Job trends for the new year: How will we work in 2024?

Working world - Job trends for the new year: How will we work in 2024?

After the coronavirus shock, there was a lot of talk about the "new normal" in the world of work. Today, employees know that the "new normal" is not a fixed state and that the world of work is evolving. In some industries and companies, coronavirus developments such as working from home and flexible working hours have increased, while in others they have been scaled back.

Experts from the International Workplace Group (IWG), a global provider of co-working solutions, have looked at current work trends together with scientists and venture an outlook for 2024 in a white paper. According to the analysis, hybrid working is a global megatrend that is continuing to accelerate thanks to technological advances.

But what does this mean for the German labor market? We spoke to Alexander Spermann, labor market researcher and economics professor at the University of Freiburg and the private FOM University of Applied Sciences in Cologne, and Christoph Schneider, IWG Manager for the German market, about the future of hybrid working.

Will we be working more or less from home in 2024?

In some companies, working from home has been the new standard since the first coronavirus lockdown. However, there are also employers who are increasingly pushing for employees to work from home again. In some industries, a kind of cultural battle has even broken out over how much working from home should, can and may be.

Labor market expert Spermann does not expect a return to the old presence culture in 2024 where home office has become established. "Companies will continue to rely on hybrid working in 2024," says Spermann. "Hybrid working contributes to the three D's of the German labor market: Decarbonization, digitalization and demographics." This means that fewer trips to the office not only save time, but also CO2 and can still go hand in hand with high productivity thanks to digital working methods. In addition, in times of a shortage of skilled workers, hybrid forms of work are also an opportunity to keep older employees in their jobs for longer who would like to remain professionally active - without having to travel to the office every morning.

However, Spermann also emphasizes the limits of working from home: "Especially for younger workers who are still relatively new to the job, working exclusively from home has productivity disadvantages." They can often achieve more and develop better if they also work in direct contact on site. The best balance between on-site and remote working can vary greatly, not only between different industries, but even between different teams within a company.

IWG expert Christoph Schneider, not entirely unselfishly, brings a third alternative to the central office and home office into play. Decentralized co-working offices close to home, where employees can come together without having to travel to the headquarters in the city. IWG offers such offices in suburbs and residential areas and wants to expand its offering in German cities. "The office has to adapt to the reality of people's lives," says Schneider.

Is the four-day week coming?

Working one day less with a full salary: the four-day week was already a hotly debated topic in 2023. The discussion was fueled by the promising results of a British pilot project in which companies successfully tested the four-day week. In 2024, 50 German employers are now launching such an experiment. Some trade unions and parts of the SPD have also already shown their support for the four-day week. The train drivers' wage dispute with Deutsche Bahn is largely about working hours.

Labor market expert Spermann expects the issue of the four-day week to flare up again in the new year. He is already observing individual employers who are using the promise of a four-day week as a luring argument in recruitment. However, we are a long way from a comprehensive implementation or even a right to a four-day week.

Spermann sees the issue as part of a broader discussion: "Employers who want to be attractive must generally offer flexible working time models." Some people would perhaps like to do all their work in four days in order to take a day off. Others would rather have their working hours spread out so that they fit in better with their private life or childcare.

How should hybrid working work in practice?

Working in different places, working at different times: for hybrid working to work and bring advantages rather than disadvantages to companies, they need to organize themselves well. Some international corporations have created an extra position for this task: the Chief Hybrid Officer.

IWG expert Schneider expects more companies in Germany to appoint such a top manager for hybrid collaboration by 2024. After all, hybrid working touches on topics ranging from real estate management (how many offices do we need and where?) to working time models and technological issues (how and with what do we communicate?).

Ultimately, these issues also have a significant impact on corporate culture and employee satisfaction with their work-life balance, says labor market researcher Spermann. And: "Employees have higher expectations than before."

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In the opinion of Alexander Spermann from the University of Freiburg and the FOM University of Applied Sciences in Cologne, the increase in home office due to the coronavirus pandemic is not likely to reverse in 2024, as hybrid working contributes to decarbonization, digitalization, and demographics in the German labor market. Christoph Schneider, IWG Manager for the German market, suggests that decentralized co-working offices near home could be a solution for employees who prefer not to work from home or the main office.

Source: www.stern.de