The Future Report

Every generation has different characteristics.

They have different motivators, preferences, and ways of engaging with companies.

Learning about these is vital for organisations to remain relevant for the future.

This is especially the case for not-for-profits and charities, who rely on donors and supporters to continue to do great work in our communities.

Our latest report about the not-for-profit sector is all about this and understanding donors. It looks to the future by analysing each generation and revealing insights about what motivates them to engage.

In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle's Managing Director, Sophie Renton, to discuss the insights from this report and its implications for leaders and decision-makers in the philanthropic space.

Australia has long been blessed with stable governments, high-functioning democracy, and the rule of law.

However, what actively enables the flourishing of our society is not just government and its agencies, or even our local communities, but the for-purpose sector.

While the retail sector facilitates vitally needed communities of interaction, and our diverse local suburbs for many are communities of belonging, it is the charities and non-profits that build communities of purpose.

These for-purpose organisations are defined by three factors which distinguish them from business, retail, or local communities: they are problem focused, outward orientated, and action driven.

This is why Australians, even in this era of declining trust in institutions, continue to hold charities in high regard.

In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with social researcher and futurist, Mark McCrindle, to discuss the insights from our latest report about the future of the not-for-profit sector.

According to a recent study, the average amount of time that an employee stays in one job is now down to two years and nine months.

This means that for a school leaver today, who will live longer and work later into their life, we predict that they will have 18 jobs, across 6 careers, in their lifetime.

Now when we share this forecast, sometimes people audibly gasp in shock. And that’s understandable, because it is a big figure and it has some big implications - for both the employee and the employer.

In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with social researcher and futurist, Mark McCrindle, to discuss this trend and the future of careers.

Generation Z describes those born between the years of 1995 and 2009. That places them in their late teens and twenties, today.

People in this life stage are often viewed as a bit of an enigma by other generations – particularly those older than them.

They wear different fashions, they listen to different music and at times it can feel like they speak a different language.

While their age does play a role in some of these generational traits, we believe it is a mistake to view generational characteristics as merely a life stage, or fad that people will outgrow as they age.

Because generations do not change over time to look identical to how their parents looked at the same age.

Rather, a generation is a product of their current age, their times, and importantly the formative technologies and social markers that uniquely shaped them.

In many ways, people resemble their times more than they resemble their parents.

In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down to discuss some characteristics of this cohort with two of her Gen Z colleagues, Holly Schaaf and Luke Davies.

It is undisputed that the world of work is undergoing a massive transformation.

From artificial intelligence to robotics and automation, what humans currently do and what we will be doing for work in the future is changing.

Yet, it is not only technological shifts that are having big impacts on the workforce. Although they redefine our world, social and demographic changes also have profound implications for our future.

One of the key definers of our 21st-century workplaces is diversity. There are more women in the workforce now than there has ever been due to redefined life stages, the cost of living, and advances in gender roles.

Additionally, workplaces are now increasingly generationally and culturally diverse.

Workers expect their organisations to reflect the broader society they operate in, which is particularly true for the emerging Generation Z’s, who have been shaped in an era of great cultural and gender diversity.

In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle's Managing Director, Sophie Renton, to chat about effectively leading teams in these changing times.

As futurists, we study trends and factors that impact the future.

However, futurists are not crystal ball gazers.

We don’t just make wild predictions of what the future might be. Rather, we gather evidence and extrapolate the trends that are set to shape the years ahead.

Businesses and consumers have encountered huge amounts of change in the last few years and this doesn’t appear to be slowing down in 2023.

We believe that by observing the demographic shifts, social trends and technological advancements that have shaped the past, we can make informed predictions about the trends set to shape the year ahead.

In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with social researcher and Director of Solutions at McCrindle, Geoff Brailey, to chat through what we predict are the top 8 trends shaping 2023.

It is true that over the last decade, Artificial Intelligence has been increasingly applied to our everyday lives.

Artificial Intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems.

One of our trend predictions for 2023 has been Humanit-AI, where we predict that humans and machines will increasingly work closely with one another, and continue to be integrated.

A big indicator of this trend has been the widespread use of ChatGPT, and in particular, the discussion of how it will change aspects of the education sector.

In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle's Data Scientist, Mike Abecina, to chat about ChatGPT and the impact of AI on the future of education.

Happy 2023 and welcome to another season of The Future Report podcast!

We are delighted that you have joined us again for more insightful discussions around trends and the future.

In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with social researcher and futurist, Mark McCrindle, to explore how we can go about understanding, interpreting, and even strategically leveraging the trends that are happening all around us today.

If you can believe it, Christmas is upon us and we are about to say goodbye to another year.

As we look ahead to the future, it’s also a worthwhile endeavour to look back at the year that was.

From demographic changes to political events. From social trends to consumer shifts and technology trends. We’re discussing some of the most memorable societal events from 2022 in this episode, with McCrindle’s managing director, Sophie Renton.

Generations.

Always such a fun topic for us to discuss.

Why?

Because everyone belongs to one.

There are various generations intermingling in our workplaces and communities, so understanding the unique perspectives of each one is vital.

It was George Orwell who said, ‘Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.’

In today’s episode, our Gen Y host, Ashley fell, sits down with a Gen Z, Steph Razey, and a Gen X, Mike Abecina, to discuss their generational differences.