By now, anyone who hasn’t realise that the way in which we work, and where we work, have changed must be living in a lighthouse on a remote island. While the economic downturn drove large numbers of office workers to freelancing and contract work in 2016, technology continued to revolutionise the workspace. Global experts predict 2017 will be no different.

1. Dan Schawbel, a partner and research director at Future Workplace, writing in Forbes magazine, says the demand for a more flexible work environment will continue in 2017. This includes companies using ‘blended workforces’, which will see freelancers work alongside permanent employees. This, he says, will impact on where teams will work together, with co-work spaces offering a solution to this type of project-driven work.
2. Talking about freelancers, Schawbel says the numbers are growing. One of the five biggest employment trends is the “rise of freelance workers” with some research predicting that at least 40% of the workforce will be freelancers in the next few years. “As more companies hire on-demand to solve key problems and cut costs by removing healthcare coverage and other employee benefits, more freelancers and full-time workers will need to work together,” he says. This means freelancers will often work in remote offices or co-work spaces, so the ability to “manage without borders is going to become a critical skills globally”.
3. Businesses need to prepare themselves for the first Generation Z-ers entering the workplace, joining the Millennials, a third of whom will move into management roles. GenZ, says Schawbel, have a new outlook on business, new demands and will widen the technology gap even more between younger and older workers. “Both generations will continue to put pressures on companies to transform the office, reward employees, embrace flexibility and align the companies’ interests with a cause,” says Schawbel.
4. Yoh, a US online recruitment agency, reckons the mission to headhunt and then retain top talent is a key trend for 2017. With the knowledge that Millennials, far from staying in one job all their lives, leave after an average of 2.6 years, recruiters are convinced that in order to keep the talent happy, companies have to rethink how they use their shrinking office space. Employers, says Yoh, have to take advantage of technology and reduce logistical costs by taking advantage of serviced offices and co-work spaces.
5. Back to those Millennials, who, says Yoh, want control over their lives, which in turn impacts on what they choose to do. Flexibility is key, and another trend to emerge is the increased popularity of a part-time job, or a few part-time jobs. And, of course, self-employment and the gig economy. The 21^st Century graduate wants to be his or her own boss, and in order to reduce the costs of rent and office services, such as IT and reception, is opting for the fluidity of co-working or serviced office spaces.
6. Video conferencing is about to become ubiquitous, Dimension Data reckons. Price points have come down and points have become easier to use, partly due to applications moving to the cloud. A major advantage of co-working spaces is that in the upmarket offerings, video conferencing is a feature.
7. Finally, co-working itself is a trend. Falguni Desai, MD of Future Asia Ventures, estimates there are over 7 000 co-working players around the world, most of which are a result of the start-up boom. “While everyone has been reading and talking about fintech, virtual reality and drones, this fast growing, new sub sector of the real estate market has become one of the largest startup segments, hiding in plain sight,” says Desai, writing in Forbes. But in order to be profitable, the operators should aim for a mixture of startups, small businesses, established corporations and sole proprietors to ensure a solid revenue mix. And, of course, multiple locations are essential for those who choose this flexible way of working to ensure their work/life balance is on an even keel.