Dear members—
This week’s field guide to the future of work examined how automation will impact jobs, and the benefits, skills, and new words that we may need to handle changes in the economy. But for all the talk about how jobs are changing and what employees need to do to prepare, there’s also the question of what employers are doing about it.
That’s a topic Prudential Financial vice chairman Robert Falzon and At Work editor Heather Landy will discuss in a video conference call for members next Wednesday at 11:30am. It’s a question Rob is intensely focused on.
Prudential, a giant in insurance and investing, is actively taking stock of the talent it has and the skills it will need to create the next wave of products and services. Rob believes big employers like Prudential are going to have to get comfortable putting people in roles they haven’t tried before if they are to continue to evolve and meet the challenges of the future. Indeed, some jobs may not have existed at all, and bridging the skills gap is a major priority. Whether you’re a big employer or small, how you talk to employees about the changes to come, and about who’s responsible for easing the transition is paramount.
On the conference call, Rob and Heather will discuss:
- How far into the future can you realistically forecast?
- What does a conversation with an employee look like?
- How much of the onus is on the employer to provide retraining?
- What about the people who are left behind?
PLUS…
Nuclear weapons expert, Alex Wellerstein is joining members and Ideas editor, Georgia Frances King for a conference call on Tuesday at 11am to discuss how nuclear weapons technology is changing fast and threatening to plunge the world back into an uncontrolled arms race.
An assistant professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, Alex is the author of Restricted Data: The Nuclear Secrecy Blog, and the creator of the online NUKEMAP nuclear weapons effects simulator. He is currently wrapping up a book on the history of nuclear secrecy in the US.
They will talk about how the popular perception that the nuclear arms race between the superpowers ended after the fall of the Soviet Union is misplaced. In fact, development of nuclear weapons technologies is advancing quickly, and Russia and the US have been joined by China in pursuing them.
For both conference calls, we’ll meet at our usual location. If you’d like to call in, you can reach us at the following numbers:
UK 0800 014 8469
USA 866 226 4650
The access code is 722 994 440.
And we want to hear from you. We welcome your comments and questions, either during the conference calls, or by emailing them in advance to members@qz.com.
You can find recordings of our past calls here, including this week’s with Quartz senior reporter Gwynn Guilford and global finance and economics editor, Jason Karaian on the risks of a global currency war, and senior reporter Akshat Rathi and science editor, Katie Palmer’s discussion with members about the recent record-breaking heatwaves.
ALSO COMING NEXT WEEK: THE FUTURE OF AV’S…
Silicon Valley and the big automakers didn’t do so well in their first effort to develop self-driving cars, so now they’re trying again. Timetables and strategies are more realistic, as the complexity of what they’re trying to build is laid bare. But the changes to human mobility that autonomous vehicles eventually usher in still promise to be profound. Be sure to check out our guide, reported and written by Quartz reporter, Michael Coren. Join him and technology editor Mike Murphy in a conference call to discuss on Thursday, Aug. 22nd at 11am.
…AND COMING NEXT MONTH: A QUARTZ AFRICA EVENT IN CAPE TOWN
Quartz members can request an invite to join BFA, the global consultant, and Quartz Africa in Cape Town on Sep. 5, during the World Economic Forum Africa, to discuss how digital platforms are accelerating access to clean water, energy, global markets for online sellers, and credit for small businesses.
Cheers,
Xana Antunes,
Executive editor
Quartz