As a global design and research company and pioneer in the field of workplace design, Steelcase is publishing a current study in “Work Better Magazine” on the four macro trends that will fundamentally change the world of work and shape it for years to come.

Some of the changes have been in the pipeline for several years, while others seem to have occurred suddenly. What is new is the scale and pace of these changes. Companies need to understand the impact of these upheavals on our behavior and only then can they create sustainable workplaces that promote cooperation and increase employee well-being and performance.

Macro trend: Life at the screen – hybrid working: Screen-based interactions are replacing face-to-face meetings. Even in the office, employees now prefer meetings on the screen to meetings in the conference room – out of convenience. This is leading to loneliness and isolation. As a result of this development, office use and relationships in the workplace have changed fundamentally.

According to a study by Steelcase WorkSpace Futures, people now spend more time collaborating virtually than in face-to-face meetings. The shift to screen-based interactions seemed gradual at first – but then happened all at once. In the 2010s, it picked up speed with video-enabled smartphones and widely available video conferencing technology. New platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom enabled employees to join meetings from anywhere. But it was the pandemic that saw their rapid adoption and new norms – in just four years, working behaviors changed fundamentally and permanently. Collaboration platforms supported remote and hybrid working and plunged the traditional office into an existential crisis. Many workplaces became alarmingly empty, although companies experimented with returning to the office and hybrid working models.

However, more and more managers are now demanding a return to the office. But despite the urge to be present, some days the office is full of life and on others it seems extinct. Conversations with managers about today’s working world often resemble a therapy session: no one wants to talk about ‘hybrid working’ or ‘returning to the office’ – but everyone does it anyway. Executives fear that too much remote work will affect company performance and culture. Executives and business owners need to find the right balance, as they have growth and profitability targets to meet and wonder if employees are working productively outside the office.

Only 25 percent of managers are satisfied with the current attendance rate of their employees in the company. The number of managers in favor of compulsory attendance rose by 92 percent last year.

According to the companies surveyed, managers need workplaces that support their strategies for dealing with these changes. The right working environment attracts talent, promotes culture and contributes to the well-being and productivity of employees. They need a workplace that is future-proof, can be adapted quickly if necessary and strengthens employees’ resilience.

The spread of hybrid working methods has changed how, when and where people work. Employees can be more flexible in meeting their professional and private obligations while working from home. However, they have more screen meetings that last longer and are therefore more isolated.

Scientists at Microsoft have discovered a new working pattern that they have dubbed “Triple Peak Day”: People no longer only work at peak times before and after lunch, but also before going to bed. On average, 42 percent more chats are sent via Microsoft Teams in the evening these days.

In the last two decades, our attention span has dropped by more than 30 percent – to 47 seconds. Ten years ago, conversations were cited as the worst disruptive factor in the office, and this is now exacerbated by virtual meetings in open office environments.

According to a global Steelcase study, two thirds of employees complain of concentration problems due to noise in the office. But even working from home does not guarantee concentration. Children, pets and housework want our attention.

Macro trend: sustainable thinking: Last year, the number of companies that have committed to sustainability targets doubled. Implementing these is our shared responsibility. The job of the workplace is to bring people together to learn, upskill, align priorities and drive innovation. This requires sustainable design – with partners who know how to make spaces flexible and fit for the future. There are clear signs that sustainability will become even more important for companies in the future. The number of companies that set themselves science-based CO2 reduction targets rose by 102 percent last year. This strategic decision leads to the creation of new jobs and requires the existing workforce to upskill.

Managers must therefore expand the learning offer and involve all areas of the company in order to achieve these goals. Their focus is on building a culture that leverages the knowledge of sustainability teams and engages all employees to accelerate collective action. Leaders know they need to work with partners to help them create a sustainable, flexible and resilient work environment.

