Work trends 2023 - How will we work in the future?

The way we work is changing. The ongoing trend continues to be towards flexibility: more remote work, more flexible working hours and hybrid working models. These can change outdated patterns and provide new inspiration. Trends are developing, especially in the world of work. Every day. Do you want your company to work in an agile and future-oriented way? Take advantage of the trend change and let yourself be inspired.

The office has had its day. Or has it?

If the past few years have shown us one thing, it is that a rethink has taken place in the world of work. For many employees and employers, a "return to old roots" is no longer desirable. The new flexibility has opened up new structures that people want to rely on in the future - both in terms of time and space. For many, it's the mix that counts! The mix of home office and office hours is the perfect working model for many. Compliance and the need for control are a thing of the past, and it is now up to employers to continue to trust their staff in the future and thus create the basis for a healthy work-life balance. What is the result? Employees are happier and more productive in the long run - a win-win situation for all involved.

Are you wondering whether office space will be needed at all in the future? Definitely! A well thought-out workplace strategy helps to develop space solutions that are sustainable, cost-effective and still scalable. What does that mean exactly? Open, large rooms should continue to exist in order to be able to hold larger team meetings or conferences. Sliding walls, writable boards and furniture that adapts to your employees turn the office into a modular communication space - a clear trend for 2023. However, your employees also need retreats that allow quiet, concentrated work in a pleasant atmosphere. You don't have your own office, but still want to bring your entire team together from time to time? No problem! There are now more and more offsite spaces for rent that offer a great alternative to your own office and can be booked individually, depending on your needs.

Flexibility creates room for more productivity & satisfaction

You still work the classic "9 to 5"? For the working world of the future, this is rather a discontinued model. Your employees want to flexibly combine work and private life - to use the often described work-life balance. By offering the possibility of combining home office, office and co-working space, you as a company expand your range of flexible working options. The more you cater to the needs of your employees and take into account the team's working methods, the more you gain as an employer - the satisfaction and productivity of your team increase almost single-handedly.

With the possibilities of the digital age, your workforce can nowadays access the workplace practically from anywhere and at any time. So as an employer, you allow your team full flexibility in their choice of workplace. This increases wellbeing & health and ultimately gives your employees a sense of security knowing that they can do their work while on the move. In this way, work adapts to life, not the other way around. Ultimately, the given flexibility increases the motivation of your employees. Working life becomes more colourful, more diverse, promotes creativity and can make for a much more pleasant working atmosphere, so that the attitude towards work - as a pure source of income - also changes for the better. Your employees will identify much more with your company, which in turn will also make you attractive to new professionals.

Thumbs up for more sustainability in the workplace

A "green consciousness" is increasingly becoming a success factor for companies - this applies to the hairdresser around the corner as well as to the major international corporation. In the efforts to achieve green business on a large scale, however, it is often overlooked that the change to more sustainability should already start with each individual employee. If the basis is right, further building blocks can be laid on top of it. Even the smallest change in everyday business can make a huge difference to the bottom line.

Encourage your team to use resources consciously - no matter whether your employees work on site or in a home office. Saving electricity can be very simple. Simply switching off the computer after work has an enormous energy-saving potential compared to stand-by mode and thus contributes to a slimmer electricity bill. The conscious use of resources also includes the topic of "zero waste". Avoiding waste can be so simple: Reusable, instead of "to go cups" for the morning coffee, PET bottles can be exchanged for glass without much extra effort and also the conscious use of paper is child's play - "Think before you print" is the order of the day here. Paper can also be saved by using the possibilities of digitalisation. At the same time, your employees should develop an awareness of the fact that the daily flood of e-mails also costs energy. Did you know that a single e-mail about 4 grams of Co2 caused? An email with an extensive attachment can even "weigh" about 50 grams of CO2. Set a good example in terms of sustainability, because: sustainable companies are attractive - also or especially for recruiting new skilled workers.

Welcome to the Zoom Age

Trends come and go. Some start very slowly, develop only gradually over years and then surprising breakthroughs happen. "New Work" is one of these trends. For years, the world of work has been undergoing constant change - teamwork, part-time models and creative forms of work are definitely part of the package. Before 2019, however, a point of stagnation seemed to have been reached here, because: Companies kept turning back into hierarchies and bureaucracies. "New Work" stood more for poppy start-ups with beanbags and a foosball table. There was hardly any thought of a fundamental change in the world of work. Why should it? It worked the same way. Old hierarchies celebrated their comeback, the workforces became increasingly dissatisfied - and then Corona came along and popped the cork out of the bottle of old work processes virtually overnight. Now a change HAD to be made. The home office suddenly became central to the long-established workflow - the birth of the "Zoom Age".

This creates internal and external challenges for companies. Innovative measures must therefore be found on the labour market to tackle the shortage of skilled workers. Internally, you should always keep an eye on the changing requirements of your employees. Flexibility in the organisation of working time and place of work should not be a bonus, but the new standard. Flexible, modern employers create a sense of belonging in their workforce and bind them to their own company in the long term.

Nevertheless, even with the new trends in the world of work, you should not neglect the topic of time recording. Because despite all the flexibility, the legislator still has something to say about it. Therefore: No matter from where or when your employees complete their tasks, the time spent must be recorded. To do this, you need a flexible tool that can be individually aligned and adapted to your needs. With ZEP, you will meet the demands of your employees and the legal requirements. From the pure recording of working hours to the complex recording of extensive project work - ZEP adapts. Do you have any questions? Our support will be happy to answer your questions. Or do you want to "get started" directly? Then you will find our free 30-day trial version.