Shaping the future of employment together

How do you create a shared direction for employment practices across multiple autonomous organisations, while allowing each to retain its own context and responsibilities?

We helped member organisations from several public sector partnerships look ahead together to the future of employment. One of the driving factors was the need to take a more strategic approach to future collective bargaining negotiations, while also looking further ahead: what do developments in the labour market, the nature of work and society mean for us as employers?

The ambition was to develop a strategic framework that went beyond individual policies and current terms and conditions of employment. The aim was to establish a shared direction that provides clarity where needed, while deliberately leaving room for individual choices where different circumstances call for them.

We designed and guided a process that brought together in-depth exploration, strategic choices and shared ownership. Working with HR leaders, strategists, executives and other stakeholders from the different organisations, we identified key trends, developments and human capital challenges, and explored what they mean for the future of employment.

We then brought the key tensions to the surface. What do we want to organise together, and what can we realistically achieve? Where does a shared approach make individual employers stronger? And where do we need to leave room for differences? Rather than jumping straight to solutions, we created space for a more meaningful conversation about the principles and choices that should shape employment practices for the future.

Through a series of in-depth sessions, we brought together different perspectives: those of HR, subject matter experts, line managers and employees. We regularly tested and refined the emerging ideas and findings. This meant that, throughout the process, we built not only a clearer shared direction, but also a stronger sense of ownership across the organisations.

The result was a shared vision and strategic direction for the future of employment. A framework that helps shape future collective bargaining discussions as well as broader human capital challenges, such as employability, development, leadership, employer positioning in the labour market and the future of work.

Just as importantly, the organisations gained clarity on what they wanted to tackle together and where they needed to leave room for individual choices. Rather than a one-size-fits-all blueprint, they now have a shared compass they can put to work in boardroom discussions, preparations for collective bargaining negotiations and the further development of employment practices and HR policies.