Study Indicates that Traditional Employee Model will be Obsolete by 2035

Traditional employees will become rare by 2035, with the majority of high-value specialist positions filled by on-demand freelancers, according to a survey conducted by Citrix Systems.

In their report, “Work 2035”, Citrix, Oxford Analytica and research firm Coleman Parkes surveyed more than 500 C-suite executives and 1,000 employees at large and midmarket firms in the US, UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands. 

The emerging vision of the workplace in 2035:

  • 60% of respondents indicated a shift away from traditional workers
  • 67% of both leaders and employees believe that a “platform” model which facilitates  exchanges between groups or individuals using technology will dominate work in the future
  • 39% reported that freelancers will provide needed high-value specialization
  • 77% believe that artificial intelligence will enable better decision-making and boost productivity.
  • Emerging jobs will include robot/AI trainer, virtual reality manager, advanced data scientist, privacy and trust manager and design thinker.  In nearly every case, these new positions were cited by executives twice as frequently as by employees.
  • 75% of both leaders and employees believe most organizations will have a central AI department overseeing all areas of the business.

The study also predicted the use of digital assistants that draw on personal and workplace data to help employees prioritize their tasks and time and ensure mental and physical wellness.