LinkedIn surveyed more than 7,000 professionals around the world on which tools and trends will disappear from the office in the next five years.
The question you probably won’t be able to hear in the 2017 is:
“Has my fax arrived?”
Almost three quarters of respondents said that the first to disappear is going to be the fax machine. But it’s not 1st, it’s in the 2nd place on the list of office technology facing extinction.
In the 1st place are the tape recorders, which today are almost nonexistent.
Once very used office tools such as Rolodex, and swivel stand with alphabet and liners for cards storage, office desk phones, and even desktop computers, are positioned very high on the list of things that are becoming obsolete in the office.
On the other hand, more than half 55 % of respondents believe that the tablet will become more common in offices, more than any other technology. And laptops are highly ranked, 34 % of respondents said that they will be all over the offices.
This study is just one example of how jobs are gradually abandoning analog technology in favor of the digital.
Those who work in offices should be adapted to these changes, because otherwise the risk of being in a technological sense declared obsolete and discarded as not sufficiently qualified to work in the new digital environment.
Although it’s unlikely that workers will mourn the disappearance of a fax machine, some may be nostalgic for the other little things that made up the office life, such as business cards that have been placed 12th on the list.
Top 10 office tools and trends that will disappear in the next five years are:
- Tape recorders (79 %)
- Fax machines (71%)
- Rolodex (58%)
- Standard working hours (57%)
- Fixed phones (35 %)
- Desktop PCs (34 %)
- Business attire, such as suits, ties, stockings … (27%)
- Corner for managers / executives (21%)
- Work in separate cubicles (19%)
- USB key (17%)
For me it’s hard to believe that desktop PC will disappear so soon but you never know ;).
Do you really believe that these things will be run over within 5 years?
Let us know in the comments…
I’ll be glad to see the end of fax machines, but I can’t imagine American lawyers going to court in anything but a business suit, tie, etc. Our office went casual full-time several years ago: the air conditioning unit was broken so we wore shorts and polo shirts. The world didn’t come to an end and only a few clients were surprised at the absence of pinstripes in a law office, so we decided to keep doing it except when new clients are coming in for the first time. I predict that law and finance (banking, accounting, securities, etc.) will be slow to change, as usual.
That’s fantastic story Kevin how you changed business suits with casual :).
I agree that suits, ties etc will be slow to change in traditional businesses such as banking…
Thanks Kevin for sharing your opinion.