Workforce experts expect artificial intelligence and e-mail will put an end to HR as we know it.

Here are some predictions of how workforce management will be in 10 years.

  • Labor Unions – In spite of decreasing membership, labor unions are not expected to grow.
  • Company Involvement will Increase in Schools – Concerned over students poorly prepared for the job market, more and more businesses are getting involved with schools. Corporate sponsors are showing up on school campuses across the U.S.
  • Consultants – Today, about 30 million Americans are self-employed. Since companies are always looking at outsourcing as a way to control costs, the use of freelancers and consultants is expected to grow.
  • Companies will be Open 24/7 – In an effort to speed up services and production, and to reach new customers in foreign time zones, more and more companies will be open for business 24/7.
  • E-mail – It’s taken less than 10-years for electronic mail to become the main way people communicate. It makes it easier and faster to get work done. Future e-mail is expected to add new potential. For instance, senders might be able to match a list (by Internet provider, company or name). Improved anti-spam programs will also come into play. “Unified messaging” will also allow workers to check voicemail, cell messaging, e-mail and fax machines from one inbox.
  • Artificial Intelligence – As data warehouses and the web grow, artificial intelligence will solve problems beyond the human brain. “AI” will discover patterns and find problems in data.
  • Workplace Privacy - In Europe, it’s illegal to view employee e-mails. It’s expected this trend to grow in the United States as well. U.S. companies may reduce their monitoring of e-mail and Internet use down the road.
  • Defined Benefit Plans – In the future, attracting the best employees will be next to impossible without a defined benefit plan. It’s estimated that employees will choose to work for companies with retirement plans that provide guaranteed benefits.

Though there is no way to know exactly how the workplace will change down the road, we all know it will change tremendously. The more we can do now to be prepared, the better.


Modern Business Associates is an HR company that focuses on payroll and HR outsourcing. We routinely work with clients on preparing for business trends. As a Professional Payroll and HR outsource organization, our clients rely on us to help them effectively deal with these kinds of topics.