Interview with Authority Magazine
We met with writer Phil La Duke for an in-depth talk with Authority Magazine for their interview series “The Top Five Trends to Watch In the Future of Work.” A collection of heart-to-heart discussions with successful leaders in business, government, and labor on the future of the workplace concerning significant disruptions in recent years that could change the way we work.
Co-founder, Robert Jönsson, was honored to share his insights and predictions on the subject. In this blog post, we highlight his top five trends to watch in the future of work.
TOP FIVE TRENDS TO WATCH IN THE FUTURE OF WORK
1) REMOTE WORK
It will be interesting to see how companies handle their staff working remotely if/when the pandemic subsides. Do employers allow this trend to continue, or does it slowly die off? It will be very interesting to follow.
2) MORE MEETING AND COLLABORATIVE SPACES IN THE WORKPLACE
We are seeing a lot of businesses transition away from the ‘landscape office’ of rows and rows of desking all crammed together. Staff can work from home now if they need to do focus work. The office will likely transition to more of a central meeting place to build culture and work on collaborative group projects.
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3) COMPETITION TO ATTRACT TOP TALENT
I think HR policies for companies will adapt to attract top talent. We are especially seeing this within the tech sector, where prior to the pandemic, companies were offering onsite catering, childcare, etc. But now, even more than amenities, HR policies governing how, when, and where staff can work may force an arms race to attract top talent. I think this would be a positive trend that could empower employees.
4) INCREASED OWNERSHIP OF SUPPLY CHAINS
I’m not sure if this trend relates to the future of work per se, but I do think it will be a very strong trend. A lot of firms got caught off guard with issues sourcing materials for their production — whether that be semiconductors (auto industry in particular) or raw materials for furniture production. I think a lot of investment will be made to add redundancy in the production chain and to prevent shortages from occurring in the future.
5) THE MOVE FROM “24-HOUR CITIES” TO “18-HOUR CITIES”
The pandemic accelerated the trend of people moving away from NYC and San Francisco to smaller cities like Austin and Nashville, for example. I think with the cost of living being factored in, more and more businesses are realizing they can be successful by setting up in smaller cities. Talented people want to move to cities where they can afford to buy homes, instead of being perpetual renters…and businesses are likely to follow.
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For more insights and predictions head over to Authority Magazine and read the full interview with Robert by Phil La Duke.