Last week, Chris Clark, the CEO and president of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce spoke in Troup County at our local chamber’s Early Bird Breakfast.

Clark gave a presentation, focusing on the future of Georgia, and it was not only incredibly informative but also refreshing. Typically, these type of discussions turn into a chance to highlight all that Georgia is doing right, especially if a politician is at the microphone.

Clark, who rightly described his position as “business-partisan,” meaning he’s going to back whatever is good for the state’s business climate, focused on the future of Georgia and the future of the world in general. 

The presentation showed countless areas the state needs to improve if it wants to keep the distinction of one of the best in the United States to do business. 

Some of the information presented was scary and eye-opening. 

Some of the highlights included a changing job climate where millennials make up roughly three-fourths of the workforce. With that change comes a newfound thinking, where employees are asking for four-day workweeks, paternity leave and the ability to work multiple jobs. Health insurance and other benefits matter more than ever.

And while some of these ideas are foreign for most of us, Clark said the companies who adapt will be in position to succeed, while those who don’t will be left behind.

The most eye-opening stat that Clark used was that future employees — the students in schools now — will be applying to jobs that mostly don’t exist today. He said 65 percent of the jobs they’ll be applying for aren’t even created yet.

He used the example of a drone pilot, which would’ve been a laughable idea for employment a few years ago. 

A few other highlights included that the average Georgian will be connected to the internet via 26 devices within the next five years. Maybe that means everyone will have multiple phones, laptops and iPads, or maybe there will be more technology that we just can’t live without. It’s easy to get that number when you consider cars, refrigerators and speakers are all connected to the internet already.

We’re sure business leaders in Troup County learned a lot from Clark’s presentation. If there’s anything to take away, it’s that the world is changing constantly and the battle to keep pace remains as difficult as ever.

Is your company ready for the future?