9 Future of Work Concepts That Need More Attention

Future of work concepts continue to evolve with circumstances and technological innovation. While AI, AR, and VR were top of mind pre-pandemic, other trends, such as hybrid work and generative AI have taken hold, radically changing how people work. 

“The traditional office model has turned on its head, and in its place, a new hybrid work model emerged. People now want to come to the office for meaningful collaboration, not to work by themselves, as it’s been shown that most individual work can be done remotely,” says Javed Khan, VP/GM of Cisco Collaboration at Webex by Cisco in an email interview. “Dedicating time and resources to the transformation of offices into experience hubs that support collaboration both virtually and in person is critical to supporting the hybrid workforce now and in the future.” 

With many employees now expecting the flexibility of hybrid work, leaders must become comfortable with embracing new habits and a new mindset when it comes to managing teams that are moving among home, office or the road, any day or time, Khan says. 

“Even as employees are working in a combination of remote, hybrid and in-office roles, connection still matters and will remain one of the highest priorities for the future of work. Innovation will continue to be fueled by cohesiveness, trust, and communication and is only built through human connection,” says Josh Smith, head of Americas CR and global head of talent management at Sedgwick, a global claims administrator which offers technology-enabled risk, benefits, and integrated business solutions. “While this doesn’t need to constitute a 9-5 day in the office, company leaders should be emphasizing variability in connection for employees across various mediums and forums, both work- and interest-wise, to support different modes of communication, and have an understanding that there is no blanket solution for driving connection in a workforce.”