The face of the workplace is changing because the face of the workforce is shifting. Due to the power of our technology, the format of the traditional workplace is altering. Freelancers are becoming more and more prominent in society, as are self-employed business people. As time continues, there becomes less and less of a need to adhere to stringent 9-to-5 workdays. Some countries have even introduced a 6-hour workday, a move that has been found to actually save employers money.

Here is what the future of the “workplace” will look like:

Your Workplace is Wherever You are

With the power of the Internet and our own, personal computers (these days, this even includes gadgets like iPads) many jobs can be done virtually, wherever you are. Shifting the mentality of work from a desk job to a remote one that can be done throughout the day will not only improve performance, but it will improve the mental health of the employee and create a more robust economic sphere. Whereas before many people are locked away, they can instead spread the work throughout the day and have more time to enjoy themselves, and spend time with their friends and loved ones.

Working remotely would mean more of a focus on goals and deadlines, and new technologies that would count and monitor working hours when done remotely.

Multi-Purpose Buildings

Companies like Google and Facebook know they are stressful to work for. That is why their buildings offer many different means to wind down and relax. From sleeping pods to different themed rooms to work in, they are leading what the workplace looks like. Multi-purpose buildings will allow employees to take short, but effective breaks from their work, or change their scenery entirely.

How many times have you felt yourself go insane because you were working hard in the same place for too long? A simple change of scenery or position engages the senses, giving employees a relief.

The future of the workplace will be wide, open spaces that encourage employees to move as they wish, and they don’t have to be luxurious campuses like the big fish have built. Companies like the Armstrong Steel building company offers custom buildings for whatever your needs. Open spaces are a great start to a more productive and happier workforce.

The future workplace will be geared towards the Millennial generation. Now, before you balk at gearing a workplace for them, remember that they will soon make up the majority of the workforce. In many cases, the new workplaces will be built and designed by them. Millennials typically value different things, and at the top of their priority list is their happiness. Work smarter, not harder. If the results are the same, what does it matter how they got there? Some people can sit and work for hours straight. Others work in bursts throughout the day, from the time they wake up to when they go to bed.

The workforce is changing. If you change your workplace to match it, you will have happier, more productive employees.