What is the future of the Future of Work?

The New Ways of Working

Attempting to predict what the new ways of working will be is simply impossible because there will be hundreds of them. We are not only talking about the trilogy of remote, hybrid, and in-person work. We are also referring to new ways of value creation, distribution, organization, monetization, and a long list of other factors that will bring about new forms of contracts, taxation, insurance, legislation... Additionally, we must consider the new technologies that will support and enhance all these changes.

?As we can see, the possibilities are nearly infinite, and the future is wide open. However, there is something we can affirm with some certainty: the massive onset of these new forms of work began with the pandemic.

The share of online job searches for remote positions jumped 460% in the two years between June 2019 and June 2021, according to an?analysis?published Monday by job site Glassdoor.

The Pandemic as a Triggering Factor

Let's think about how most of us used to work just five years ago. The office was the epicenter of our work activity and, to some extent, our personal lives as well, as it even influenced our physical residence. Nobody wanted to spend two hours commuting to work, so urban centers developed alongside business hubs, impacting their prices and shaping economic and social status.

?However, in March 2020, the pandemic, cliché as it may sound, changed everything. Many of our daily tasks, from working to grocery shopping, dating, watching a premiere, or attending a concert, had to shift to the digital world. In other words, the pandemic, which halted the physical world for months, accelerated the digital world by years.

?Almost overnight, we were literally forced to have a digital identity, and that allowed us to access the entire world with just an internet connection. The technology already existed; we just needed that mental shift and the necessity to adopt it. And the pandemic made it possible.

An IMF study shows how the pandemic accelerated the digital transformation of companies.

Technology Changes Everything

Every industrial revolution is based on emerging technology and a shift in the energy model. It happened with the steam engine, with combustion engines, with computers and the internet. However, what sets apart the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution is that multiple revolutions have occurred simultaneously for the first time. We're talking about AI, Web 3, quantum computing, crypto, NFTs, the metaverse, and more. Each of these technologies alone would have brought about a radical change, but they have developed at a time when work organization and worker mindset were undergoing the greatest leap in decades.

We're dealing with disruptive technologies that share a common element with the new forms of work: decentralization. It's no coincidence that the decentralization of work has coincided with the emergence of these new technologies, which are already being incorporated into numerous research projects by most technology companies.

Even classic technologies have undergone a revolution through the use of NoCode and SaaS. NoCode enables anyone to create applications and programs without needing programming skills, while SaaS eliminates the need for costly servers and all the related maintenance by leveraging the power of the cloud. Both of these advancements democratize access to technology that was previously limited to individuals with extensive technical knowledge or significant financial resources.

This aligns with what has been called the hybridization of work, which prioritizes creativity and solving complex problems over technical expertise. In future jobs (and many present ones), individuals with diverse skills will be valued more than specialized technical experts. Just take a look at the recent rise of image design programs like DALL-E or Midjourney, which are likely to displace many graphic designers in advertising agencies but not as many creative professionals.

A Zapier report tells us about the exponential increase in the use of no-code tools. 90% of no-code users think their company has been able to grow faster due to its no-code usage.

We are Facing a New Labor and Social Model

Every technological change brings about social changes. The steam engine took us from the countryside to the city. The combustion engine reduced distances. And the internet brought us instant connectivity. However, even the internet didn't change the maxim that had been established since the First Industrial Revolution. We still needed a physical common space to carry out our work. Despite being able to send an email to the other side of the world, we did it from our office, with our colleagues, and it all culminated in a meeting where all stakeholders physically gathered.

Remote work has shown us that physical presence is no longer necessary. And while many companies are hesitant to implement remote work, they will soon realize that by doing so, they are forfeiting the retention of their own talent and the ability to attract global talent. In such a rapidly changing world, talent is the most valuable asset a company can possess. And statistically speaking, that talent is unlikely to be in close proximity to your office.

?However, this shift is not limited to companies; it's a two-way street. A talented worker can apply for any position anywhere in the world. This raises several questions. If it's no longer necessary to relocate to Silicon Valley to work there, for example, what is the future of cities whose main advantage is the concentration of major companies? What benefits does a move to an expensive and gentrified city offer me as a worker if I no longer have to go to the office?

Are we witnessing a return of cities to rural areas, but this time with 5G connectivity and meetings in the metaverse? And if this is the case, are we facing the end of cities as we know them?

We cannot provide definitive answers to these questions. However, we do observe certain demographic data that indicates many people are not interested in relocating to remote places but prefer mid-sized cities with a high quality of life and a large community of professionals who share their interests. For example in Spain, Málaga is the city that has experienced the highest population growth in the last two years, surpassing Madrid and Barcelona. The reason is simple: Málaga has become one of the most important technological hubs in Spain, offering the perfect mix of personal quality of life and professional networking opportunities.

A recent Buffer survey indicates that 98% of respondents would like to work remotely, at least some of the time, for the rest of their careers.

Challenges of New Forms of Work

Every new model brings new challenges, and in the case of new forms of work, there are many. However, perhaps the most pressing challenge is how we will learn to relate to others in a remote setting.

?As mentioned before, we are social beings. We have a need for connection, and we are accustomed to doing so physically. This applies not only to our personal lives but also to our professional lives. That was the advantage of in-person work: the eye contact, gestures, and proximity.

?While remote work offers significant advantages, it also takes away the richness that physical proximity provides. It's not just about sending emails or having video conferences; it's about building strong relationships of trust that enable better collaboration and, therefore, greater productivity.

?One possible solution to this problem is the concept of the metaverse. A digital world that is almost indistinguishable from the physical world, where we can share the same space and interact naturally despite being thousands of kilometers apart. However, we are still far from achieving that. Initial projects in this area are impressive, but we still have a long way to go to replicate the full complexity and richness of real-life interactions.

?It is not surprising, therefore, that companies working with remote teams have started incorporating retreats or offsites into their annual plans for employees. These retreats aim to provide in a few days what may be lacking the rest of the time – physical moments of team and company bonding. Laughter, jokes, work, discussions, and perhaps a few drinks. In essence, all the intangible elements that form the foundation of a company culture and cannot be replicated through emails or Zoom meetings.

?While retreats can be helpful, we still need to adapt to this new decentralized reality. We need to be able to effectively relate to others through new channels such as video calls or current virtual reality, where nonverbal cues are not as prominent and do not provide as much information. This is not an easy task and requires training, adaptation, and understanding. Companies are aware of this, and some of them have already found a market for training in this area, which is likely to grow as new forms of work become more prevalent. After all, every revolution brings new opportunities.

?It is crucial for individuals and organizations to recognize the importance of developing skills and strategies for effective remote communication and collaboration. This includes understanding the nuances of virtual interactions, leveraging technology tools, and fostering a sense of connection and community despite physical distance. By embracing these challenges and actively seeking ways to enhance remote work dynamics, we can unlock the full potential of the new forms of work and create a more flexible, productive, and inclusive work environment for the future.