We’re continuing to celebrate Hubble’s 10th Birthday!
First, we travelled down memory lane to explore how work has changed over the past decade.
Now, we’re looking into the future. Here are ten ways we believe the world of work will evolve over the next decade!
- AI and automation will be commonplace
- Smart technology will become an office staple
- More companies will adopt ‘decentralised office’ approaches
- D&I functions and in-house roles will continue to expand
- Leadership styles will become more empathy driven
- In-person work will be more intentional
- Some business leaders will push for a 5-day office return
- Coworking spaces will continue growing in popularity
- Workspace amenities will become more competitive
- More companies will tap into the global talent pool
1) AI and automation will be commonplace
AI needs no introduction. It’s the biggest technological advancement since the internet, and we’re already seeing workers leverage it to boost productivity.
This is huge. The working-age population is declining, so workers worldwide will need to achieve more with less human resources. But this is where generative AI and automation comes in.
More companies can now automate processes and applications that previously required human input — such as data entry, bookkeeping, and inventory management. As a result, productivity will improve across the board, unlocking significant economic growth.
In fact, AI and automation are predicted to have a combined global impact value of $15 trillion by 2030.
We also predict generative AI will bring other changes. While it will reduce demand for some skills, it will increase demand for others — and, in some cases, create demand for entirely new ones!
2) Smart technology will become an office staple
Smart technology is already transforming how we use office space.
For instance, smart lighting and automated desk booking systems enhance efficiency, comfort, and sustainability — with the former potentially reducing energy costs by up to 90%.
AI meeting assistants are also rapidly gaining popularity, with many professionals relying on them to record calls, transcribe audio, and summarise conversations.
However, as we move through the next decade, we expect these trends to intensify.
For example, entire buildings may operate autonomously, with AI managing most aspects of the environment — such as energy usage and maintenance — without human involvement.
AI meeting assistants are also likely to become active participants, suggesting action items or ideas based on the discussion.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) will also become a staple in the workplace. For example, 41% of meeting and event professionals are already experimenting with VR in 2024.
Fast-forward to 2034, and VR and AR are projected to be fully integrated into daily work routines, allowing distributed teams to collaborate in immersive virtual environments. Pretty exciting, right?
3) Wider adoption of ‘decentralised office’ approaches
The 2020s saw a seismic shift towards remote and hybrid working.
As a result, many companies have adopted a ‘decentralised office approach’ — a strategy where businesses establish smaller offices in multiple locations rather than one large, centralised HQ.
This takes shape in many different ways. For instance, a fully remote company may have its employees work from various locations, such as their homes or flexible, on-demand workspaces.
Alternatively, a hybrid company may opt for a part-time office where a handful of employees work while the rest of the team uses coworking spaces or day offices in locations convenient to them.
Over the next ten years, we expect these approaches to become more prevalent.
By 2030, global digital jobs are expected to rise to around 92 million. This presents a unique opportunity to tap into talent in different countries, leading to economic growth worldwide.
To achieve this, companies must decentralise their offices and establish a network of accessible locations. We predict that more businesses will reject having a single HQ and opt for a ‘hub and spoke’ model instead.
4) D&I functions and in-house roles will continue to expand
Most business leaders understand the importance of a diverse, inclusive workforce.
For example, a McKinsey study showed that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on leadership teams were 15% more likely to achieve financial returns above their industry average. For racial and ethnic diversity, this figure rises to 35%.
As a result, explicit D&I functions and in-house roles have expanded. For example, the number of people with a “Head of Diversity” title more than doubled between 2015 and 2020.
This follows “Director of Diversity”, which grew by 75%, and ‘Chief Diversity Officer’ by 68%.
There is clearly a widespread consensus that Diversity and Inclusion initiatives can reap meaningful rewards for businesses and employees, both in terms of financial gain and innovation.
That’s why we firmly predict that D&I functions and in-house roles will continue to expand over the next 10 years.
5) Leadership styles will be more empathy-driven
It’s no secret that Gen Zs and Millennials are more likely to prioritise their mental health and work-life balance.
