During the last decade, the workspace has undergone dramatic change but it pales in comparison to how new organisational structures will impact the work environment as we move towards 2020.
Our ways of working have changed as many societies become wealthier, as consumers demand new types of products and services and as we constantly seek to increase productivity.
There are four megatrends, which will have a profound impact on how we work:
1. The rise of mobile knowledge workers
A knowledge worker uses research skills to define a problem, identify possible solutions, communicate this information and then works on one or several of these possible solutions. The rise of knowledge workers sets new requirements for office design. Knowledge work is flexible, and knowledge workers are far more likely than other types of workers to work from home and be more mobile.
The design of the work environment must be adapted to specific work needs as well as suit personal preferences.
2. The burst of new technology
For more than 30 years, IT and mobile advancements have had a profound influence on how we work and it’s likely this exponential advance will continue. A few emerging technologies are already so advanced that it is possible to gauge their future influence. For example, the Internet of Things, a connected network of physical devices, can connect and exchange data, resulting in efficiency improvements, economic benefits, and reduced human efforts. Real-time speech recognition and translation will support easier communications between different language speakers and Big Data will allow companies to recognise patterns and make better decisions.
3. From Generation X to Generation Y
Generation X describes people born from the early 60s to the early 80s, many of whom hold now senior and work-influential positions in society today. Generation Y often referred to as millennials, represent the generation that followed Generation X.
Looking ahead to understand how our ways of working will change, it is necessary to understand what Generation Y need from their workplace, what their characteristics are like and how differently they see the world. For example, millennials tend to be more family-centric which means they are willing to trade higher pay for a better work-life balance. They are also the most tech-savvy generation which makes remote work possible, even desirable. They are achievement orientated and seek frequent new challenges.
4. Globalisation and the pressure to perform
Globalisation affects how we work in at least two ways. Firstly, there is a now a larger, global talent pool available which means talent is more geographically dispersed and culturally diverse.
As we head towards 2020, people will increasingly work with co-workers they have never met before.
Secondly, globalisation increases the pressure to perform. Previously companies could produce goods and have a secure home market with limited competition. Now many products are sold at similar or more cost-effective prices with the same or better service, and innovation is copied by competitors within weeks. This puts the question of whether work or services should be outsourced to other countries on the strategic agenda of any corporation.
Isla Galloway-Gaul is the Managing Director of Inspiration Office.
