Why the jobs of the future won't feel like work

We'll give you 4 reasons why the jobs of the future will no longer feel like work and what that means for your remote career. Get excited and prepare for these changes now:

A few years ago, innovation expert David Lee gave a TED talk about why the jobs of the future will no longer feel like work.

Lee helps large companies integrate new technologies and is therefore constantly looking for the latest improvements in the workplace. Although people often worry about robots taking over our jobs in the future, Lee says we should be excited about the freedom this advancement would offer humanity.

As technology takes more and more tasks off our hands, the workplace of the future will feel less like a job we have to show up to and more like a video game we enjoy playing.

We will have more opportunities to flex our innovative, creative muscles, make time for meaningful professional and personal development, and achieve an ideal work-life balance.

We can do all of this without breaking a sweat, as you'll find out as we explore:

The speed at which technology is advancing means that the workplace of the future could be here within the next 10 to 15 years.

While that's not enough time to start looking for a job on Mars, it's definitely long enough to see giant leaps forward.

After all, we've had hundreds of years to evolve from working on farms and factories to fancy high-rises and massive tech campuses. But it only took a few months for the world to normalize remote working during the Covid-19 pandemic.

So, considering where technology is today and where it's headed, experts agree that the jobs of the future won't feel like work because:

1. Remote work will be the norm (and make more people happy)

According to Prithwiraj Choudhury, a Harvard Business School professor who specializes in the future of work, in the next 10 years we will likely stop calling it "remote work" and just call it "work"[*].

The differences between working from home and working in an office are too numerous to ignore and too difficult to resist.

Most remote workers complete tasks on their own schedule, bypassing the alarm at sunrise and concentrating when it's most productive for them. You can also take the right breaks to better manage stress and work more efficiently.

The benefits also include the ability to travel while working or become a digital nomad, which is much more fun than a hectic commute.

Plus, remote workers can literally work from their favorite place. Being with your little ones also improves the mood at work.

So it's no surprise that a Tracking Happiness survey of more than 12,000 people found that [*]:

• Employee satisfaction decreases as commute times increase.
• Post-pandemic “back-to-office” arrangements have reduced employee satisfaction.
• Employee satisfaction increases by up to 20% when working remotely.
• Millennials are the happiest generation working 100% remotely.

The researchers found that job satisfaction is significantly correlated with overall life satisfaction. In fact, 27% of a person's happiness in life can be explained by their happiness at work."

So when it comes to having more fun at work, working remotely might be the best place to start.

2. Your robot assistant will automate all the boring, tedious tasks you don't like doing

Over the next few years, your workspace will take Siri away from many, if not all, of the repetitive tasks, regardless of your role.

Automation software will sort and respond to your emails, determine the best time to meet with teams in different time zones, and streamline your daily operations.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) will also improve the quality of analysis and decisions in the workplace. You'll be empowered to develop faster, better, data-driven strategies with a single click, instead of spending days worrying about the right move.

According to Lee, robots and automation software for individual tasks are easy to develop and implement. Plus, they tend to be better at performing repetitive tasks than humans - and they don't get bored or show signs of burnout.

The result? When they automated parts of their work, 69% of remote workers reduced wasted time during the workday. A whopping 59% were able to gain six hours more free time per week [*].

So the researchers of this study believe that "the productivity of remote teams is directly related to the type of tasks they complete." Boring and boring tasks negatively impact productivity, while creative and imaginative tasks increase it.

Think about how the tasks you least enjoy impact your workday. Most people would groan and have less stress if they could outsource these tasks. Then there would be more time to make better use of your own mental abilities.

3. You are encouraged to use your creative talents rather than completing a series of tasks

As automation and AI/ML free up more time at work, workers will have more room in their schedules for demanding, creative tasks.

Lee believes the workplaces of the future will focus on unlocking our hidden talents and passions. We need to rediscover what makes us human and create people-centered workplaces that best showcase those talents. This meaningful work is valuable to employers because it is something that computers cannot yet do.

Lee says:

"Ask people what problems they want to solve and what talents they want to bring to work... When you invite people to be more, they can surprise us with how much more they can be."

He goes on to describe our “Saturday selves.” When not working on the weekends, people find the self-motivation to pursue all sorts of interests that have nothing to do with their weekday responsibilities. They might bake a new recipe, take care of a plumbing problem, coach their child's sports team, live-stream a hobby, etc.

All of these Saturday activities are less about chores and more about learning or improving skills. This encourages employees to reframe what they bring to the table.

Those monotonous feelings ala "Groundhog Day" or "Office Space" are replaced by days that offer a little surprise and never look the same. Our future employees will use their creativity, curiosity and emotional intelligence to solve problems in ways robots cannot.

This enthusiasm will keep the work interesting and people eager to learn more.

4. Working in the Metaverse will make the working day fun

Working in the Metaverse is the next step in the global adoption of telecommuting. Teams meet in a virtual reality space tailored to their organization to connect, brainstorm and learn through their personal avatars and augmented reality headsets.

When you enter your company's Metaverse portal, you can explore your virtual workspace like in a video game. You may also be given tasks that you must complete to level up, such as: Such as taking diversity awareness courses or learning new skills to include on your resume.

Open, engaging spaces enable real-time collaboration and organic conversations with your colleagues that evolve throughout the day. This can reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation and help people find community when working remotely.

Companies also have the opportunity to better support mental health in the workplace. Leaders can create safe metaverse spaces where employees can talk to a therapist, participate in a guided meditation, or play an online team-building game with like-minded people.

With successes like these, working in the metaverse may no longer feel like work at all. And that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the endless possibilities.

Now that you know why the jobs of the future won't feel like work, let's talk about today

The workplace of the future will enable people and robots to thrive together, drive progress and foster innovation. These workplace changes will create an environment where people are excited to show up and use their brains to do meaningful work.

The best news? You don't have to wait 10 or 15 years to enjoy these benefits.

You can find a wealth of automation tools online that will help you eliminate repetitive tasks from your daily work routine and make room for more demanding tasks. You can also start exploring the world of virtual reality and familiarize yourself with how it works before a company hires you in the Metaverse.