Already in our childhood, career choices play an important role. Even if many ideas of future dream jobs volatilize in the course of life, the question remains which direction one should take in the future. But besides the dilemma of the ‘What will I become?’, with increasing age our focus shifts to other questions. For example, to the possible working environment, the available work equipment and the actual tasks. This noticeable change in the mentality of the employees is expressed by the term of the working world 4.0.

At the moment it is, however, relatively open which areas the term describes – as it is often the case with such new terms supplemented by 4.0. People are especially divided over the actual meaning of the working world 4.0 and the effects it can, and finally will, entail for the employer. In order to lighten up the darkness one must take a closer look at today’s working world. So which desires and ideas do employees have? And what are the expectations of the next generation from their future employment with regards to possible innovations? At a first glance the technology used at the workplace seems to be an important point.

A current study recently carried out by Fuze – a company specialized in corporate communications -confirms the importance of technology. Technology at work must catch up with what we are using in our personal lives. The equipment in the companies cannot satisfy the professionals and seems to be outdated. But this is not a big surprise because of the fact that solutions are too expensive in the beginning of the hype and because the restructuring process itself takes a very long time.

First preliminary conclusion: Technological progress is important for employees, but until now it has not become reality inside of the companies. Interviewed teenagers, still at school and without occupation, attach a greater importance to new technologies. Available technologies are, however, no longer up-to-date. These opinions lead to different results such as in the case of the landline telephones – to name only one example. Current employees use the telephone frequently and even consider it as a useful device for the workplace unlike younger people who even consider a completely-free-from-technology stapler as being more important.

Apart from the machines and devices which were rated poorly in the survey – and as a consequence demand changes – there is another factor co-creating the term of the working world 4.0. This factor is the young employee itself leading to restructuring measures. As digital natives (born after 1989) or as the so-called ‘app-generation’ they have already grown up with digital innovations and show in many cases a greater technical affinity as their predecessors. Because of this open-minded relationship with technology and the implied possibilities the next generation claims openness from the working world – openness for the technological future. Especially these expectations, demands and desires of the ‘app-generation’ lead to a change in today’s working life.

Preliminary conclusion: Demands on the technology follow the motto: ‘Citius, altius fortius’. This means that computers have to be FASTER, the capacities HIGHER and the available technology more POWERFUL in terms of their performance and of course compared to their obsolete predecessors.

We can also expect changes in the structures of the working world 4.0. More flexibility e. g. plays a major role in this context. Not only flexible working hours, but also the free choice of our workplace is going to be included in the future everyday work. Quite interesting, isn’t it? Besides the traditional office, a coffee shop or the beach were mentioned as attractive workplaces in the survey. As the number one attractive workplace the interviewees named their own home. Still better is only working in bed. But who can hold it against them?

How will the future working world be like? Will there be many noticeable changes, where and with which devices we will work in some years, and can the trend towards new technology and work flows be implemented appropriately for all company members? The future will tell us. I’m excited! But until then happy working in the working world 3.0!