The Evolving Workforce: Preparing for Tomorrow, Today

We're witnessing something remarkable in the world of work with changes that aren't coming in predictable waves anymore. They're happening simultaneously, pulling in different directions and demanding different solutions. For public sector organisations and educational institutions, this complexity presents both a challenge and an opportunity.

At Dovetail & Slate, we work with councils, colleges, schools and public sector organisation every day and witness the pressures they're facing and we understand what keeps recruitment teams awake at night. The truth is, the workforce you needed five years ago looks nothing like the workforce you need today. And the workforce you'll need in five years? That's changing already.

The Forces Reshaping Work

Technology is Changing Everything (Yes, Including Your Role)

Let's start with the elephant in the room. Artificial intelligence isn't just transforming tech companies anymore but it is reshaping how schools manage admissions, how councils process planning applications and how colleges design learning pathways. The roles that rely purely on repetitive tasks are evolving and the people in those roles need to evolve with them.

What's often missed in the conversation is that technology doesn't replace good people, it purely changes what good people do. The finance officer who once spent hours on data entry is now using that time to provide strategic insights. The teaching assistant who managed attendance spreadsheets is now focusing on learner wellbeing. The question isn't whether these roles will exist, but what shape they'll take.

Demographics Are Creating New Challenges

We're managing, for the first time in history, five generations in the workplace simultaneously. Baby boomers are working longer, bringing decades of institutional knowledge. Gen Z are entering the workforce with completely different expectations around flexibility, purpose and career progression. And everyone in between is trying to figure out where they fit.

In public sector and education, this creates unique tensions. Organisations that pride themselves on tradition and stability must also innovate and adapt. Long-serving staff members see ways of working change dramatically. New recruits arrive expecting hybrid working, rapid career development and technology-enabled processes. Both perspectives are valid and both need to be accommodated.

Skills Gaps Are Widening

The skills shortages in education and public sector aren't new, but they're becoming more acute. We're not just struggling to fill construction teacher roles or find qualified social workers but we're facing gaps in digital skills across almost every function from data analysis to digital communication. These were once specialist skills, now they're standard requirements.

Many organisations don't even know the full extent of their skills gaps. Whilst they know they need to recruit, they're not always clear on what specific capabilities are missing, or which existing staff could be upskilled to fill those gaps.

What This Means for Your Organisation

Recruitment is Only Part of the Answer

For too long, the default response to workforce challenges has been to recruit. Can't find someone with the right skills? Advertise the role. Losing experienced staff? Hire replacements. But in today's market, this approach isn't working like it used to.

The talent pool is competitive. Candidates have options. The person with digital capabilities you need could work for a tech company, a consulting firm or a competitor organisation. Public sector salaries, whilst offering security and benefits, don't always compete on headline figures. This means recruitment strategies need to get smarter. They need to focus on the complete offer: purpose, impact, development opportunities, flexibility and culture.

Retention Requires Investment

It's cheaper to keep a good person than to replace them. Everyone knows this, but not everyone acts on it. Retention in 2026 requires active investment in people's development, their wellbeing and their career progression. It requires conversations about where people want to go, not just what you need them to do today.

Whilst for public sector organisations, this can feel at odds with budgetary constraints, the cost of constant recruitment, onboarding and lost productivity when experienced people leave far outweighs the investment in keeping them engaged and developing.

Flexibility Isn't Negotiable Anymore

Hybrid working, flexible hours, compressed weeks, job shares aren't perks anymore, they're expectations for a growing proportion of the workforce. Organisations that insist on five days in the office without clear justification will struggle to attract and retain talent.

This doesn't mean however abandoning the workplace entirely. Schools need teachers present. Care teams need to be on-site. But where flexibility is possible, it needs to be offered. And where it isn't, organisations need to be crystal clear about why and what they're offering instead.

How to Start Preparing Today

Map Your Current Workforce

You can't plan for tomorrow if you don't understand today. Who do you have? What skills do they bring? Where are the gaps? Where are the concentrations of experience that might retire in the next five years? This isn't about spreadsheets for the sake of it. It's about honest, strategic workforce planning.

Create Meaningful Development Pathways

Career development used to mean climbing a ladder. Now it's more like a climbing wall, with multiple routes to the top and sideways moves that make sense. People want to grow, but they don't all want to manage teams. Some want to become technical specialists. Some want broader responsibilities. Some want to move between roles to build diverse experience.

Give people options, create pathways, make development visible and accessible and show people what they could become if they stay and invest in your organisation.

Build Digital Confidence Across the Board

Digital skills aren't just for IT teams anymore but for everyone. From the receptionist using scheduling systems to the senior leader presenting data to councillors, digital confidence is essential. This doesn't mean everyone needs to code. It means everyone needs to feel comfortable with the technology that powers their role.

Invest in training and not simply just the mandatory compliance stuff, but real skills development that makes people more effective and more confident. Use frameworks like Jisc's Digital Capability Framework to identify what people need and measure progress.

Embrace Flexibility (Where You Can)

Be honest about where flexibility is possible and where it isn't. For roles that can be done remotely or flexibly, create clear policies that support this. For roles that genuinely require on-site presence, be transparent about why and ensure you're offering other forms of flexibility where possible.

Partner with Specialists Who Understand Your Sector

Specialist recruitment partners can help you build workforce strategies. by understanding your constraints, your opportunities and your talent market. They know what candidates in your sector are looking for and what will make your organisation stand out.

At Dovetail & Slate, we don't just fill vacancies. We help organisations think strategically about their workforce challenges. We understand that a Band 6 role in a local authority needs different positioning than a curriculum manager role in FE. We know the questions candidates ask and the concerns that keep hiring managers up at night.

The Future is Already Here

Here's what we know for certain: the workforce will keep evolving. Technology will become more integrated. Generational expectations will keep shifting. Skills requirements will continue to change. Organisations that wait for things to stabilise will be waiting forever.

But here's what we also know: organisations that invest in their people, plan strategically and adapt thoughtfully will thrive. The public sector and education institutions that embrace change whilst staying true to their core purpose will attract and retain the talent they need.

The question isn't whether your workforce needs to evolve. The question is whether you're ready to lead that evolution or simply react to it.