The Future Podcast

The current sociological landscape is defined by a significant decline in trust toward institutions and global leadership. As a result, there is a visible shift toward localism, where individuals prioritise relationships with smaller, more tangible entities. This movement suggests that for leaders to be effective today, they must move beyond mere competence and focus on character and consultative processes that bring stakeholders along on a shared journey. In the workplace, this distrust is compounded by the complexities of ageism, which often impacts both Gen Z and Baby Boomers through different forms of bias. While younger generations seek greater agency, older generations navigate a rapidly evolving digital environment. To foster a cohesive culture, leaders must pivot from viewing diversity as a source of friction to leveraging it as a tool for innovation. By pairing the energy of youth with the wisdom of experience, organisations can move toward a model of generational cohesion that values the human element over systemic labels. Download our infographic on the different generations in the workforce: https://mccrindle.com.au/resource/infographic/worker-profiles-infographic/ Access McCrindle Plus here: https://mccrindle.com.au/mccrindle-plus/

Once upon a time people used to worry about overpopulation. Now, the opposite is happening. Australia’s birth rate has dropped to a record low, but it isn't just an Australian story, it's a global shift of a population plateau. Second, we explore the "Retention Revolution." With Gen Z now averaging 18 jobs across 6 careers, the traditional leadership pipeline is breaking. How do you lead a team when the average tenure is shorter than ever?

To lead well into the future, we must first understand the pulse of the present. This year, we’re doing things differently at The Future Report, intersecting McCrindle’s latest research with the current events shaping our world. Join Sophie Renton and Geoff Brailey as they explore the defining trends of 2026. They discuss the ‘Personality Premium’ and the growing need for authentic, human-centred leadership in an era of declining institutional trust. They also tackle the complex narrative of ‘Hope Under Strain' looking at how Australians are navigating housing stress and global unrest with a tempered but persistent optimism. This episode provides the stats and reflections you need to future-proof your organisation.

Although we’re futurists by trade, we know that the future only makes sense when it’s grounded in the past. Looking back gives us context, clarity, and some really useful clues about what might lie ahead. To wrap up season 17 (and 2025!), our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle’s Managing Director, Sophie Renton, to reflect on the year that’s been - the moments, movements, and megatrends that have shaped it.

Each year at McCrindle, we release our trends of the year predictions - the trends that we think will shape the year ahead. From demographic, to technological and social trends, it’s a fascinating look into the future. In this week's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle’s Founder and Principal, Mark McCrindle, to discuss these trends.

The conversation about diversity often focuses on gender, culture, or background - but not always on age. Yet ageism - whether directed at younger people seen as “too inexperienced” or older people seen as “past their prime” - can limit innovation, collaboration, and opportunities. In this week's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle’s Managing Director, Sophie Renton, to unpack what ageism really looks like, how it impacts individuals and organisations, and what we can do to create truly age-inclusive communities.

Gen Z, aged in their late teens and 20s today, already comprise more than a quarter of the global workforce. But many people don’t know how to engage, attract, recruit and retain this emerging generation. In this week's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle’s Director of Solutions, Geoff Brailey, to discuss Gen Z at work.

Artificial Intelligence is transforming how we work, learn, create, and even connect. But like every major shift before it, this one raises as many questions as it does opportunities. How do we use AI to enhance human potential rather than replace it? What skills will matter most in a world of intelligent machines? And what does leadership look like in an era where data canthink? In this week's episode, our podcast producer, Holly Schaaf, sits down with McCrindle's Director of Advisory and Future Report host, Ashley Fell, to discuss the AI revolution.

The dynamic between schools and families is becoming increasingly complex. Why? Because new generations of parents are coming through and bringing with them new communication styles, expectations and values. So how can schools respond? In this week's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle's Managing Director, Sophie Renton, to share some insights into engaging the next generation of school parents.

We often hear people from different age groups claim they had it tougher than the rest - from rising costs to housing pressures, each generation argues their struggle is unique. But what does the data actually say? In this week's episode, our podcast producer, Holly Schaaf, sits down with social researcher and generational expert, Ashley Fell, to dig into some of McCrindle’s recent generational analysis: comparing Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z on income, housing affordability, inflation, technology access, and more.

