2023 Workplace Predictions from 7 industry innovators

Every new year is an opportunity to reflect, reset, and reimagine what’s possible. For workplace leaders, this new year brings with it as many questions as it does potential. 

Predictions at a glance

We asked some of the leading voices in the industry what they see as the biggest challenges and opportunities for the future of work and place. Here’s what they had to say. 

Nathan Manuel, Head of Workplace Experience — PagerDuty

Flexible workplaces will attract the best talent across the globe. 

This doesn’t just mean over=rotating on remote work. Manuel believes companies that learn how to lean into the flexibility of hybrid work – both in-person and virtual experiences – will win the day. 

“Empathetic leaders who figure out how to break down those silos within their organization will be years ahead of their competition,” Manuel says. 

Omar Ramirez, Co-Founder — Collective

Work and place will become even more human-centric.

Three years after the pandemic altered everything, workplace leaders will begin to accept that some of these changes are here to stay and will adapt accordingly. 

“We’re going to move forward and build new ways of working as a community,” Ramirez says.

Ashley Reichheld, Principal — Deloitte Digital

Companies that invest in trust will outperform their competitors. 

Coming off a tough economic year, and into another year of unpredictability, companies are looking for an edge to remain resilient and successful. Reichheld says trust is that edge. 

“Employees who trust their employer are 260% more likely to be motivated to work,” Reichheld says, “and 50% less likely to be looking for another job.” 

Corrine Murray, Founder — Agate

Companies will figure out the activity-based nature of hybrid work. 

Murray believes in 2023, workplaces will really start solving for the ways in which we work, and not just where we work. 

“There are countless people who say they’re fine with going into the office but they wind up being on Zoom calls all day,” she says. “How do we allow people to actually be together when they are physically together?” 

Darren Murph, Head of Remote — GitLab

Teams will be dedicated to creating better in-person experiences. 

Pre-pandemic, more people came to the office regularly, meaning there were ample opportunities for serendipitous encounters. Post-pandemic, however, teams have to be strategic on how, why, and when to bring teams together. 

“Teams will have to be much more intentional about many things,” Murph says, “including an in-person strategy.” 

Simon Davis, Founder and CEO — Purposeful Intent

Workplace tech will need to become as powerful as consumer tech. 

Davis believes in 2023, companies will stand out if they invest in tech that helps employees create workplace experiences down to the personal level.

“Where, when, and why should we work and collaborate in a particular space,” Davis says. “Based on data. Not just for the team or the company, but based on personal information.”

Nellie Hayat, Workplace Innovation Lead, Density

The goal will be more team effectiveness.

Hayat believes that employees and employers will come together to solve the challenges of distributed work, where opportunities can happen anywhere. 

“2023 will show how we do the future of work,” Hayat says. “The future is beautiful.” 

Hear more of Nellie's predictions for 2023 here.