WORKPLACE OF THE FUTURE

CONFERENCE DISCUSSIONS

WORKPLACE SWAPPED BY WORKSPACE
The workplace holds a new meaning for employees, especially for the new generations, as they are freewheeling and root-free from a certain place. In the same time, everyone can agree that it is only natural for people to seek each other’s presence, at least from time to time, so the office spaces, transformed into more flexible and tech welcoming spaces remain the most suitable for people to make the best use of the available facilities, the collaborative spaces flexible, adjustable, tech-centered and fast responding to their needs.

SUSTAINABLE WORKING PRACTICES & OFFICES
The sustainability aspects reflected at all levels of working saw some major developing trends and increase in the necessity for people communities to address it in the most serious manner. Understanding and reducing the impact of work and actions on the environment transformed industries, work visions and strategies and not the least, people’s lives. Romania has a National Strategy on the circular economy, committing to create and implement circular processes that reduce wastage and encourage recycling and re-use of resources. The ESG metrics are at the forefront of the business agenda made companies to initiate change and improve their sustainability goals. Hence, the workplace is the first promotion to implement green aspects related to environment, wellbeing, health, security and flexibility, recycling, green building standards (green construction or sustainable building), social value and net-zero targets. The offices remain the companies’ first tangible setting for showcasing green and sustainable norms and values.

WELCOMING THE NEW COLEAGUE, THE GENERATIVE AI
This is the big one in all sectors and industries and workplaces are the concrete representation of people-jobs representation, even if now it is not anymore defined by a certain desk. But there is a certainty that cannot be avoided and linger around anymore, that of AI. A popular line is saying that AI won’t replace jobs – but people who can use AI will replace people who can’t. Generative AI tools are quickly evolving to the point where they offer solutions that can increase efficiency in just about any task or line of work. The purpose of AI is to make things better (if not best), faster, easier and cost-effective and the role of people is to intervene in the process with the only human-based skills and particularities. There are businesses more based on tech, of course, but there will always be aspects in all businesses enabled only by people’s minds and hands.

A PLACE FOR PEOPLE
Employee and customer experience is key to developing lifelong relationships and generating recurring business. In the companies, from a HR perspective, the employee experience is something that can make the difference between leaving or staying. The concept of employee experience refers to wider understanding of aspects such as work/life balance, wellness, mind welfare, work/intellectual fatigue, tech fatigue, burnout, besides personal growth and development or work purpose fulfilment. People as human resources in work processes are becoming more complicated and challenging to address from a cold managerial perspective as the barriers of personal /workspaces vanished and transformed in interchanging spaces and personal approaches. However, companies and businesses are cold constructions that need structure and a clear frame to function and, in this context, managers and leaders of companies have to step in and look closely to the needs and expectations of their teams and grind them to the business agenda.