We no longer work in one office all the time. In the hyperconnected global gig economy, we work increasingly independently, in many offices, and then only part of the time, and for different purposes. 7 KEY DRIVERS will define our use of workplaces in the future, allowing us global and occasional access to a modern day working environment, as and when we need it.

1. WORKSPHERES &
THE FUTURE OF WORK
The 7 Key Drivers
by Trevor J. O’Hara
Founder, One City
This paper is part of the “One City Think Series”
Unwork. Your Way

2. Workspheres & The Future of Work
Our Working Life Has Changed.
We no longer work in one office all the time.
In the hyperconnected global gig economy, we work increasingly
independently, in many offices, and then only part of the time,
and for different purposes.
7 KEY DRIVERS will define our use of workspheres in the future,
allowing us global and occasional access to a modern day working
environment, as and when we need it.
This paper is part of the “One City Think Series”
2

3. Corporate
Scandals
Workspheres & The Future of Work
FORCES SHAPING
THE USE OF
THE MODERN
WORKSPHERE.
TECHNOLOGY &
CLOUD
COMPUTING
IDLE CAPACITY &
COLLABORATIVE
CONSUMPTION
This paper is part of the “One City Think Series”
Work/life
Balance
Real Estate
Costs
Environment &
Sustainability
Flexible
Working
Death of the
traditional
office/private
members club?
Rise of The
Entrepreneur Class
Attracting &
Retaining Top Talent
Economic
Crisis
Transport
Costs
Decline of
Consumerism
Changing
Culture
Commuting
Time
CHANGING
DEMOGRAPHICS
GLOBALIZATION
& THE GIG
ECONOMY
CHANGING
ATTITUDES
& SKILLSETS
3

4. Workspheres & The Future of Work
The 7
Key Drivers
5.
2.
We Don’t
Want To Work
From Home
1.
Outsourcing
3.
4.
New
Values
Changing
Workforce
Demographics
7.
The Importance
Of Learning &
Development
6.
Sustainable
Business
Enter the
Millenials
This paper is part of the “One City Think Series”
4

5. Workspheres & The Future of Work
Driver 1:
Organizations Are
Outsourcing Their Property In
A Bid To Encourage Mobility
More than 50% of office space is never used at any
one time, as technology allows us to work, anytime,
anyplace and anywhere.
The only real need for an office anymore is for
people to meet.
In a bid to reduce their property overheads and
carbon footprint, organizations will outsource the
property function to future workspheres.
This paper is part of the “One City Think Series”
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6. Workspheres & The Future of Work
Driver 2:
Not Many Of Us Want To
Work From Home
As companies encourage mobility and more of us become
free agents, home working is on the rise.
But only 12% of workers actually enjoy working from
home. We prefer to be in a more social environment,
close to home, but not AT home.
Future workspheres will take the traditional “third place”
to the next stage….and provide home-like working
locations close to home communities.
This paper is part of the “One City Think Series”
6

7. Workspheres & The Future of Work
Driver 3: Enter The Millenials
By 2020, 50% of the workforce will be made up of the Millenial generation. This is a generation of
disruptors, who like to kill complacency, destroy existing business models, value independence and
demand a creative environment.
Typically, if Millennials don’t get what they need from an employer, they will leave, join another
organization or form their own company, and seek like-minded individuals.
We will see a hockey stick growth curve in the gig economy over the next decade, with more and more
free-agents, independent contractors and entrepreneurs carving out their own value.
As business clubs and serviced offices undergo a transformation, future workspheres will cater to this
growing free agent part of the workforce.
This paper is part of the “One City Think Series”
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8. Workspheres & The Future of Work
Driver 4:
New Values+= New Work Environment
The design of traditional offices reflected a command & control culture
of hierarchy, exclusivity and status (board rooms, cubicles, expensive
trimmings, and compartmentalized “departments”).
Millenials favor influence and collaboration over hierarchy, command &
control.
The design of the future worksphere will reflect a culture of collaboration,
community, social connectivity, accountability, openness and inclusivity.
Future workspheres will replace traditional symbols of status and
hierarchy such as business clubs and serviced offices.
This paper is part of the “One City Think Series”
8

9. Workspheres & The Future of Work
Driver 5:
Workforce Demographics
Are Changing Rapidly
Traditional workplaces used to be designed mainly by men with a one size fits
all philosophy.
Today’s workforce is globally minded and ethnically diverse. More than 50%
of the workforce will be women.
As businesses start to outsource their property management and encourage
mobility, future workspheres will start to integrate female friendly
benefits for members (security, designated mother’s areas, family-friendly
membership packages, open floor plans, access to childcare etc), and cater
for multicultural team collaboration.
This paper is part of the “One City Think Series”
9

10. Workspheres & The Future of Work
Driver 6:
$
Sustainable Business
Is Here To Stay
As cities around the world become clogged up and environmental concerns rise, fewer
people are willing to make long commutes to city centre locations.
Future workspheres will be conveniently located in out of town locations in order to
reduce carbon emissions, spare the expense, and save time.
The business scandals of the last decade reflected a focus on profit at the expense of all
else.
All this is accelerating the demand for more responsible, accountable and sustainable
business practices.
Future workspheres will replace the traditional “business center” with an increasing
emphasis on the triple bottom line (people, planet, profit).
This paper is part of the “One City Think Series”
10

11. Workspheres & The Future of Work
Driver 7:
Learning & Development
Is Now A Life-Long
Activity
In the virtual on-demand gig economy, we are all
responsible for our own career path, which will become a
portfolio of projects and careers.
Future workspheres will become centers of learning &
knowledge, mentoring, networking, skills and reputation
enhancement.
This paper is part of the “One City Think Series”
11

12. Workspheres & The Future of Work
THE FUTURE OF WORK
IS ABOUT INEVITABLE CHANGE ...
... requiring new practices in the way companies and individuals are
operating.
We are all embracing this new world of work. However, workplace
environments are still slow to respond to the new challenges.
Co-sharing spaces have passed the early adopter phase, but there
is still a long way to go before we create a genuine global working
environment that embraces this brave new world of work.
This paper is part of the “One City Think Series”
12

13. Get in touch
Trevor J. O’Hara, Founder, One City
trevor@one-city.com
+44 7714 766065 (UK)
+1 778 874 3249 (North America)
Unwork. Your Way
www.one-city.com
Facebook.com/onecityglobal
Twitter @onecityglobal
THINK BEFORE YOU PRINT!
This paper is part of the “One City Think Series”