The Future Report

Choosing a name for your child is a huge decision! It’s very personal, and with more naming options than ever before, it can be hard. Analysing baby names over time also paints a fascinating snapshot of that era. While the Builders generation (born before 1945) chose traditional names such as Peter, Paul, John, Karen, Jennifer or Sharon for their children, in the 1980s, we saw Baby Boomer and Gen X parents begin to draw on baby name books for inspiration and trends. Meanwhile today’s parents, Generation Y (also known as the Millennials), are not only choosing new and different names, but they are also parenting a new and unique generation – Generation Alpha. At McCrindle we have the privilege of gathering the top baby names and compiling the top 100 list. We have just released our 2023 baby names report, and there are some interesting naming trends that Gen Y parents are drawing on for their Generation Alpha children. In today's episode, we are mixing things up a bit! As Ashley Fell is the key media spokesperson for this research and its insights, this episode is hosted by our podcast producer, Holly Schaaf, who sits down with Ashley to discuss the top baby names of 2023.

Like many other aspects of society, marketing has changed over time. Cutting-edge technologies are changing how organisations connect with consumers.   But it's not just about technology - there is also the human side of marketing, and how consumers have changed over time. All of this is reshaping the landscape as we know it. In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle's Marketing Executive, Luke Davies, to discuss the future of marketing.

Economic uncertainty, the rising cost of living, and rising interest rates are having impacts on Australians, as well as the "recessionette" environment that we find ourselves in. Despite these tough times, people still have financial dreams, goals and aspirations. In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with social researcher and futurist, Mark McCrindle, to discuss some key findings from the recent research we have conducted for our client, Insignia Financial.

Never in the history of the world has education been more accessible, more flexible, and more vulnerable to disruption. That’s why, in the latest instalment of our future of education study, we chose to not only identify these disrupters to the future of education, but also the unique opportunities that flow from them, so that we can all play a part in equipping students to thrive in this changing world. By hearing from 500 teachers on the frontlines and delving deeper with key educational thought leaders, this research offers some clarity in this ambiguity of changes and trends. It is our hope that this research will help this noble profession continue to be a resilient, responsive, and relational one. In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle’s Managing Director and key author of this report, Sophie Renton, for part two of exploring disruptors to the future of education.

The waves of change impacting the education sector are perhaps unparalleled. There are the demographic trends of new generations entering the classroom, combined with the challenges of attracting and retaining younger staff, technological transformations, social changes, funding challenges, global influences, empowered parents (and students) and the growing expectation of holistic student development as well as an ongoing transition to the new world of work. This is why, each year, McCrindle conducts a sector-wide study about the trends impacting the education sector so we can better understand them. Seeing as we just released this research, we thought we would discuss some of these fascinating insights across two episodes of the podcast. For part one, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle's Managing Director and key author of this report, Sophie Renton, to discuss some significant disruptors impacting the future of education.

Although it seems like Artificial Intelligence has only been on our radar for the last couple of years, it has in fact been something talked about and considered for decades. In recent years, AI has been utilised in the background, but now with it becoming more accessible and its use widespread, what does it mean for the way humans work and the type of work they will do in the future? It’s an important question not just for those beginning their careers, but all of us in the workforce. In today's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle's Data Scientist, Mike Abecina, to chat about how AI will impact jobs of the future.

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.