Jumping over the hurdles to reimagine the future of work 

THE business software group SAP launched its Future of Work strategy in 2021 based on a belief that there was not only a strategic imperative to ensure that the company remained an attractive employer, but a conviction that it would help to drive transformation and create business opportunities. 

“At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was suddenly a huge focus of attention on how we would like to work, not only during the pandemic but afterwards too,” said the company’s Chief Future of Work Officer Christian Schmeichel in a discussion with Anand Narasimhan. “And as part of that discussion, the executive board decided that there was not just a strategic imperative that SAP needed to get this right for business purposes, but also a strategic opportunity to take things to the next level at SAP and to differentiate ourselves in the labor market.”  

His appointment to this newly created position made SAP one of just a handful of companies with someone managing the…