Outlook: Future of work in 2015

1. Summary

With the likes of BYOD and collaboration tools now commonplace and expected, the enterprise turns its attention towards technologies and processes that will make day-to-day tasks more personalized, enhance employee engagement, and ultimately alter the overall culture of the workplace.

Among the trends we expect to surface or continue gaining ground in 2015 are:

• Artificial intelligence (AI). Next year will be a turning point for AI and algorithms for business thanks to the rapid maturation of those technologies. Social-network analysis will become the norm as companies continue to seek strategic insight from business intelligence (BI) and data analytics.
• Mobility continues its growth towards highly personal devices and practices like wearables and work chat, both of which put more control in the hands of the user/employee.
• The heightened awareness of costs associated with a disengaged workforce have led to the rise of a new class of software: culture-management tools. RoundPegg, CultureIQ, Waggl, and TINYpulse, among many others, are designed to keep track of employee sentiment, find problems that might affect morale or retention, and help drive initiatives to keep engagement high.

Thumbnail image courtesy of Chagin/iStock.