The future of work – it's time to rethink and evolve
Last week, Paula Gibson and Maggie Matthews represented The Oxford Group at a major thought-leadership event focused on the future of work. The CRF Conference 2025: Rethink Work: Evolve or Endure brought together HR leaders, business strategists, and academics to explore how organisations can adapt to a rapidly changing world.
Here are some of the key themes and reflections from the conference – insights that are already shaping how The Oxford Group supports its clients in leadership and management development.
Why Evolution Is Essential
Geopolitical instability, economic shifts, and technological disruption are reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace. Climate change, resource scarcity, and demographic transitions are forcing organisations to rethink traditional business and workforce models.
The message from the conference was clear: enduring without evolving is no longer viable. Organisations must proactively adapt or risk becoming obsolete.
Operating in Complexity
One of the most striking aspects of the event was the diversity of perspectives. Speakers didn’t always agree, and data varied—highlighting that there is no single lens through which to view the future of work.
This complexity is something we’re already seeing in our leadership and management development work. Leaders today must be equipped to operate in contradiction and nuance, developing capabilities such as:
- Agility
- Emotional intelligence
- Change leadership
- Resilience
- Storytelling
- Communicating with impact
Humanity, Courage and Responsibility
In a world increasingly shaped by technology, leaders must amplify what is human. Emotional intelligence is central to this, as is the quality of conversations leaders are having.
Courage also emerged as a key theme – the courage to ask uncomfortable questions, challenge long-standing practices, and rethink established norms with curiosity rather than fear.
And finally, responsibility. We are not bystanders in the future of work. The choices we make now will ripple outward shaping not only our organisations, but also communities and society at large.
Key Trends Informing Strategy
A major focus of the conference was the Future of Work, with several trends emerging as critical to organisational strategy:
- The Global Talent Reset: Demographic shifts, declining birth rates, and evolving skill demands are redefining how talent is sourced and developed. Organisations must rethink workforce planning, including how offshore talent is utilised.
- The Unbundling of Work: Traditional job roles are being broken down into component tasks—some performed by AI, others by flexible or gig workers.
- The Human/AI Partnership: This evolving relationship is reshaping team structures, workflows, and the social contract between employers and employees. Trust, flexibility, and mutual accountability are becoming central.
Notably, the Human/AI partnership was identified by global HR leaders as the trend most likely to impact organisations over the next decade, followed closely by the Global Talent Reset.
Six Big Shifts Redefining Work
Organisations will need to factor the following shifts into their design strategies:
- From departments to fluid capabilities
- From org charts to networks and ecosystems
- From top-down control to empowered coordination
- From central silos to self-steering teams
- From static jobs to AI-augmented workflows
- From hierarchy to human connection
Opportunity Ahead
The landscape is changing fundamentally. To adapt and thrive, organisations must invest in leadership and management development that equips people to navigate complexity and lead with confidence.
There is real opportunity here. By staying ahead of the curve and ready to support our clients, we can demonstrate market leadership and continue to grow from strength to strength.
As the future of work continues to unfold with complexity and urgency, these themes resonate strongly with The Oxford Group and the leaders we work alongside. We see daily how leadership is not a fixed skillset but a dynamic capability – shaped through self-awareness, meaningful dialogue, and the ability to adapt. Our clients are navigating ambiguity, building trust in evolving human-AI partnerships, and leading cultural and digital transformation with empathy and clarity. If you are experiencing these shifts, reach out to us for a conversation on how we can support your organisation and teams.