Employer Branding
Employer Branding
Four possible futures for working life, and why it pays to think about them now
12 SEPTEMBER 2025
Foresight, key megatrends and concrete exercises for those who want to future-proof their organisation
It is an ordinary Monday morning in 2035.
The coffee is still brewing, but your smart kitchen assistant has already warmed the cup to the perfect temperature and adjusted the strength to how you slept last night. When you sit down at your workspace, the day’s first meeting starts in augmented reality: colleagues from Tokyo, Berlin and Gothenburg are projected into your field of vision as if you were sitting around the same table.
Your AI coach goes through the day’s tasks and prioritises them based on your energy, calendar and long-term goals.
Working life no longer looks the way we once knew it. And the question is how we navigate a career where so much is fluid and constantly reshaped by technology, climate and values.
How do we prepare?
“Curiosity, responsiveness and flexibility will be crucial for creating organisations that can withstand, and even grow through, change.”
🔮 Four future scenarios
In Oddwork’s foresight work we have identified four possible scenarios for working life in 2035, intended to spark curiosity and offer new perspectives rather than ready-made answers. Here are shorter, condensed versions:
🕹 Future 1: The Gamified Market, your career as a game
Working life works like a game world. You collect XP, level up and get feedback in real time. Applications are replaced by simulations, and skills development is built into everyday work.
Already today we see:
- Simulations, gamification and AI assistance in recruitment. Organisations that integrate them win engagement and pace.
🤖 Future 2: The hyper-automated society, where jobs are optional
AI and automation have replaced most occupations. People receive a basic income and devote themselves to passions, relationships and developing ideas.
Already today we see:
- Automation of everything from support to decision-making. It raises new questions about identity, meaning and creating value beyond production.
🌱 Future 3: The green scenario, where sustainability is hard currency
Work is about contributing to ecological and social sustainability. Salaries are partly paid in “Earth Credits”, based on how climate-smart your life is.
Already today we see:
- Talent rejects employers who don’t take climate responsibility. Sustainability has moved from CSR to the core. Climate is a defining issue that companies must relate to.
🏢 Future 4: The Corporate Tribe, where companies rule
Companies run the entire social system: housing, education, healthcare. Employment means access to a whole ecosystem, but only for those who perform.
Already today we see:
- Company culture and employer branding are no longer supporting functions; they are business-critical. Privatisation means talent demands security and stability from employers, as well as hard factors such as pay and benefits.
Why futures thinking belongs in your organisation
Futures thinking is a way to train your organisation in flexibility, innovation and courage.
It is about:
🔹 Identifying signals before they become trends
🔹 Thinking in alternatives, not just forecasts
🔹 Building cultures that dare to experiment
Organisations that work with foresight can gain:
✅ Faster responsiveness
✅ Stronger attraction in the job market
✅ A better climate for innovation
✅ Long-term strategies with built-in adaptability
🌍 Megatrends shaping the future of work
A megatrend is a long-term force of change that affects whole societies, often globally, across sectors and over decades. Unlike passing trends, these are deep shifts in technology, values, demographics or the economy.
The scenarios we describe build on exactly these kinds of megatrends. Here are some of the most decisive ones already shaping the future of work:
- Automation & AI
Occupations are changing fundamentally. AI takes over repetitive tasks, and new roles require entirely new skills. - Climate crisis & sustainability
Ecological responsibility is no longer optional. Companies without a credible climate strategy lose both talent and customers. - Demographic change
Four generations share the workplace, with different views on work, balance and loyalty. - The gig economy & flexibility
Roles dissolve. Loyalty is swapped for assignments. Those who can create meaning without employment win. - Experience & meaning
The more that is automated, the more we long for the human. Connection, purpose and belonging become strategic resources. - Lifelong learning in micro format
Skills development and lifelong learning are sought after by talent. Organisations that build learning into everyday work have a competitive edge.
Four quick exercises to start with
01. Flip the Future
Choose an existing trend in your organisation and push it to the max. What happens if it becomes the norm?
💡 Example: Airbnb built its business on the insight that people were looking for experiences, not accommodation. It started as an observation.
02. Map what you take for granted
List 10 things you see as obvious in your organisation. Discuss: what happens if they change?
💡 Example: “Interviews are an obvious part of recruitment.” What if AI and data take over selection completely?
03. Use a future scenario as a mirror
Let the team choose a scenario. Explore:
- What challenges us most?
- How are leadership, structure and culture affected?
- What do we need to practise already now?
04. Find the key qualities
Identify which qualities will matter in the team regardless of title.
💡 Example: Netflix trains its organisation in self-leadership rather than exact processes so it can adapt faster.
🚀 Start practising today
Future scenarios help us prepare mentally, strategically and culturally. They raise questions that develop rather than paralyse.
Want to build an organisation that lasts? Then you need to dare to explore the logic of the future.
Want to strengthen your employer brand? Read more about how Oddwork works with employer branding, from analysis and EVP to campaigns and measurement.
Want to know more about how future scenarios can become part of your culture and strategy work? We at Oddwork are happy to guide you.
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