What Workers Want
The Future of Work

What will the future of work look like? Are the days of the home officer over and will artificial intelligence take over large parts of our work? Based on our annual "What Workers Want" survey, we have a pretty good guess

At Hays Denmark, we have just published a new report that seeks to answer what the workplace of the future will look like. In the report, we have a special focus on the themes that Danish employees and employers alike are concerned about right now: Flexibility, remote work, artificial intelligence in the workplace and the workforce of future.

Flexible working

The discussion surrounding hybrid working and its effect on collaboration and culture has been growing over the past year. Similarly, many have begun to discuss the possibility of new ways of working, such as the 4-day workweek and more flexible working hours – e.g working outside regular office hours. That's why we surveyed employees about their wishes and concerns: Do they want to return to the office full-time? What kind of flexibility do they want? And will they pay for greater flexibility?

Perhaps the most striking result, is that a whopping 86% would consider changing jobs for greater flexibility – and 44% would also consider taking a pay cut to achieve it.

But flexibility comes in many forms; working from home, the 4-day week, part-time, flexible working hours, gradual phasing towards retirement, etc. So how do you find the solution that best suits your employees AND is the best way of attracting potential candidates?

The short answer is that you don't. Because one-size-fits-all no longer exists if you want to attract and retain the best talent. Employees are increasingly seeing their flexibility as a significant part of their overall salary and benefits package – which creates an opportunity for employers who are prepared to consider it an opportunity rather than an obstacle. With salary budgets under pressure, improved flexibility is a great way tool to both negotiate salary and nurture employee wellbeing.

However, we can reveal that an astounding 75% prefer a hybrid solution, where they can split their working hours between their home and the office...

Artificial intelligence in the workplace

As AI tools become more mainstream, experts have predicted that they will change the labour market as we know it – often painting a bleak picture. Similarly, an analysis from the World Economic Forum shows that AI is expected to leasd to a 2% drop in employment. But how do employees feel about it? Do they fear for their jobs or are they ready to embrace the opportunities that AI can offer? And how are they preparing to develop the right skills to utilise the tools?

Good news first: Employees don't fear AI in the workplace. In fact, 66% are actually positive about using it in their work – and only 6% are negative.

So, broadly speaking, it seems that specialists are ready to embrace the use of artificial intelligence. And for many employers, it can actually become a potential method of employer branding: 32% would consider switching to an organisation that invests in the use of artificial intelligence.

Interested in more insights about the future of work?

Download the report below or contact us directly – and gain access to the data from the survey in a context which can help you solve your own recruitment challenges.