2023 was a year of substantial changes for the workplace, and 2024 seems set for much of the same – if not more! With influences such as the progression of AI technology and the continued echoing effects of lockdowns and remote working, workplace culture truly does seem to have evolved into a new and exciting era. Read on for our top 5 predictions of what 2024 holds for workplace trends – and how you can ensure your workspace is fit for the future.
By providing mobile and modular furniture, employers can provide an office that is worth returning to.
Trend 1: The Decentralised Workplace
The first major workplace trend for 2024 is one that left its mark all through 2023 – agile and flexible working. Although many organisations have enacted a return-to-office strategy, the fully on-site working week continues to be a source of contention for employees, with many finding the benefits of remote working too good to pass up. Those recruiting for on-site roles are often finding themselves one-upped by roles offering a hybrid schedule – particularly if their office space does not “spark joy” for prospective employees.
For those hoping to entice their employees back to their office desks, a major consideration should be whether the space has been updated since the world went into lockdown in 2019. For employees who are used to the home comforts of choosing the space they work in – having full control of comfort and levels of distraction – coming back to their old, static office desk is not an appealing concept. This is where an agile workspace truly demonstrates its worth.
An agile workspace is one that provides employees with the choice to work wherever they want within the office space. By providing mobile and modular furniture – furniture that can be moved and rearranged to fit any task, space, or working style – along with spaces for collaborative work, private and deep work, and socialising, employers can provide an office that is worth returning to.
Trend 2: The Smart Workplace
AI’s evolution and progression over the past year cannot be ignored, and even the least tech-savvy among us are finding AI’s influence in many aspects of our working lives. 2024 is sure to cement AI’s place in our lives and in our offices.
Workplace Tech
The concept of the Smart Office – an office enhanced by technology – will be what separates the Then from the Now. Increasingly, companies are making use of tech such as sensors that monitor light levels and generate artificial natural light, or desk booking technology for workplaces with a more flexible workforce. Innovation such as this is set to skyrocket in 2024 – and for organisations hoping to future-proof their space, it is crucial to keep on top of these technological treasures as they develop.
Workplace demographics
AI is not only set to influence our workspaces, but also the demographic of our workforce. When it comes to recruitment, companies will be looking to hire those with the IT skills and savvy to keep up with the rapidly-developing digital landscape – and the ‘digital native’ generation, Gen Z, will be at the top of those CV piles. In turn, the influx of younger employees will in-turn influence work culture even further, as we adapt our workspaces to retain those tech superstars.
Workplace interactions
Not only will AI influence recruitment, but it will influence our interactions too. With the increased use of AI such as ChatGPT to communicate online, we will more and more seek genuine human interaction in the form of face-to-face conversation. Sales will increasingly be discussed and made in-person, as a human face will be considered much more trustworthy than a digital interaction that may well be with a chatbot. With the Turing Test made obsolete, and AI-informed phishing and spam on the rise, in-person collaboration, creativity, and communication will be valued more than ever before. So, in 2024, it is crucial that your workspace provides the optimal experience for making in-person sales.
Trend 3: The Sustainable Workplace
Sustainability is a welcome workplace trend that can only mean well for our world. This evergreen concept prioritises our environment and the impact our workplaces have on it. Businesses are growing ever more aware of the importance of reducing their carbon footprint and developing environmentally-friendly initiatives and policies – and this is only set to increase in 2024.
Regardless of politics and the government’s own stance on the climate, organisations are increasingly finding that customers and employees alike are seeking businesses with clear environmentally-friendly values that allow them to do business with a clear conscience. Additionally, lip-service isn’t cutting it – with all of a company’s deeds and impact laid bare on social media, more and more organisations find themselves being ‘called out’ over greenwashing – the act of conveying false or misleading information about the environmental benefits of a product or procedure.
In 2024, sustainability is set to stay – and will only lead to further innovation as companies and customers seek products that are not only comfortable but durable to avoid unnecessary waste, while also made from material that is both recycled and recyclable. The harmful concept of planned obsolescence will soon be left in the past, ironically, made obsolete.
Sustainability and biophilia often go hand-in-hand.
Trend 4: The Biophilic Workplace
Biophilia, or the introduction of natural forms and flora to a built environment, is a trend that has been growing over the past year, and doesn’t seem to be stopping. In 2024, this trend is set to reach new heights, with spaces that won’t just stop at moss walls and hanging plants – think indoor gardens, with natural lighting, ceilings with foliage designs that provide dappled shadows, and seating with sustainable, natural wood frames. Perhaps we may even see demand for indoor gardeners to tend to workplace flora!
There are countless studies on the benefits of bringing biophilia to your business space, from improved productivity to decreased absenteeism.
Trend 5: The Collaborative Workplace
More and more, employees are seeking connection. Through the experimental and challenging period of complete remote working, many found by working completely from home that in-person collaboration is a prominent factor they missed about the office. A major benefit of on-site working is collaborating and conversing with peers, leading to increased creativity and morale, and the rise of the hybrid way of working means employees will be seeking the best of both worlds.
In 2024, organisations with their fingers on the pulse of employee sentiment will be leaning into the concept of collaborative spaces, taking this key selling point of office life and running with it to ensure their workspace is where their workforce wants to be. Providing meeting booths, worktables, and social spaces are just a few ways that businesses can encourage comfortable cross-company collaboration.
Providing meeting booths is a simple way to encourage comfortable cross-company collaboration.
You will often find that the solutions for these workplace trends harmonise with one another – for example, a smart workplace could help analyse where better biophilic elements could be introduced for higher quality air, or responding to Gen Z’s workplace woes will often require more flexible, agile spaces. Regardless of industry, these workplace trends will have a substantial impact in 2024 – and how and how fast a company responds to each will make all the difference in the coming year.
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