Why Words Matter: A Future of Work Terminology Guide

This IDC Perspective looks at both vendors and end-user organizations that can benefit from understanding the main definitions that could be involved in the Future of Work (FoW) terminology. The future of work is an enterprisewide imperative driven by senior executives and executive boards. It requires cross-functional leadership to establish the organizational readiness, policy readiness, and IT readiness needed to support hybrid work. Understanding the terminology can help readers evaluate whether similar components can be seen in their own future of work concepts, plans, and deployments. It should be used by readers to understand the structure, trends, and most talked about terms in the industry.Organizations are focused on the business and its mission. Employees work toward the organization's mission using a set of modern, modular, and intelligent technologies to gain more insights, make better decisions, and enhance the organization's performance. "As businesses and workers alike adapt to work transformation changes, it is important to stay abreast of the latest trends and developments in FoW terminology and use this knowledge to inform strategic decision making and workforce planning," says Anu Mehta, Senior Research Analyst at IDC.