James Root, Partner and co-chair of Bain Future at Bain & Company, recently shared his expertise into the evolving landscape of workplace dynamics and human capabilities development. This follows the transformative panel discussion he led at the Human Capital Initiative (HCI) earlier this year, titled "The New Future of Work – Putting the Working Future into Action”.

During the discussion, Root highlighted the complexity of being a people leader in today’s workforce environment. "Leaders must navigate the intricacies of gig and remote work, the impact of automation, and the increasing stress levels within teams," he stated. “Putting it simply, there is no such thing as an average worker anymore. That would be fine if firms used the same approach to segmenting their workers as they do to segmenting their customers. But they don’t. While firms understand the skills of their workers, they often understand very little about their workers’ motivations. They don’t ask the question: Why do you go to work?”

Bain & Company's recent global survey of 45,000 workers unearthed that worker motivations align with six distinct archetypes: Operators and Givers are driven by workplace relationships; Artisans and Explorers by learning and growth; and Strivers and Pioneers by achievement. These insights, including a simple quiz to find out which archetype you most closely resemble, encourage both individuals and organizations to foster environments where employees feel more fulfilled and engaged.

The significance of these archetypes is manifested in two primary ways. Firstly, they provide individuals with deeper insights into the factors that contribute to their sense of fulfillment at work, or the lack thereof. Secondly, they enable organizations to tailor their talent strategies effectively, ensuring that employees are better equipped to bring their optimal selves to the workplace daily.

Significant investments in digitizing HR Management Systems over the past 5-10 years have unintentionally standardized employees, making everyone appear the same due to uniform systems and processes. "Perhaps a new generation of AI enabled talent solutions can help people leaders do what they want to, which is to find ways to create multiple career paths for workers with differing motivations, while keeping the whole firm moving in one direction," explained Root.

In his discussion on practical implementation, Root pointed to Saudi Arabia as an example where a predominantly young and ambitious workforce could benefit significantly from understanding and integrating these archetypes. He outlined steps for Saudi firms to attract and retain talent by building appropriate career paths and providing targeted training for team leaders.

Looking ahead, Root predicts that while technical skills will remain in high demand in Saudi Arabia, fundamental skills like complex problem solving and decision making in uncertainty will become increasingly critical. "The country's ambitious vision necessitates a focus on re-skilling and continuous learning, starting as early as high school and extending throughout one's career," he concluded.