Workquake

by Steve Cadigan

The future has never been more uncertain for both employers and employees.

They face the same profoundly unsettling dilemma: neither knows what skills they need to develop for the future. Futurists and the media tell us that over 50 percent of jobs today will soon be replaced by automation and AI.

Turnover is higher than it has ever been. The percentage of the workforce that is actively disengaged has never been higher. The shelf lives of certain skills are diminishing rapidly. Longstanding industries and industry leaders are being disrupted. These staggering changes are challenging our concepts of what a career really looks like today and how we should build organizations going forward.

We are facing a Workquake.

It’s time we change the conversation. It’s time to talk about how being human has never been more critical and how we have more agency in applying our talents than at any other time in history. We need to have more real and honest conversations about how to build a better model of the future of work, one in which both employers and employees feel safe and energized.

COVID-19 has presented us the ideal opportunity to tackle this important challenge. Workquake is an attempt to articulate a compelling vision for the future of work through a number of stories, case studies, and author Steve Cadigan’s own experiences.

Genres: Nonfiction

216 pages, Hardcover

Published August 3, 2021

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing take on the new world of work and crafting a career path that works for you. It’s a roadmap not defined by organizations. There is power in new perspectives that come with changing jobs and companies making your more employable. — And companies need to take notice. Employees want more opportunities to grow and develop beyond the career ladder.

Plus a good reminder that we all need to become better learners (and unlearners) - “What someone can know tomorrow and, in the future, will help us more that what they know today and what they learned in the past.”

[George Fintikakis]

'Workquake' by Steve Cadigan is a must read for anyone who cares about the changing nature of work and the future economy, workplace and most importantly the major decisions we will all have to make in the future for our careers. Company executives, founders, entrepreneurs and HR professionals will also gain a great deal of useful knowledge from the experiences and battles of a prominent HR executive, influencer and thought leader.

As the first HR executive of Linkedin a key member of leadership who was instrumental in its rapid growth from 200 employees to over 3,000- Steve earned deep knowledge of the inner workings of Silicon Valley, the global tech ecosystem and how AI, emerging technologies and remote work will reshape the future of work. An HR thought leader and executive who worked on countless organizational changes, M&A restructurings and change management projects- whose guiding principals are to listen to an employee and understand what they want long term and what is important so you can work with that person to craft a future plan that helps them in their career.

Each chapter of Workquake made me think about what is important for me and give's readers new insights into the rapidly changing new economy and workplace- both from an employee's perspective and what we all should think about and do (life long learning, upskilling, adaptability) to grow our value in an incredibly competitive job market -and also the view of companies/employers and what they should do - to listen to, understand and support their people and create an environment at work and provide the resources to enable people to grow on their future professional journey. Steve emphasizes from the countless one on one meetings he had with employees...what is it that we can do here to make our company as productive and valuable an experience during your time here, on your career journey?

And this author is also a wonderful human being, a great listener and a genuinely good man- the first time I spoke to Steve Cadigan he knew my mother was sick and not well and the first thing he asked me 'George, most importantly, how is your mom doing? He cared and meant it.

If you can, try to read Workquake... you will gain a great deal of very important knowledge that will make you think hard about what is important for you, your family and what each of us have to do to craft a career plan and goals, to continuously learn new skills so we can increase our value and control our careers in the fast changing, new digital world.

There's a reason why this book is getting serious media attention and Steve is being interviewed globally, the future of work and the new digital workplace is undergoing a generational transformation. And we all need to be prepared to navigate these new waters.

[Robbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful for Employers and Employees Alike!

After attending an author event and talking to Steve Cadigan about his experience as the first Chief HR Officer (CHRO) at LinkedIn, I read this book, cover-to-cover, in a weekend.

There are several takeaways, which Steve pulled together in an easy to read format.

AS A RESULT OF THIS WORKQUAKE:
1. Employers no longer guarantee long careers at one company in exchange for loyatly.
2. Employees (especially the best ones) no longer want long careers at one company
3. What Employees want is to learn, and to be employable.

SO EMPLOYERS SHOULD:
1. Be honest and up front when onboarding employees that it isn't necessarily a "forever transaction" but that while the employee is there, they will get great experience and learning to become more employable
2. Be understanding when great employees leave after a "tour of duty" lasting just a few years (or less)
3. Welcome employees back (leave the door open) in case the employees want to return later in their careers (maybe this is a "forever transaction" after all!)
4. Try to retain employees by offering them new challenges and professional development

AND EMPLOYEES SHOULD:
1. Build their network
2. Seek to learn and grow
3. Soft skills are the new power skills--the ability to learn, grow and adapt

AND EVERYONE SHOULD EXPERIMENT!

There is a lot more useful information in this book--these are just a few examples. Buy it for yourself.

You'll be glad you did.

[AnnieM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even thought this book was written pre-pandemic (with an update during the pandemic), Steve Cadigan's ideas are spot-on in terms of how organizations and employees need to understand and adapt rapidly to the new world of work. If anything, these new ways of thinking about work and careers have accelerated given the coming tsunami of employees leaving their current employers if they insist on going back to the way we worked in the past. He argues that the implicit contract between employees and employers is broken and that the only job security is our employability. To stay employable, we need to embrace ambiguity, and to learn skills -- learn how we learn and stay open (not the specific skills we are learning because they will rapidly become obsolete). The book is broken into sections with a part focused on employees and a part focused on organizations.

Cadigan brings great experiences in his HR roles in many different companies as well as citing many articles and resources (there is a great list in the appendix). This book is a quick read and made me what to dive deeper into some of the resources mentioned!

I highly recommend this book. This book is relevant to individuals and organizational leaders.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the first section about being an employee. Found the employer section a bit repetitive and less insightful. Steve is an HR specialist and he is predicting the workplace of the future. I do hope the flexibility and loss of shaming comes to pass. And so treat your employees decently

[Kyle Edquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read and helpful to anyone seeking to learn more about the impact of COVID-19 across various work environments.

From hot topics like Turnover, employee experience Steve Cadigan will take you on a ride with this vision (and instill some hope for humanity as well).

[Barb Ruess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the parts about growth mindset - not just for the individual but for an organization looking to hire and foster talent.

[Lisa Klenke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an eye opener for employers. The book turns traditional organizational expectations for relationships with employees upside down. The book celebrates lifelong learning as a key motivator.

[Gary Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steve does an excellent job of expressing the changing nature of the employer-employee covenant. His concepts lay out a blueprint to achieve a more relevant, contemporary, and authentic model that reflects the reality of what both employers and employees should focus upon in order to adapt, thrive, and be successful in this new world of work. There is an implicit laying down of the gauntlet in his message. The kind of changes described are not easily attainable, nor do they lend themselves to quick fixes. It will be interesting to see what leaders emerge who are willing and capable to take up the gauntlet and commit the time, resources, engagement, and leadership required to effect change over time.