Language is always evolving - and for Generation Alpha, who are growing up fully immersed in digital culture, slang is more than just words. It’s a way of connecting, creating identity, and signalling belonging online and offline. From TikTok trends to schoolyard lingo, Gen Alpha has a whole vocabulary that might leave older generations scratching their heads - and sometimes even Gen Z a little confused! In this week's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with two of McCrindle's Gen Z team members, Holly Schaaf and Luke Davies, to help decode this generation and their slang.

From streaming platforms and meal kits to beauty boxes and even pet food deliveries - it seems there’s a subscription for just about everything. But what’s driving this shift from ownership to access? And why are some generations more on board than others? To kick off season 17, our podcast producer, Holly Schaaf, sits down with podcast host and Director of Advisory at McCrindle, Ashley Fell, to unpack McCrindle’s latest insights on the subscription economy.

Gen Alpha are the most materially endowed generation ever, the most technologically savvy generation ever and they will enjoy a longer life span than any previous generation. They will stay in education longer, start their earning years later and stay at home with their parents later than even Gen Z and Gen Y who went before them. They are clearly an important generation to understand! To wrap up season 16, our podcast producer, Holly Schaaf, sits down with McCrindle's Director of Advisory, Ashley Fell, and McCrindle's Marketing and Insights Strategist, Luke Davies, to discuss recent research we were involved with on how Gen Alpha learn, spend and see the future.

The education sector sits at the heart of so many communities. And yet they're facing a lot of change. From generational to demographic and technological - all these trends are shaping the future of education. In this week's episode, our podcast producer, Holly Schaaf, sits down with McCrindle's Director of Advisory and podcast host, Ashley Fell, to talk about how thriving schools stay ahead of change.

Consumer behaviour is always changing, and brand managers probably wish it was simple to understand and respond to. But, it’s a bit more complex than that. That’s why we made the focus of our recent consumer insights report about the megatrends shaping the consumer landscape – framed through paradoxes. In this week's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle’s Managing Director, Sophie Renton, to explore what’s shaping the future consumer.

As you may have heard, we recently celebrated 20 years as a business here at McCrindle! It’s an exciting milestone, and we’re fortunate to have team members who've been part of the journey for over 12 years now (and counting!). In this week's episode, our podcast producer, Holly Schaaf, sits down with McCrindle's longest standing employees - Creative Director Ben Duffin and Director of Advisory Ashley Fell - to share stories and reflections from their time here.

Since the dawn of time, humans have told stories. Around campfires, in books, through film, and now, in business and data. But why? Because stories connect us. And when told well, they make ideas stick, bring data to life, and inspire action. In this week's episode, our podcast producer, Holly Schaaf, sits down with Future Report host and Director of Advisory at McCrindle, Ashley Fell, to talk about the power of storytelling in a digital era.

Attracting and retaining great people in an organisation is no easy feat. A key part of thriving organisations is the people who work for them, how engaged they are in their work, and whether or not they feel part of the culture of their organisation. But what is culture? It can be hard to define and even harder to measure. That is why we developed a cultural health index. In this week's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle’s Managing Director, Sophie Renton, to discuss building tomorrow’s teams and learnings from our cultural health index.

You might know McCrindle for our research, our infographics, or our keynote presentations. Well, this year we’re celebrating something pretty special - 20 years since McCrindle was founded! In this week's episode, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle's Principal and Founder, Mark McCrindle, to reflect on two decades of trends, team, and transformation. We're exploring where it all began, the big turning points along the way, and what’s next for our team and the future. And to help tell the story, we’ve invited a few familiar voices to join us - you’ll hear some special messages from members of the McCrindle team as they share their favourite memories, moments, and milestones. So whether you’ve been following our journey for years or have just discovered our work, we’re so glad you’re here for this special celebration episode of The Future Report!

You might be thinking a lot can change in 10 years. Or, you might feel like nothing really does! But when you zoom out and look at the data, you’ll find we’re already on the edge of enormous transformation. From population milestones to Olympic moments, retirement waves to airport megaprojects, the 2030s is set to be anything but boring. At McCrindle, we’ve been mapping these shifts for decades. And while we’re known for our generational research, we’re also deeply invested in understanding how cities evolve, how demographics shift, and how emerging trends reshape society. To kick off season 16, our host, Ashley Fell, sits down with McCrindle’s Director of Solutions, Geoff Brailey, to break down 10 trends that will shape the next 10 years of Australian life - from the rise of Gen Beta to the race between Sydney and Melbourne, and the infrastructure boom in between.