Preparing For The Future Of Work: Edgar Suppes of Grailify On The Top Five Trends To Watch In The Future Of Work
An Interview with Phil La Duke
Cyber security. The shift to a remote workforce where employees can work from anywhere of course carries risks. Employees handling confidential and sensitive information will require training. Typically, all employees need to understand the basics like leaving their laptop open in a shared space is simply not secure.
There have been major disruptions in recent years that promise to change the very nature of work. From the ongoing shifts caused by the COVID19 pandemic, the impacts caused by automation, and other possible disruptions to the status quo, many wonder what the future holds in terms of employment. For example, a report by the McKinsey Global Institute that estimated automation will eliminate 73 million jobs by 2030.
To address this open question, we reached out to successful leaders in business, government, and labor, as well as thought leaders about the future of work to glean their insights and predictions on the future of work and the workplace.
As a part of this interview series called “Preparing For The Future Of Work”, we had the pleasure to interview Edgar Suppes.
Edgar Suppes is the CEO & Founder of Grailify, a trendy Sneaker e-store catering for fashion enthusiasts wanting the most coveted brands. Grailify has one of the largest platforms for sneaker news & sneaker releases, with over 1.1 million page views per month and over 250,000 app downloads within the first year. Edgar lives in Mainerzhagen, Germany and attended the WAM in Dortmund where he majored in marketing and communications. Recently Edgar was nominated as one of the top 10 Emerging App Founders to Follow for inspiration in 2021.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers like to get an idea of who you are and where you came from. Can you tell us a bit about your background? Where do you come from? What are the life experiences that most shaped your current self?
I live in Mainerzhagen, Germany and I attended the WAM in Dortmund where I majored in marketing and communications. I combined my education with my interest in the history, designing and trends in sneakers to set up Grailify. Founding Grailify has been my biggest achievement and has recently led me to being nominated as one of the top 10 Emerging App Founders to Follow for inspiration in 2021. Being a CEO & Founder of Grailify, a trendy Sneaker e-store catering for fashion enthusiasts who want the most coveted brands in Sneakers and Street Wear is the realization of a childhood dream.
What do you expect to be the major disruptions for employers in the next 10–15 years? How should employers pivot to adapt to these disruptions?
The pandemic taught us that as a business we must be able to embrace change and adapt quickly. With the fast move from an office-based to a remote workforce, businesses have only just begun to settle into a model that fits them. It has been a steep learning and adaptation curve.
In the next 10 to 15 years the employees who remember the time when remote work was considered a benefit rather than the norm, will be retiring or have advanced in their career. These employees gained a significant experience and knowledge through opportunities not available to hybrid or remote teams. If businesses do not take steps to simulate the same experiences, there will be a knowledge gap of practical understanding that can reflect in their processes.
Recreating an office environment remotely which includes virtual watercooler chats, drop-ins and access to social events is essential to retain knowledge and skills within the workforce. In my experience, senior employees sharing detailed accounts of how they handled issues or why they made decisions along with what they learned, teaches the entry and mid-level staff more than most training courses.
The choice as to whether or not a young person should pursue a college degree was once a “no-brainer”. But with the existence of many high profile millionaires (and billionaires) who did not earn degrees, as well as the fact that many graduates are saddled with crushing student loan debt and unable to find jobs it has become a much more complex question. What advice would you give to young adults considering whether or not to go to college?
Whether getting a college degree is worth the time and expense is dependent on the career choice as well as personal choice. If you plan to become a doctor a degree is essential or if you don’t have a plan, then perhaps continuing your education and earning a degree is a good choice.
With technology changing at such a high pace choosing to enter the workforce early and gain hands on experience and transferable skills over earning a degree can open up more opportunities. Certainly, if you do want to start your own project then this could be best option.
Most importantly, regardless of your decision, make sure you have a plan A and plan B in place.
Despite the doom and gloom predictions, there are, and likely still will be, jobs available. How do you see job seekers having to change their approaches to finding not only employment, but employment that fits their talents and interests?
Employers have become a lot more flexible with their employees and expect that flexibility to be reciprocated. Whereas, an employee used to cover one function, in a remote or hybrid team they will need to combine their main talent with other transferrable skills and demonstrate that they can work independently.
Developing a good working knowledge of project management and communication tools plus keeping up to date with the latest developments will place them a step ahead of other candidates.
The statistics of artificial intelligence and automation eliminating millions of jobs, appears frightening to some. For example, Walmart aims to eliminate cashiers altogether and Dominos is instituting pizza delivery via driverless vehicles. How should people plan their careers such that they can hedge their bets against being replaced by automation or robots?
As AI and automation become more prominent, many companies like mine are using a number of tools to automate processes. Whether it is task management systems, or SAAS tools the automated procedures. But, even though AI makes things easier, certainly, for now, we still need people to read and evaluate data and work with AI. Therefore, taking time outside of work wherever possible to enhance your professional development and learn how to use industry-relevant AI will keep you ahead of the game.
Technological advances and pandemic restrictions hastened the move to working from home. Do you see this trend continuing? Why or why not?
The tech companies have moved at an astounding pace to develop tools to support remote working from both an employer and employee. They really have brought the office into our homes and at times we accomplish more now that when we were office-based. Combining the Tech advancements with the cost savings for businesses and the flexibility employees are benefiting from, I would say that remote work or hybrid teams are the future.
