closed the session by highlighting the importance of turning reflection into meaningful action. While events like this provide invaluable opportunities to pause, reflect, and gain perspectives from peers, the real challenge comes afterward - resisting the immediate pull of day-to-day demands and genuinely prioritising strategic transformation.
She urged senior HR leaders, who play a pivotal role in preparing their organisations for future challenges, to embrace courageous action rather than returning to business as usual. Quoting Gandhi, Morag concluded, “Action expresses priorities”, reminding leaders that lasting impact comes from consciously choosing where to direct their energy and resources.