Now that the dust is starting to settle on the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s time to look ahead to what we can expect for the future of work.

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2023 is set to mark further progress towards a future of work that prioritizes remote work arrangements and is increasingly shaped by the emergence of sophisticated AI tools. Plus, on the back of fresh insights from plenty of experimentation with different work models, there’s plenty to discuss.

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In this guide, we’ll cover the hottest new trends in tech, the future of the workplace, and how we’ll be working in 2023 and beyond.

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1. 4-Day Work Weeks Will Be Normalized

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A shift in the way we work that many have predicted for a while may finally be on the agenda in 2023: the 4-day work week.

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After much speculation that the standard 9-5 might not be the most productive way to work, a series of compelling pieces of evidence came to light in 2022 that may well prove this hypothesis true. As the Business Insider reports, 2022 saw 33 companies from 6 countries trial a 4-day work week  - and the results were staggering.

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Here are the key details from the trial organized by 4-Day Week Global:

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• Employees would work 32 hours a week for full pay
• 903 employees from 33 companies took part
• 52% of companies had 10 or fewer employees, and one had 400+

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Now for the main company takeaways (from 27 companies who completed the end survey):

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•  Average rating for the trial was 9/10
•  18 will definitely continue with 4-day work weeks, 7 are planning to, 1 is leaning towards continuing, and 1 is undecided. None declared that they wouldn’t consider continuing at all
• Overall company performance was rated at an average score of 7.6
• Productivity was rated at an average score of 7.7

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And finally, here’s what the employees in the trial thought of the experience:

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•  The average rating for the trial was 9.1/10
•  96.9% said they would continue with the 4-day work week
•  Self-reported performance grew from an average of 7.17 at the beginning of the trial to 7.83 at the end

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The landmark 4-Day Week Global experiment has paved the way for the 4-day work week to take precedence in the coming years. While many companies have experimented with alternate ways of working, the evidence for the 4-day work week is compelling.

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Given the findings show significant improvements to productivity, operational performance, and overall positivity, now’s as good a time as any to give the 4-day work week a go.

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2. AI Will Play a Significant Role in Many Industries

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AI has been on the tip of everyone’s tongue since the beginning of 2023, in no small part due to the release of OpenAI’s chatbot.

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Open-source AI tool ChatGPT amassed 100 million monthly active users in January, two months after its release. For context, this has been the fastest growth rate observed in a consumer internet app, dwarfing the likes of social media platform TikTok which took nine months to reach the same number of monthly users.

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The many uses for this advanced AI tool have been widely circulating the internet, such as:

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• Creating engaging video scripts
• Completing academic papers
• Writing marketing materials

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And ChatGPT is just the beginning.

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With Google and Microsoft entering the fray, we’re likely to see an all-out AI arms race over the next few years, as big tech competes to dominate this exciting new space. Unlike some past tech innovations like 3D TVs, which fell by the wayside, AI is very much here to stay and could have a huge impact on the way we work.

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While Google is thought to be working hard behind the scenes to release its own AI tool, Microsoft is already trialing AI-powered search engines through Bing. This has the potential to revolutionize the way we search for, consume, and digest information from the internet.

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In terms of workplace applications, there are boundless possibilities for AI in the coming years, such as the following:

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•   Imitating physical workplaces: Virtual reality (VR) technologies such as the Metaverse could redefine the virtual workplace and how we connect and collaborate with one another.

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•   Better customer support: AI chatbots like ChatGPT can significantly improve customer support at scale.

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•   Widespread automation: Automation will become standard in some industries, as AI handles heavy lifting on everything from routine tasks to standard procedures - freeing up employee time to spend on more cognitively-demanding activities.

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•   Better fraud detection: Through large-scale analysis and identification of possible threats, AI can help stamp out fraudulent activity.
  
  

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3. A Shift Towards Sustainable Productivity 

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Whereas hustle culture may have dominated the opening of the 21st century, the emphasis will most likely shift from 2023 onwards.

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Every company wants its ranks to be bustling with go-getting employees who regularly hit big numbers and tick all the boxes when it comes to performance metrics. However, in the shifting work landscape, a focus on sustainable productivity will be a more fruitful approach.

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Two related phenomena have swept the work landscape in the past few years:

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Employee burnout - Employees are working so hard, and perhaps also feeling isolated in a remote work environment, which leaves them with little left in the tank.

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Quiet quitting - A form of labor protest whereby employees refuse to work more than their contract stipulates - this is largely a pushback on being asked to perform tasks above and beyond the responsibilities of their role.

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As a result of both of these concerningly common phenomena, there’s a need for balance within companies. By shifting towards sustainable productivity, you can better support your employees' mental health and simultaneously push towards strategic goals.

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A lot of top talent is no longer interested in the ‘fast-paced work environment’ that pushes them closer to burnout every day. By emphasizing wellness programs, sustainable productivity practices, and regular check-ins, you can get the most out of your employees without taking everything out of them.

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4. Employee Monitoring can Mitigate Future Uncertainty
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Heading into uncertain times isn’t good for business. 
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With more of a focus on remote work models these days, you need a reliable way to monitor employees working from home and get assurance that they’re focused throughout the day.
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Remote employee monitoring tools like Insightful can help you track a variety of performance metrics even if you’ve left the physical workplace behind. It can also help you navigate unchartered territory as you get to grips with new AI tools and tech while maintaining high levels of productivity and minimizing idle time.
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The best productivity monitor systems provide you with detailed reports you can use to create a clear picture of employee performance. The need for surveillance in the workplace will only grow in time as the risk of cyber attacks increases, so investing in software that monitors computer activity is an excellent way to safeguard your data.

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Here are some ways you can use working time tracker app Insightful:

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•  Track attendance: With automatic time tracking, you can make sure your workforce is showing up on time, every time.

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•  Identify productivity trends: Through workstation monitoring, you can collect time data which you can use to create productivity reports and analyze areas for improvement.

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•  Create accountability: Remote monitoring software Insightful allows you to set up custom interval screenshots so you can keep employees accountable for their daily actions.

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