Feb 21, 2013 0
Future workplace: not just a place to work
As technology and education progresses, so does the workplace. In the late 19th centuries, the need for offices grew as it was a rare for a person to afford computers, printers, fax machines and storage facilities. Now any individual with $500 can duplicate most of those functions with a single laptop. So why do we need to waste time to travel to offices daily when we can work on our laptops, and even iPads, from home?
The remaining functions of the office is now, to name a few, a meeting point for clients, a space free from family distractions and a place to interact with like-minded people. Individual and repetitive work forces are gradually replaced with collaborative and creative team work. Multi-skilled employees are now sought after and employers are providing better working environments to retain these talents.
It is now critical that the spaces we work in improve employee wellness thereby improving productivity and, of course, staff retention. Libraries, gyms and even bars are slowly appearing in workplaces, each providing a positive experience to the employee at work. Concurrently, our existing workplace needs to begin incorporating facilities for collaboration and be more conducive for creative problem-solving. So how has the workplace changed and what will see in the future?