The Workplace of the Future, Preparing Your Business for 2030
If there is anything that the past decades have taught us, it is that the ability to adapt to emerging trends and global circumstances can either catapult a company to the peaks of success, or bring it crashing down to the ground. We have all witnessed Nokia being brought to its knees, as well as Zoom reaching a $40 billion valuation. The key factor that made this difference? Adaptability.
As a forward-thinking recruitment agency, it is our business to stay on top of trends and make them visible so that businesses can evolve their strategies to thrive in the workplace of the future. That is why we have scoured through the Future of the Workplace 2030+ report prepared by Unily, a global digital solutions giant, and present it to you in a digestible and value-added form.
The report draws from knowledge found in research and white papers, and from the experience of thought leaders like Seth Godin. It examines what the general workplace will look like in 2030 with a special emphasis on cultural elements and employee-centered design. So, Let’s take a dive into its findings by going over the four key aspects of the workplace of 2030!
The Emotional Workplace
The emotional aspect deals with factors like culture, productivity, and well-being. It asks several key questions: How do the employees feel while working for the company? Are they utilizing their full potential? Are they able to take care of their mental and physical health along the way?
The report posits that the workplace of 2030 will be built around a solid bottoms-up culture that is guided by a strong set of values and a vision from the leadership that is beyond just making profits and boosting productivity. With an increase in fluid employment, i.e. more people working on a contractual and freelance basis, companies will have to double down on how its employees communicate and collaborate so that a sense of community can be established quickly.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted personalized help will become a norm. The AI will help out in routine administrative tasks and take away the ‘clutter’ from work and headspace to allow employees to focus better on their core responsibilities. It will also learn the individual working patterns of each employee and suggest ways to collaborate with others and advise timely nutritional boosts and rest breaks from work.
We already have examples of companies that have made significant leaps in this direction. One such company is Google, where employees report high job satisfaction because of how Google supports them. Every meal they have while at work is free of cost, they receive education and tuition subsidies, and have an on-premises gym to workout whenever they want. This will increasingly become the reality of most workplaces of tomorrow.
The Physical Workplace
The questions to ask regarding the physical workplace of 2030 are: where will employees work? and Does the physical (or digital) space facilitate them to work better?
The current covid-19 outbreak has shown many companies a reality that is here to stay: work from home is not just possible, it can also lead to greater productivity gains. Therefore, the workplace of tomorrow will have to be designed around this consideration – the focus will be on having liquid offices that combine the best parts of both physical and digital collaboration. Corporate head offices will transition from being statements of power to ‘a social hub for unique employee experiences, cultural cohesion, and values sharing’, as stated in the report.
Another key emphasis will be on sustainable design – one that does not harm the environment. Offices will be built using green and recycled materials and will try as much as possible to replicate the sights, sounds, and smells of natural landscapes. This will further aid in employee well-being, making up for the huge amount of time spent indoors. Pfizer, the pharmaceuticals giant, has already made strides to achieve this. They are investing heavily into getting their energy from solar power, and constructing buildings using recycled materials.
As with everything else, technology will assist in many ways. Smart noise cancellation so that everyone can focus, smart textiles that change color based on mood, an AR/VR-augmented room where meetings can take place on the surface of Mars, and a whole host of other enhancements will be a common feature in the workplace of 2030.
The Technological Workplace
Technology has quite rapidly infiltrated and changed our lives, launching the most innovative companies to the top of the global corporate ladder. It is clear that this trend will only grow – those that can innovate and develop new ways of doing things will get to the top. That is why the technological aspect asks the question: Is the company able to come up with new ideas and swiftly de-risk and implement them?
An important innovative feature of the workplace of 2030 will be the approach of companies towards human resources. Instead of old employees retiring and disappearing with all of their hard-earned experience, they will be brought back into the system as mentors and coaches who will transfer their wisdom and experiences to the younger generations, minimizing the waste of value.
Companies will also seek autonomy in the innovation process by developing the capacity to ideate, prototype, and then scale brilliant innovative ideas. The workplace will function as both a business school and a start-up incubator, and employees will pursue their innovative projects through internal ‘venture capital’ funding.
Ultimately, what will matter most is fostering a culture where learning is embraced and welcomed through personalized (using smart AI) and bite-sized learning. Employees will need to have the ability to quickly shift their focus and start learning new things when situations demand, and this will make sure the workplace of 2030 does not meet the same fate as Nokia.
The Purposeful Workplace
The 21st century has been characterized by a growing youth that cares deeply about social and environmental issues, and about having a purpose in life. There is no doubt that they will bring the same attitudes to the workplace, and this is why the purposeful aspect focuses on one primary question: does the company have a net positive impact on society?
The workplace of 2030 will require companies to be purpose-driven rather than solely profit-driven. As more people from Gen Z begin to enter the workforce, they will leverage social media platforms and their collective voice to hold organizations accountable and require them to walk the talk. They will prefer jobs that have a strong positive purpose to jobs that just pay very well. In light of this, companies will have to reconsider and re-formulate their long-term strategies to stand for something bigger than its services and products.
The case of CVS Health happens to be an inspirational example in this regard. Previously named CVS Pharmacy, it completely stopped selling tobacco-based products in its stores in 2014 owing to growing health concerns regarding the use of the substance. Initially, it had to bear a $2 billion reduction in annual revenue, but after rebranding as CVS Health, it made back more than what it lost by centering its strategy on a strong purpose. A lot more companies will have to follow the example of CVS Health and focus their corporate strategy on a purpose that brings a positive impact on the general society, if they want to survive in the workplace of 2030.
The workplace of the future will not have any space for ‘command-and-control’ style hierarchies either. Driven by a strong sense of purpose, individual teams and networks will take responsibility for major decisions, with the leadership mentoring the teams and maintaining focus on the big picture.
The workplace of the future will be quite different from the status quo we enjoy right now. Businesses need to formulate concrete plans to begin transforming into the workplace of 2030, and they will only be able to achieve this if they focus their energies in building tech-driven and human-centered cultures headed by purposeful and visionary leadership, as culture and leadership are the most important aspects of a sustainable business.
If you are looking for support on how to prepare your business for 2030, and looking to find the skilled talent which are best suited to the unique culture of your workplace, Segen can work with you personally to create recruitment-based solutions designed to help your business innovate and grow