What will office life be like in 5 years?

In 2021, things are clearly changing in companies. Telework, digital nomadism, increase in the number of third-party locations, change of mentalities : the French are facing major transformations... In meandings, we often hear "When everything returns to normal [...]". When we should rather ask ourselves:What is the (new) normal? or "What will the future of office life look like in 5 years?"

Focus on office life 2.0 🔎

10 years ago, the platforms of freelancers did not exist. The first French coworking space opened its doors only 13 years ago in Paris. Yet 1700 shared spaces were open in 2019. Finally, 300 million people meet daily on Zoom in 2021. In sum, things are changing very fast. So, to get up to speed, here are the changes that await you in the coming years.

1. Freelancers will find work more easily

Before the crisis, there were already freelancers, lots of freelancers. But tomorrow, there will be more and more missions for freelancers. The use of freelancers is accelerating, either because companies want reduce their fixed costs, either because they need specific skills. Be that as it may, companies are finding it increasingly easy to trust freelancers. And it is not ready to stop.

The increase of freelancers in the business sphere causes the creation of hybrid teams. Thus, managers must lead "On Site" employees and "Remote" employees. Their mission? Play their cards intelligently so as to create collaborative and high-performance hybrid teams. An entire program !

2. Telecommuting will grow decentralized offices 

Another way to reduce fixed costs is to decentralize its offices. By doing so, companies will no longer have a central HQ in a major city. To instead, they will have multiple workspaces spread all over the world. Thanks to this mode of operation, companies will be able to offer à la carte remote working and allow their employees to work in the country of their choice.

and yes decentralized offices are increased tenfold in 5 years, it is also because: 

• Productivity and concentration increase in a professional environment; 
• The shared spaces allow a bandter socialization and an exchange;
• They are often less expensive than rent and its charges;
• Each coworking has its own universe, atmosphere and services; 
• This workplace enhances flexibility and mobility employees. 

Already in 2021, some companies no longer even have an office. Others welcome companies that do not have one in corpoworking spaces. In short, thebusiness real estate is undergoing a mandamorphosis et office life gands very small in the face of these changes. 

3. Architects and decorators will randhink the layout of offices 

If you plan to randurn to the office in the next few months, expect a change of scenery! To encourage the social distancing and respect for sanitary measures, your employers will surely take some action. To In the short term, the offices could be more spaced out and a direction of circulation could be given. 

On the long term, office life should be as pleasant as possible. Le well being at work will become a major choice criterion when looking for a job. 

To promote employee well-being, companies will need to provide ergonomic, functional and flexible workspaces. For example, they can use acoustic panels to create modular spaces. Relaxation areas with stackable seats and comfortable poufs will be popular.  And, of course, the Slean ergonomic furniture will be ubiquitous.

4. The "gig economy"will give way to the"passion economy"

The "passion economy" (or passion economy in French) is a way to monetize your skills. And more exactly, to create value around your passion. This new economy 2.0 gives entrepreneurs a variety of ways to earn a living without going to the office. For this, they can sell:

• formations ; 
• newsletters ; 
• coaching ; 
• podcasts ; 
• videos;
• Classes… 

5. The management of tomorrow will be based on trust

The way to manage your teams will be strongly questioned in the coming years. Not only because employees' expectations are changing, but also because teams are working more and more from a distance. The first challenge for companies and their managers will therefore be tomaintain their corporate culture remotely. 

Managers will need to improve the quality of life at work (QVT) and prevent psychosocial risks related to telework. Le leadership should be based on trust, respect and empathy. Timetables, for example, should not be controlled. 

However, team highlights must take place to strengthen ties and motivate his teammates. Finally, managers should identify the expectations, motivations and level of commitment of employees.

But beware : for managers to be able to do all of this, they will need to be trained! Thus, they will be able to develop their management skills in the face of psychosocial risks and their listening skills. These qualities will be essential to be a manager in five, ten or twenty years. 

6. Employees will receive their salaries, but not only...

In podcast n°9 "What is this job", Samuel Durand, expert on the Future of Work, talks about the future of wages. The employees of tomorrow will receive salaries, of course, but also:

• A budget dedicated to coworking;
• Another for their welfare; 
• 30-hour weeks rather than 35 in the summer;
• The possibility of taking rest in a flexible way;
• Gym memberships; 
• A budget to buy furniture dedicated to teleworking... 

In short, companies will create "salary experiencesto attract as many people as possible. And who knows, maybe even freelancers will be able to access these benefits?

The evolution of mentalities and the improvement of office life, it starts now!

To the extent that, office life and mental models will change. Employers will be able to draw inspiration from innovative companies and refer to the data to grow their own business. These 6 new ways of working may not work for everyone. But the people who test them, who want to succeed and who analyze the performance of their actions will have already won everything. Leaders, employees and freelancers will have to act together to give more meaning to work.