New Work is not only changing the way we work, but also creating completely new employee types. We introduce seven different New Workers.
Desk potatoes
These are the equivalent of the couch potato – nothing and no one will take desk potatoes away from their workstation. They have no interest whatsoever in working from home or remote work. Their personal workstation is their comfort zone, which they are very reluctant to leave. Desk potatoes work meticulously and reliably as long as they don’t have to leave their home base to do so.
Remote junkies
Today working from home, mobile working on the train tomorrow, workation in Sicily next week – remote junkies find somewhere to do their work whenever and wherever, and preferably away from the office. They are fully mobile with their technical equipment and prepared for any internet failure. Their mobile, notebook or tablet is of a size that is practical and convenient for travel and has survived many a hard-core workation. Remote junkies indulge their desire for freedom in their job too and need a change of scenery on a regular basis.
Office nomads
The day starts with checking emails in the focus zone, then a casual lean coffee meeting in the working café, followed by a video conference in the phone box. Lunch, with a good chin-wag included, is taken in the activity garden. Straight after that, documents have to be reviewed in the silent room. Finally, it’s time to get creative and to scribble all over the whiteboards at a scrum meeting. – Office nomads are proponents of activity-based working and wander from one room to the next. They have checked out exactly which area is best suited to which task and move through the entire office landscape like nomads.
Home workers
You only know them from the screen because they work predominantly from their homes. We are talking about home workers. Employees of this type have made themselves comfortable at home. Their office at home is so well-equipped that it is only necessary to visit the company office in exceptional circumstances. However, they are diligent when it comes to video conferencing. And they are never without their cat and their tracksuit bottoms.
Networkers
As the name suggests, networkers are extremely well-connected both within and outside the company. They know everyone, and everyone knows them. They already know about the latest news and rumours before something actually happens. To maintain their level of knowledge, they are constantly doing the rounds. Like office nomads, they use the space available, but mainly to meet as many people as possible with whom they can enter into conversation.
Sporting aces
Sitting down for long periods is an absolute no-go for sporting aces. Without a height-adjustable desk for which the height can be changed every hour, this type of employee would not be able to survive a single day. Discussions standing up or walk & talk meetings are a must for sporting aces, as are extended walks during their phone calls.
Co-workers
Co-workers are usually freelancers or members of a start-up. In order to find connection in an inspiring workspace despite the usually small number of colleagues, co-workers travel between shared offices. They are flexible and are satisfied with the next free workstation; it’s all about life in the office. They are therefore very sociable and love to interact with all sorts of people.
