At a time when it is difficult to predict what might happen tomorrow, it’s tough to say what the future of work might hold. Yet, savvy companies are using this time to rethink workforce strategies and work models to prepare them to thrive well into the future.
With this in mind, Citrix has undertaken the Work 2035 Project, a foundational study and ongoing initiative in which we are partnering with enterprises, governments and academia. Our goal? To understand how things will shake out and to create frameworks, solutions and skills to advance the work experience and ensure that organizations — and entire economies — can adapt to the new world order and use it to their advantage.
Future Gazing
Our initial Work 2035 study, conducted in 2019, combined expert-led scenario planning with a survey of more than 1,500 business leaders and employees in the U.S. and Europe, to shed light on what the workforce, work models and work environment might look like in 2035, and the role that technology will play in shaping them. Among the key findings were:
- Robots will not replace humans, but they will make us smarter and more efficient. More than three-quarters (77 percent) of the professionals surveyed believe that in 15 years, artificial intelligence (AI) will significantly speed up the decision-making process and make workers more productive.
- New job roles will also emerge to support a technology-driven workplace and the changing relationship between humans and machines. Some of these job roles include robot/AI trainer, virtual reality manager, advanced data scientist, privacy and trust manager, and design thinker.
- Work will be more flexible, enabled by technology that allows for seamless access to tools and information. Eighty percent of leaders believe that technology platforms will provide instant access to highly specialized, on-demand talent; 60 percent of workers believe permanent employees will become rare by 2035.
- Leadership structures will shift. More than half of those surveyed (57 percent) believe that by 2035, AI will make most business decisions and potentially eliminate the need for senior management teams. Furthermore, 69 percent believe that the CEO will work in a human-machine partnership with a Chief of Artificial Intelligence (CAI).
- Productivity will increase, as workers are supported by solutions that enable them to perform at their best. More than half of professionals surveyed (51 percent) believe technology will make workers at least twice as productive by 2035.
- Employee engagement will improve as technology and AI takes over time-consuming, mundane tasks, allowing work to become more strategic and employees more engaged. In fact, 83 percent of professionals believe that by 2035, technology will automate low-value tasks, freeing workers to focus on the meaningful work they want and are paid to do.
- Innovation and growth will soar, and 90 percent of business leaders believe that in 2035, AI technology investment will be the biggest driver of growth for their organization.
New World Scenarios
The study also mapped out four scenarios for the world of work in 2035, based on whether workers will be replaced or augmented by technology, and whether work will be centralized in large organizations or distributed across smaller firms and more fluid business models. Among the possibilities:
- Freelance Frontiers: Augmented workers and distributed organizations — Technology has allowed the corporation to run leaner. Many functions are outsourced, and the gig economy has matured to the point where it can be a reliable part of most business processes.
- Powered Productives: Augmented workers and centralized organizations — Large companies can use the data produced by their employees to better manage their time and productivity. Workers are augmented with a range of tech to make them very productive. This vision was perceived by business leaders to be the most likely.
- Platform Plugins: Replaced workers and distributed organizations — Artificial intelligence has become a powerful and reliable business tool, incentivizing businesses to automate jobs and downsize their workforce. Automatable business services allow smaller firms to compete with bigger firms while offering specialized products and services that are more attractive to customers. Employees thought that this scenario was most plausible.
- Automation Corporations: Replaced workers and centralized organizations — As many low and middle-skill jobs become automatable, companies with the greatest size and reach have the most space for finding new efficiencies in how work gets done.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed work forever and forced companies to reimagine the way things get done. Over the next 15 years, organizations will face more challenges and disruptions than ever. But within this chaos lies opportunity. Savvy companies will use this crisis to begin planning for the “next normal.” It won’t just be a return to where they were, but rather an embrace of new workforce and work models to power their business forward. And the Work 2035 project will continue to provide valuable insights they can use to do it.
To explore the Work 2035 project and download a copy of the initial study, visit Fieldwork by Citrix.
