Predicting the way that the future of work will operate could be simpler if we think about the fast evolution of tech trends such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, or quantum computers. We must understand that all of these trends will create a significant impact on the way we work and we’ll need to adapt to them to continue being indispensable when tomorrow comes. Undoubtedly, automation will replace many jobs, but it’ll also generate more interesting tech jobs. Here we’ll explore some of the trends that will likely impact the future of work.
Increase in Remote Work
With the evolution of technology, the need for remote work will increase. This is a trend that we’re currently experiencing and it’ll continue to grow in the future. Automation will surely replace some of the jobs that require physical efforts. Therefore, the only type of employment humans will have are those that require “human” skills like analytical thinking
The situation we’re currently living in has given us an idea of how a post-coronavirus era would look like. Companies need to adapt to a remote work environment, and this will happen in almost every industry. According to a recent Gartner report, 48% of employees will continue to work remotely after the pandemic.
On top of that, companies are embracing technologies like cloud service subscriptions, which means they do not require a physical space to place any infrastructure to store data. This slowly reduces the need to have a physical office, even. Think about it. Employees will still have access to data from anywhere they are, meaning that the remote working trend will only continue to grow due to automation and cloud-driven services.
Flexible Working Hours
Another Gartner survey revealed that 32% of organizations would replace their full-time jobs for a part-time modality. Besides, there’s a significantly high trend of flexible work schedules. According to a StackOverflow survey, most software developers look for jobs with flexible working hours. We’re currently seeing this in most companies, but this trend will only grow in the future of work.
According to a recent Gallup report, more than 60% of employees in the USA feel that they have autonomy in their working schedule. 60% is a significant number compared to the percentage of regular workers. Companies that are not implementing this methodology yet will have to adopt it soon since most workers evidently prefer a flexible work environment.
Automation Will Increase
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay and there will be more AI-driven tools that automate activities. AI refers to the discipline that programs machines to imitate our behavior. Today, we already use such technology more than we think. Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant, is one of the most vivid examples. So, imagine how the future of work will look like with all this automation. Machines would replace jobs that require physical tasks. Machine Learning will be more popular as well, so there won’t be too much human intervention in the process of programming machines to do specific tasks.
More Cloud-Driven Processes
Data is everything these days. Most companies manage vast amounts of data and it is no longer safe to store them in physical servers. Besides, it makes it more difficult for employees to access data if they’re not in the office. Cloud systems allow companies to store their data online safely. This way, everybody gets to access data more efficiently and faster. Companie prefers to subscribe to these types of services because it also allows them to share large files in a matter of seconds, depending on the quality of the bandwidth.
Decentralized Workforces
As we mentioned, with the growing trend of cloud services and remote working, the need for a physical facility will decrease. This will transform the workforce into a decentralized one, meaning that workers could be all around the world and that will not affect the performance of their company. This is positive for companies because they’ll save money that they would spend on rents, electricity, or even janitorial services. Decentralized workforces will also make companies more eco-friendly since they’ll reduce their levels of pollution.
Skills That Will Be In-Demand in the Future of Work
In the future of work, there surely be some jobs that are more in-demand than others, so we need to be continually learning new skills that allow us to stay on track of the trends. Even though humanized jobs that require empathy and emotions will still be necessary, there will be a massive demand for tech workers as well. Jobs like software engineering, machine learning engineering, and robotics will be on top by then.
However, we must not forget about the importance of our soft skills. In the future of work, some aspects will make us valuable, such as responsibility or commitment, but two of the most important soft skills are resilience and creativity. Since technology is always changing and evolving, having these two skills will help us adapt quickly to every situation and technological change.
I’m a self-taught software engineer who is working for a startup in San Francisco. After spending 3 years in investment banking, I discovered a passion for tech and coding which led me to leave my high paying job and set out on a journey into tech.
