How the future of work looks for 2023

How we work today is almost unrecognizable from how people used to work 10 years ago. Since Covid hit, the world has changed completely, putting our social interactions upside down and pushing us to reinvent our ways of communicating and engaging with each other. And although we’re beyond the chaotic early days of Covid-19, companies around the globe still need to make a considerable effort to accept and readapt to the new reality. Zoom calls and working in casual attire from the comfort of our living rooms became part of our new normal, and there might be no going back to the old days of everyday in-person meetings in suits and ties. Human Resources faced the challenge of responding to a remote team while recruiting new potential employees through a computer screen.

On this note, the work environment has changed significantly, becoming more difficult, yet more exciting for companies to reinvent how work is done and to adapt to our new world.

As 2023 begins and more challenges like recession arise, recruitment teams can’t let their guard down. Therefore, understanding what is coming and adapting to it has become one of the best business skills. HR teams need to identify new trends to become more adaptable to change and, therefore, more efficient despite the global setup and the unique challenges we might encounter. 

With that in mind, here are seven 2023 workplace trends that will define the future of work. 

1. Remote Work

For some years now (even before Covid-19 hit us, forcing us to adapt to a new reality of working), many companies have started following the increasingly common practice of having remote teams. Now, as we move into 2023, organizations will become more comfortable with implementing this work structure. Many workers, will gravitate to companies that allow remote work with the option to come to the office when needed. According to Forrester, the number of remote workers at the end of 2021 was 3x pre-pandemic levels, and 74% of professionals expect remote work to become standard.

Remote teams are a great way of cooperating and leveraging skilled specialists. In the case of software development, hiring a remote team of developers and engineers is a great strategy for success. Now more than ever, companies, big and small, around the globe are leveraging remote work to their advantage by hiring tech talent remotely.

Also, remote hiring allows companies to access a pool of tech talent around the world so that they can select the best talent for their project. In 2023, employers will reassess current hybrid working arrangements in order to rebuild culture, improve mental health and retain talent. 

2. Automation

Companies worldwide are automating as many processes as possible because they have figured out that employees spend a lot of time on repetitive manual tasks. A study by McKinsey and Co. found that 85% of companies have accelerated the digitization of their businesses.

These tasks can become frustrating and even lead to human errors. Automation eliminates that factor. A company can automate transactions, approvals, and workflows, among other processes, to free employees from manual tasks that only waste time. Automation is the big growth area – introducing automated systems to replace what was previously done manually. 

In addition, companies are also able to automate product and service deployment. Automation, in combination with AI, is a great tool for companies to let their employees spend their time solving complex issues instead of doing mundane tasks. That will mean some existing roles changing or becoming obsolete, but also new roles being created.

3. Anywhere Operations Model

Remote operations are not only possible, but they also come with plenty of advantages. According to Gartner, through 2023, 40% of organizations will blend virtual and physical experiences, leading to increased workforce productivity and customer reach. 

Anywhere operation is an organizational model that allows IT companies to operate fully remotely while supporting customer service, enabling employees, and managing the deployment of products/services from anywhere in the world.

Anywhere operations, also known as “remote operations,” create decentralized models, enabling better business flexibility and access to a broader talent pool. This means that companies can perform at the same scale and with the same effectiveness across a wide range of roles and responsibilities, regardless of their geographic location. On that note, anywhere operations can enhance companies’ performance, by reducing costs of aging hardware, improving employee and customer experience, and giving companies access to a broad talent pool of experts ready to join the team. 

4. Technology as a Business Strategy

If the last years have taught us technology is a crucial tool for every business to survive, it’s not a surprise that one of the most popular trends of future work has to do with it; today, more and more organizations realize the importance of incorporating a tech strategy into their internal process to keep their business working.

Technology as a business strategy simply refers to implementing technology and IT solutions at all levels of business planning. This is, rather than considering technology on its own, it is considered a core piece of all aspects of business operations. A solid technology strategy consists of a business plan with clear principles, objectives, and tactics for using technology to achieve organizational objectives. 

It may define specific IT solutions, identify staff members' responsibilities for managing these technologies, scalability possibilities, and, most important, how these technologies will align with the business’s objectives.

5. Employee Experience at the Centre

The workplace of 2023 will focus on employers and their happiness. An employee’s journey from hire to exit is full of different behaviors and experiences, both good and bad. Therefore keeping a good employee experience is vital, for it determines not only the permanence of an employee within an organization but also their productivity and engagement. 

Employee experience impacts every business facet. Therefore, it is no surprise that as the years pass, companies that actively manage to keep a good and permanent culture maintain higher employee retention and boast higher employee engagement rates than those with weak cultures.

6. Flexible Work Scheduling 

It’s time to rethink the standard 9 to 5 workday. In 2023, experts believe that more organizations will embrace the idea that outcome is better than input, but why exactly? Flexibility makes workers happier, and, eventually, more productive. 

A flexible working schedule allows employees to create their own calendars and to concentrate and eliminate distractions. Also, as workers are free to take more breaks, it’s easier for them to feel less stressed and relaxed, and, therefore, more efficient and engaged with the company’s mission.

A few years ago, we could not have imagined that we would be working with engineering teams remotely, without even an in-person interview or an in-person team meeting instead of a Zoom call. Now, as we get closer to 2023, we are less scared of remote models and ready to take on any new challenges to come. 

The presence of new technologies and organization models is undeniable; therefore, there is no better time to seize the opportunity and get all the necessary insights on what is new and how to adapt your company to not fall behind in the market.