The rise of mega-companies and micro-entrepreneurs will have a real impact on recruitment in the future, according to Professor Lynda Gratton.

Speaking to Recruiter at the latest Future of Work (FoW) Consortium in London, where 80 executives from around the world met to discuss the risks that companies face in preparing for the future, Gratton explained that the trend is for more people wanting to work on their own or in small teams.

“Companies such as US-based oDesk [a marketplace for online workteams] will act as an agent for the individual and will contract with companies after evaluating individuals - like a virtual agent,” she predicted.

The FoW research has found that, with technological capability increasing exponentially and the cost of computers and other devices falling, plus the increase in access to education through the internet for young people in emerging economies, organisations will rely much more on virtual teams - ’industrial ecosystems’ - to drive their business forward.

“In Rwanda, for example, there is a project to give a hand-held computer to every child,” she said. “We can’t always go to the same old places to find talent - the talent pool is getting wider.”

Gratton also said that the main insights from the research thus far showed that HR was focusing on “old-fashioned stuff”. She explained: “HR practitioners are not focusing on what makes a difference, but rather are focusing on traditional issues such as rewards, which are not crucial for the future.

“As a consequence, too much energy and resources are spent on areas that are not crucial for the future, while areas like ’Deep collaboration’ and ’Open innovation’, are under-invested in.”