How will we work in the future? What are the challenges for companies? And what do concrete innovations for the future of work look like? Our Micro Trends use compelling innovation examples to show that the world of work of tomorrow is already a reality today. Let's go: we present our 8 theses on the future of work.

1. Working hours are more fragmented and more flexible

Parents—especially single parents—were on their own with childcare during the lockdown phase. As a result, work had to be built "around" everyday life. Mornings became the window for home schooling, midday for cooking and eating together, and the late afternoon for starting the bedtime routine.

This flexibility and self-direction in working hours will remain an expectation employers face in the future. And of course this is not only true for parents. Work is no longer done 9 to 5 but rather when you can work best.

micro trend

Seven-day workweek provides flexibility

British engineering and design firm Arup has presented a hybrid work model that lets all employees decide for themselves which days in the seven-day week they want to work. The "Work Unbound" model is intended to…

Initiator:

Ove Arup & Partners International Ltd.

country:

United Kingdom

2. The employer is more interchangeable

In remote work, the substance of the work itself takes center stage. It is important that work is meaningful and fulfilling. Moderating factors for employee satisfaction—such as a nice office, a pleasant lunch break, or good coffee—largely fall away and are hard to maintain remotely. This creates the risk of the employer becoming interchangeable. Topics like "purpose" become more relevant. So do topics such as further training and upskilling to retain employees.

micro trend

Virtual 3D learning and working environment

The internal academy of German automaker Audi has developed the virtual learning and working environment "Audi spaces" for employees. The software is based on interactive 3D worlds that mirror real working environments. Participants…

Initiator:

Volkswagen AG

country:

Volkswagen AG

3. The office is just one more tool

The office used to be synonymous with the company itself. The place of work was also home to the corporate culture—simply being there was "working." In the future of work, for those who can also work remotely, the office will be just a tool—a tool for specific situations and requirements. That makes it all the more important that companies are also an idealistic place, and not just a physical place in the form of a fancy office.

micro trend

Conference room for virtual collaboration

Software corporation Microsoft has developed technology for a conference room that helps virtually and physically present team members work together more effectively. The communication system includes large screens that make in-person meetings…

Initiator:

Microsoft Corp.

country:

USA

4. Chance encounters drop sharply

With the office dissolving as a central place of work, fewer ideas emerge that are based on the cross-pollination of topics or departments. In the future of work, it is therefore important to actively compensate and enable exchange across working groups.

micro trend

App enables coffee chats with colleagues

Swiss start-up Talent Maps has developed "Coffee Call," an app that enables coffee breaks with colleagues from afar. Users can spontaneously initiate a random, informal conversation as if they were in the office…

Initiator:

Talent Maps AG

country:

Talent Maps AG

5. The company's outer boundaries are more permeable

Remotely, you can reach colleagues just as well as people from other organizations. The moats are being filled in a little. In the age of cross-innovation—across industry boundaries—that is a very welcome development. Companies have to collaborate more. The challenges posed by digital transformation and climate change are too big to be handled by individual organizations alone.

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"Innovation works differently" – Remote Innovation

In episode #20 of the TRENDONE podcast "Innovation works differently," we talk about remote innovation. We embark on a journey of discovery into the effects of COVID and remote working on creating innovation…

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6. Rebound effects

The pendulum is swinging back somewhat, too. People want to sit at a proper workplace again and be around others. As a result, work is becoming hybrid. We are deliberately choosing which days to work where and in which situations. In the future of work, the office is therefore competing for employees' favor. And that is exactly how it should be: a place where people enjoy coming.

micro trend

Tool for organizing hybrid work

French start-up Bufu has developed "Café," a tool that helps companies better organize hybrid work. Through the app, employees can see which colleagues are at the office, at home, on a business trip, or…

Initiator:

BUFU SAS

country:

France

7. Comeback of the suburbs

Thanks to remote work, commuting is becoming an activity many people may only do once or twice a week. As a result, living locations in more rural areas are becoming more attractive. And the farther people move from the actual office, the more attractive that office must become for them to make the trip at all.

micro trend

Outdoor workspace for home-office workers

Canadian non-profit Îlot 84, based in Montreal, has launched a so-called Summer Island Network. Specifically, it is a network of outdoor workspaces designed specifically for remote work, with power and Wi-Fi…

Initiator:

Îlot 84

country:

Canada

8. Virtual Companies

More companies are emerging without a fixed office. The barrier of renting an office falls away. The future of work may make it a little easier for founders to take the leap into self-employment.

micro trend

Service platform for remote teams

Start-up Panther has launched a service platform of the same name that lets start-ups assemble, manage, and pay remote teams. This allows start-ups to employ specialists from more than 160 countries without…

Initiator:

Panther Inc.

country:

USA

Future Skillsets and other trends in our Trend Universe

The world of work is shaped by rapid change and major disruptions. New professions, methods, and work models require skills and approaches that are not yet taught in traditional education. With our free Megatrend Map, you get an overview of our entire Trend Universe, including explanations and our analysts' assessments of mainstream adoption.