Work is not always synonymous with fulfillment. There is a lot of discrimination against women, men, young people, the elderly, neurodivergent people, people with disabilities, etc. The job market sometimes benefits the privileged. It is clear that within certain organizations, the strongest and most competitive reach the top of the pyramid to the detriment of team spirit and kindness. These dynamics are the ones that must disappear in this new era. Why? Because they have led us to the current job market, which must change.

Today, the values of inclusion, collaboration and innovation must take the lead. Business can no longer take precedence over human beings. Here are the seven actions I propose to initiate a humanly prosperous shift:

1. Harmonize life and work

Telework is good when it is balanced. We have talked many times about work-life balance. We have never heard of human-business balance! Instead of finding a temporary solution that allows us to work from home, study and pick up the children from daycare, we would benefit from thinking about a new way of thinking that would allow us to live and work. Here, I am not talking about balancing schedules. I am emphasizing a deeper change: harmonization. Let's stop using the word "balancing", let's talk about harmonizing our life and work!

2. Train managers on day 1

Between 50% and 75% of new managers say they lack the tools or training to properly perform their duties. In this context, mistakes are inevitable. However, these blunders risk being made to the disadvantage of employees or even the manager's quality of life. Training should not be reserved only for managers at higher levels, but for everyone. With it, managers, employees and even the company will benefit.

3. Drowning the idea of the rare pearl

While many are ardently looking for the rare pearl, some have understood that it is the ocean that shapes the pearl. Every pearl comes to life and is formed in a complete ecosystem. By wanting to look for a pearl too much, sometimes we can be closed to atypical profiles that have so much to offer.

For my part, I understood that I was hiring a person who had everything to learn from my organization. It didn't matter what his background was. However, the role of the organizational culture, my leadership and my team is to help him reveal his talents and destroy his imagined limits.

4. Take charge of our development

An unimaginable number of new professions will appear in the coming years. New skills will have to be acquired by everyone. In my opinion, it is clear that universities, government subsidies and businesses cannot be the only vehicles for developing the skills of all of Quebec. We must all work in the same direction to develop these skills. Reading, requesting training, having mentors and becoming a mentor for a colleague or a loved one are examples of practices to adopt today. Regardless of our age or level of education, we must get involved.

5. See the power of inclusion and diversity

Diversity means progress and prosperity for everyone: employees, team, companies and society. Let’s be inclusive! Let’s embrace this change now and be open to the beauty of differences. Trust me, companies that have successfully included diversity are moving forward fast, very fast, while those that resist are slowing down.

And you, how fast are you moving?

6. Support human enterprises

By choosing to work for an organization, we choose to make it grow and prosper. We contribute to its mission and sometimes unintentionally to its positive and negative impacts on people, customers and the environment. When we apply for a job, it is also the subtle choice we make. So, to change the world of work, it is about becoming aware of this reality and also, choosing a company that we want to see grow. In my eyes, finding a job is not shopping for a salary. Who do you work for?

7. Countering harassment through psychology and technology

SPOT co-founder Julia Shaw mentions in her TED Talk that 93% of harassment or discrimination occurs in the presence of witnesses. However, studies tend to show that few harassment and discrimination are reported to human resources departments. That said, encouraging victims and witnesses to report a harasser would probably not be the best way to radiate harassment in the workplace. Ms. Shaw highlights several solutions, but the one that caught my attention is to use an anonymous survey sent to employees. It should contain specific questions about clear situations. For example, have you ever seen a colleague being touched on the lower back without consent? Above all, avoid broad questions: have you witnessed harassment at work? To this question, many respondents will say no. Asking specific questions increases the chances of taking the true pulse of the situation in an organization.

If you want to discover other solutions, check out this link .

At the dawn of certain changes, it appears that it is the system that is failing. No one should point the finger; it is time for creativity and hope. I believe that, behind all the imperfections in our workplaces, there is an opportunity to progress. The few actions mentioned above are only a tiny part of the possible improvements to change our world of work. However, to succeed, we must all act, one day at a time.