Companies with science-based carbon reduction targets now account for almost 40 percent of the global economy (SBTi). By 2050, 300 million new “green” (sustainability-related) jobs are expected to be created. (Deloitte)

Macro trend: AI supercycle: Driven by optimism and fear of the future, many employees are jumping on the AI bandwagon. Managers are aware that they need to embrace this dynamic. The opportunity for innovation and productivity gains is creating a “supercycle” – a period of economic growth as a result of new technologies. To make the most of this supercycle, we need to create AI-ready workplaces now.

The majority of employees are already using AI at work to save time, focus better and be more creative. Managers know this, but fear that we are not equipped for the rapid pace at which machines are entering our working lives. The question is: how can companies create AI-friendly working environments now?

AI entices with the promise of improving accessibility, increasing creativity and creating more dynamic workplaces. The resulting supercycle is happening so rapidly that it is tempting to wait and watch.

“AI is already changing the world of work. As a result, new environments are needed that support different ways of working,” says Keith Bujak, Head of Research at Steelcase WorkSpace Futures. “Designing AI-friendly workspaces provides employees with an ideal basis to benefit from this supercycle.”

The basis for this is that companies understand the changed behavior in the workplace at a tactical and strategic level.

AI is already leading to a more adaptive experience for design, real estate and facility teams. The data feeds into initial space concepts and enables professionals to revise and improve their designs. AI accelerates the feedback loop between the collection of space usage data and a space adaptation to best support new ways of working.

Designers at Steelcase are analyzing how the use of AI by employees and teams affects spatial design. To do this, they look at the private and shared spaces required by individuals and teams. How many rooms of a certain type are needed depends on the company’s requirements.

Over the past three years, Steelcase and its dealer community have developed an AI-powered data analytics methodology to make workplace design easier and faster for customers and design professionals.

Data from customer orders is analyzed for data-driven design. A total of five million use cases were identified. These are compiled to identify patterns in how companies design their spaces today. Steelcase experts can then use this data to identify and implement new trends in the world of work at an early stage.

The analysis of Steelcase sales data, for example, shows a promising trend: companies are increasing access to privacy in the office and to a power supply in rooms for sharing and collaboration. However, employees complain about a lack of spaces that enable effective virtual collaboration, i.e. spaces with user-friendly technology for an optimal experience for on-site and remote participants.

“Thanks to AI and data science, we are able to extract meaningful information from vast amounts of workplace data so that our customers can make informed design decisions. This helps them to create spaces that are relevant to the world of work today and adaptable for the future,” explains Jorge Lozano, Manager for Data Science and Digital Innovation at Steelcase.

Steelcase researchers and designers are testing new types of spaces that enhance different types of collaboration – including working with AI. The prototype of an Immersive Multipurpose Room (IMR) is currently being tested and evaluated by several Steelcase teams. The spacious, immersive environment with a floor-to-ceiling display offers a high degree of flexibility. The researchers are analyzing the extent to which immersive spaces provide people with a more realistic experience, such as a virtual tour of a production facility. The immersive space also supports the creation and processing of digital data and the visualization of large amounts of data. The research results indicate that immersive spaces will be an important component of an AI-compatible workplace in the future.

Macro trend: well-being in short supply: Mental illness is on the rise worldwide – and is more serious for companies than physical illness. The rapid increase in anxiety disorders, depression, burnout and loneliness, particularly among the younger generation, has an impact on how the conditions for good work results are created. Occupational stress can trigger the aforementioned problems, but work and the workplace can also be part of the solution.

According to a Steelcase study, the majority of employees prefer the office for collaboration, i.e. co-creation, brainstorming and meetings that are used for both information sharing and decision-making. However, if employees don’t leave their desks to collaborate, they and the company miss out on the benefits of face-to-face interaction.

Steelcase research shows that a lack of social contact can lead to anxiety, depression and loneliness. The increase in screen-based interaction is a key factor that designers need to consider when designing offices in the future. It is a real challenge to create an atmosphere of energy, togetherness and productivity when employees are not present on site and instead are constantly in front of a screen.