August 21, 2008
Online exclusive
10 workplace trends of the future
To say the 9-to-5 job is an old concept like the rotary phone is an understatement.
Emerging technology, globalization and demographic changes have been changing how and where we work for years now.
And these factors will continue to contribute to the evolution of the workplace during the next two decades, says John A. Challenger, chief executive of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a Chicago outplacement firm. Most recently, the skyrocketing gas costs could be a short-term catalyst for change as well, he says.
Challenger identifies 10 workplace trends of the future that could transform office culture yet again -- for good or bad. I'll leave that judgment up to you.
• Teleconferencing could end business travel.
Challenger says the use of audio, video and Web conferencing will grow significantly during the next 10 years because of environmental concerns and as the tools become cheaper and more available.
And productivity will increase because workers won't spend as much time traveling, he says.
• Social networking will become the only recruiting tool.
Forget print ads and even online job postings. More companies are using such sites not only to reach out to potential employees but also to customers, Challenger says.
• No health benefits.
More businesses are not offering medical benefits at all to workers, which comes as most companies already are shifting more of the costs to employees, Challenger says.
"The country is struggling to work on how to pay for healthcare and how much healthcare is going to be available and in what ways to all of us," he says.
• Companies that offer healthcare will mandate wellness programs to reduce costs.
More employers are offering fitness programs and smoking cessation classes to keep workers healthy, Challenger says.
• A four-day work week in the office becomes standard.
A Challenger survey found that 23 percent of companies are offering a condensed work week in part because of rising gas prices.
"We all want the three or four-day weekend," he says.
• Corporate degree programs will mold potential workers.
Challenger argues that more employers will create their own educational programs to develop future workers as jobs increasingly require specialized skills and abilities that fit particular demands of a company.
• Globalization will lead to an exodus of specialized workers to job-rich areas.
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