What societal changes do you foresee as necessary to support the fundamental changes to work?
With parents now working from home it is assumed that childcare is no longer an issue. Where family members had been stepping in, they may not be so eager to help when one or both parents are home-based. The understanding that when you work from home then your home is your office has to be promoted.
What changes do you think will be the most difficult for employers to accept? What changes do you think will be the most difficult for employees to accept?
Of course, there are difficulties for both employer and employee when transitioning to the remote model. Employers who have historically tracked their employees easily in their offices may find it difficult to adapt to performance-based monitoring. Office based staff often have taken for granted the level of support that was on hand. Setting up and trouble shooting your hardware can be daunting for the less tech-savvy but it is a reality of remote working.
The COVID-19 pandemic helped highlight the inadequate social safety net that many workers at all pay levels have. Is this something that you think should be addressed? In your opinion how should this be addressed?
The pandemic brought the realization that we should not take anything for granted. It certainly seemed that everyone regardless of their pay grade, faced the same uncertainly financial insecurity. This is something that needs to be addressed and a simple solution can be an employee saving fund. Encouraging employees to grow a healthy emergency fund will alleviate the stress of facing financial security again in the future.
Despite all that we have said earlier, what is your greatest source of optimism about the future of work?
The new work scape makes achieving a work-life balance a reality for most. I encourage my team to create a dedicated workspace from home, ideally a separate room that you can walk away from at the end of the day, but if not, an area where you need to pack up at the end of work such as a living area where once your kids are home from school, you won’t be able to focus. That makes it easier to put the laptop away and concentrate on family time.
The future of work opens opportunities for those who were unable to travel to the office but can now access work from their home. This benefits the individual, society and opens a new pool of talent to employers.
Historically, major disruptions to the status quo in employment, particularly disruptions that result in fewer jobs, are temporary with new jobs replacing the jobs lost. Unfortunately, there has often been a gap between the job losses and the growth of new jobs. What do you think we can do to reduce the length of this gap?
Technological advancements are key to replacing lost jobs. As more and more tools across industries become available companies will be better placed to expand. With each advancement new skills, knowledge and abilities will be needed creating more and more jobs.
Okay, wonderful. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “Top 5 Trends To Watch In the Future of Work?” (Please share a story or example for each.)
- Hybrid Teams. The move to a remote workspace was rapid and for most it has been welcomed. That said, some jobs or personalities are not suited to being fully remote. If you are working in the design field and a project requires close collaboration with colleagues, the hybrid model affords you that office time. Remote work tends to appeal most to introverted employees whereas their extraverted colleagues can feel isolated. Allowing the option to spend part of the time in the office will combat feelings of loneliness and isolation.
- Salary Equality. Typically, with remote work pay was dependent on the employee location. An employee in the USA or Europe could receive a significantly higher salary for the same work as an employee based in a country with a lower cost of living. With remote work becoming the norm and a rise in the digital nomad trend equal pay will be offered regardless of location.
- All in one tools. To work effectively remote workers and employers were reliant on multiple apps or tools. Simplifying processes and working with just one platform that handles all needs like email, calls, project management and work flow monitoring without the need for multiple logins will be a welcome move.
- Focus on Employee Wellbeing . Certainly with a hybrid team sanitization and health are a high priority but the pandemic has taught us that being compassionate to employees and colleagues is essential. Understanding an individual’s stresses and anticipating issues before they arise has become a norm. To attract and retain talent employers will prioritize employee wellbeing and offer support. Typically, when working in the remote workspace mental health is a concern as it can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. Employers offering support and actively promoting compassion within their culture as well as a transparent wellbeing program will be more attractive to talented candidates.
- Cyber security. The shift to a remote workforce where employees can work from anywhere of course carries risks. Employees handling confidential and sensitive information will require training. Typically, all employees need to understand the basics like leaving their laptop open in a shared space is simply not secure.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how this quote has shaped your perspective?
Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier. -Mother Teresa
This quote is an inspiration to me both personally and in business. Working in an industry I am passionate about I always try to inspire others and go that extra mile to make them happy.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Peter Moore, Lead Designer of Nike Jordan I. The Jordan 1 is simply iconic. Discussing its creation from concept to birth would be priceless.
ur readers often like to follow our interview subjects’ careers. How can they further follow your work online?
https://twitter.com/grailifyde
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this. We wish you continued success and good health.
About the Interviewer: Phil La Duke is a popular speaker & writer with more than 500 works in print. He has contributed to Entrepreneur, Monster, Thrive Global and is published on all inhabited continents. His first book is a visceral, no-holds-barred look at worker safety, I Know My Shoes Are Untied! Mind Your Own Business. An Iconoclast’s View of Workers’ Safety. His most recent book is Lone Gunman: Rewriting the Handbook On Workplace Violence Prevention listed as #16 on Pretty Progressive magazine’s list of 49 books that powerful women study in detail. His third book, Blood In My Pockets Is Blood On Your Hands is expected in March followed by Loving An Addict: Collateral Damage Of the Opioid Epidemic due to be released in June. Follow Phil on Twitter @philladuke or read his weekly blog www.philladuke.wordpress.com
