The future of work

You have just had a successful meeting with a customer and are now sitting at the airport, writing up the quote you promised. You access customer data, use the most recent product descriptions, and discuss the matter with a colleague via a chat program. The data is encrypted and sent securely, of course.

Do you like the idea of working from the road and using waiting times at the airport productively, for example? You are not alone.

Surveys on the ‘future of the workplace’ show that respondents associate this term with more flexible working hours, remote working, a better work-life balance, and less pressure to be in the office.

Using time spent waiting or travelling to catch up on work reduces the number of tasks that would otherwise be stacking up on your desk. According to experts in the workplace of the future at the German Association for the Digital Economy (BVDW), flexible working models can increase a company’s innovative strength and productivity.

Office sharing, digital workplace solutions, and virtual collaboration tools can help to better reconcile personal and professional interests, says Bitkom’s position paper on ‘Work 4.0’ and preparing Germany’s workplaces for the future (Arbeit 4.0 – Die deutsche Arbeitswelt zukunftsfähig gestalten). Companies that offer working time models to suit all circumstances are more attractive to employees and find it easier to retain them, according to eco, the Association of the Internet Industry. Employers who offer these innovative models thus have a competitive edge when it comes to securing new employees and new skills for the company.