Future Work and Work Trends

Introduction

This paper expresses Knoll’s perspective on trends shaping the future of work and the workplace. It includes our research and that of others in an effort to illustrate a broad view of the future and the trends affecting the workplace. We discuss six macro business, social and technology trends, followed by the implications of these trends on real estate and workplace strategy and implementation of workplace design.

Macro Trends

The six macro trends include:

• Rise of the intangible economy
• Business in an instant
• Embedding knowledge in design
• The sustainability imperative
• Evolving workforce demographics
• Globalization of work

Implications for the Workplace

In the second section of this paper we describe six implications for the workplace based on the macro trends we reviewed. To succeed in the future, companies must:

• Anticipate mobile work styles and leverage mobility
• Plan for multiple generations at work
• Give people “environmental control”
• Design the workplace as a resource not a destination
• Incorporate sustainability into the workplace
• Provide healthy work spaces

Taken together, the macro issues we discuss in this paper are shaping the future of work and the workforce. People want to work for companies that stand for something – whether it is sustainability, healthy workspaces, best practices for supporting mobile workers, or being an attractive place for workers of different generations to work together. At Knoll we are integrating what we know about these trends into the design of our products so that we can continue to meet the needs of our customers.

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