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What can we expect from the workplace of the future?

29 May 2020

What will the future workplace look like and what skills will be needed? This infographic gives some ideas.

Visions of the future of work have always been a major topic of discussion, but the recent impacts of Covid-19 have changed some ideas and accelerated others. Many of us are now working remotely and some businesses are beginning to map out their plans for returning to the office.

A common prediction at the moment is that remote working is here to stay in some shape or form, whether it becomes an option for staff, a permanent fixture, or we enter an era of hybrid working.

According to the team at job advice site Career Addict, there are five major areas we should be aware of regarding the future of work. Based on a survey the company completed earlier this year, these are employee experience, automation and AI, training and reskilling, office space and technology.

The survey asked more than 1,000 people in February and March to share their thoughts on the future of work and the impact of technology.

When it comes to automation, for example, three-quarters of respondents said they felt automation could improve work-life balance.

More than two-thirds of respondents (68pc) also said that reduced working hours would increase their productivity levels. On average, participants said they would give up just under 9pc of their salary in exchange for a 20pc reduction in work hours.

Nearly all (93pc) of respondents said they were willing to learn new skills. The top four skills for the future of work identified by those who took part – from Generation Z to baby boomers – were programming, active learning, complex problem solving and emotional intelligence.

Career Addict created an infographic to highlight some of the key findings of the survey. Check it out below or click here to view it as a larger image.

Infographic showing results of the Career Addict survey.

What will the future workplace look like? Image: Career Addict

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Lisa Ardill
By Lisa Ardill

Lisa Ardill joined Silicon Republic as senior careers reporter in July 2019. She has a BA in neuroscience and a master’s degree in science communication. She is also a semi-published poet and a big fan of doggos. Lisa briefly served as Careers Editor at Silicon Republic before leaving the company in June 2021.

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