What comes to mind when you think about the future of the workplace? The workplace isn't the same as it was 10 years ago. In fact, it's unlike how it was 5 years ago. Workplaces have morphed into something different and modern, and whatever your thoughts are on the contemporary workplace, things aren't the way they once were and are highly unlikely to go back to that concept.

This article is going to explore the ways workplaces have changed and the trends employers and employees alike are embracing.

1. Remote Working

Remote working is far from a new concept, and it has been around for many years, but since the COVID pandemic, more and more people are embracing being able to work from their own homes or anywhere else that isn't the office. Remote work offers many benefits for both employers and employees, and it's long been found to increase productivity amongst workers. And despite the shift of many companies to demand workers back to the "office", the reality is remote working isn't going awayanytime soon; in fact, it's highly likely to become more common.

2. Borderless Workforces

By removing the restrictions of non-static work locations, companies are able to expand their search for talent across borders. Whether hiring people as employees or freelancers, businesses are taking advantage of moving beyond traditional hiring limitations by hiring from outside their standard location to take advantage of skills, diversity and innovation in other countries, as well as supporting round-the-clock operations and reinforcing their ability to scale with ease. WebCreek's Talent without Borders study into IT hiring in the USA looks into this a little bit more and uncovers what a borderless workforce means for employees and employers.

3. Automation and AI

Another workplace trend that is on the rise is the use of AI and automation. Technological advances mean that machines are able to do more and deliver more precise results to help reduce costs and free up employee time from mundane or routine activities.

While there is concern that AI is taking over jobs, the reality is that it works better alongside human input; while it performs many tasks, it cannot replace creativity, innovation, and problem-solving like people can.

4. Gig Economy

Hand in hand with a rise in the capabilities of tech comes the gig economy. More and more people are choosing to work on a freelance basis or become self-employed to have greater control over the type of work they take on and the hours they work too. Plus, the flexibility of not being tied to one employer is extremely enticing to many, as they can remove the risk and uncertainty of losing their main source of income by increasing their options.

For employers, this means they can hire people for short-term, one-off, or prolonged periods without having to bring them on as full-time employees and pay the benefits required for this.

In summary, the way in which the world operates is changing and therefore so too is the way the workforce is adapting to meet new modern problems. And with new challenges come fresh opportunities for employers to adapt to new ways of working outside of the standard options to help increase their businesses and support employees in meeting these challenges for optimal results moving forward.