3 Predictions About the Future of the Seattle Workplace

What's the future of the workplace in Seattle? We asked Leah Richmond and Su-Zette Sparks, who recently opened Coterie Worklounge at 1414 Fourth Ave.

1) Work Will Be Less Attached to a Single Place

Work is no longer as broken into the binary categories of employee and employer, Leah notes. "Freelancers now make up more than 30% of the workforce, and the impact of that shift means work in the coffee shop, at the bar, in the lobby, and at home. There isn't a 'monogamous relationship' with the company office anymore."

2. Technology Will Be Even More Important

Work has become more dynamic, distributed, and mobile—all due to the devices in our hand, explains Su-Zette. Technology has made it easier to shift from working at home, to the office, to a “third place” and back again. That's where Coterie Worklounge sits, she says, offering a variety of lounge spaces, meeting rooms and flexible work areas as well as business services. "It's the place between the comforts of home, the infrastructure of the office and the amenities of the café." There will be more places like it in the future.

3. Individuals Will Adapt Faster Than Companies 

A common tendency is to try to control the unknown and revert to what's comfortable, Leah says. "This is apparent in the companies that reverse action on alternate and teleworking practices—essentially using old paradigms to address new behaviors," she says. Instead of adapting to a more widely distributed workforce, some organizations have opted to go back to the 'person in every seat' model. We don’t believe this reversion will be successful."