71% of Gen Z and Millennial workers cited ‘work-life balance’ as the top reason for staying at their current workplace, while 64% would turn down a promotion to maintain their well-being.
What’s more, 69% of people said their managers have as much influence on their mental health as their partners do. This was 28% higher than the impact of their therapist. Just let that sink in.
With this in mind, we predict that Gen Z will adopt an empathy-driven approach as they assume leadership and management roles over the next ten years.
This means they’ll prioritise understanding and addressing their team members’ needs, feelings, and opinions. This approach will likely result in increased flexibility, accommodating different schedules, and allowing employees to work in environments where they feel most comfortable.
6) In-person work will become more intentional
The shift toward remote and hybrid working since 2020 has led to teams meeting less in person.
Unless you have a full-time office and mandate a 5-day office return, it’s unlikely that entire teams will work under the same roof as before the pandemic.
For hybrid companies renting a full-time office, this can also lead to what’s called “empty desk syndrome” — where you’re paying for desks for your whole team but seeing poor utilisation.
As a result, in-person work has become more intentional and reserved for activities that benefit most from face-to-face interaction. This includes strategising in a meeting room or working alongside colleagues in a coworking space — both of which you can access “on-demand”.
And with many companies actively seeking ways to save on office space, we predict this trend will only become more common over time.
7) Business leaders will continue to push for a 5-day office return
However, we can’t deny that some business leaders will continue pushing for a 5-day office return.
A KPMG survey found that 64% of CEOs worldwide think everyone will be back in the office by 2026. This may be due to concerns about productivity, a lack of trust, and team culture issues.
We also found similar sentiments in our Workspace Satisfaction Report. For business leaders who value in-person working, maintaining “culture” (40%) and “collaboration” (32%) were listed as the top reasons.
What’s more, 44% of fully remote companies, 43% of fully office-based companies, and 38% of hybrid companies agree that in-person work is important for maintaining company culture.
However, back-to-office mandates sometimes go down poorly, and business leaders must understand that flexibility, autonomy, and choice have become the top demand for employees worldwide.
They must strike a balance, and seeing how this unfolds over the next decade will be interesting.
8) Coworking spaces will grow in popularity
A coworking space is a shared workspace that offers amenities in a typical office — desks, refreshments, and an environment designed to boost productivity.
Since the pandemic, these spaces have soared in popularity. Many of our customers, including Taskrabbit, use them to give their teams a break from WFH and a chance to connect and collaborate with colleagues they don’t often see.
This flexible workspace solution is also cost-effective, helping companies save up to 87% on the cost of a full-time office for their entire workforce.
Over the next decade, we expect to see this trend accelerate — especially among freelancers, startups and large businesses seeking flexible office space as a means to save money and give their teams a chance to connect.
9) Workspace amenities will become more competitive
Given that coworking spaces are set to continue soaring in popularity, we predict that workspace providers will further expand their offerings and invest in amenities that give them a competitive edge.
This trend is already underway. For instance, many providers, such as WeWork and Uncommon, began investing in amenities like gyms and meditation rooms as wellness trends gained momentum in the late 2010s.
Over the next decade, we expect these efforts to intensify.
For example, some workspace providers may start offering organic, plant-based, and locally-sourced food and beverage options to attract health-conscious and sustainability-minded individuals.
On-site daycare and family rooms may also crop up more to appeal to working parents, especially those who are self-employed. The number of women who are self-employed, in particular, grew from 39,000 to 812,000 between 2001 and 2016, highlighting a significant shift.
This trend is expected to fuel demand for flexible, pay-as-you-go childcare options, catering to the needs of self-employed parents.
10) More companies will tap into the global talent pool
Remote work technologies and ‘work from anywhere’ policies are continuing to soar in popularity.
For example, a 2022 survey revealed that 21% of British adults were considering the possibility of working remotely from another country in 2023 — and 10% increase from the previous year.
In addition, more companies are investing in video conferencing, cloud computing, and collaboration tools to help knock down barriers to global hiring.
As a result, we predict more companies will tap into the global talent pool over the next decade.
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