Each New Year, corporate researchers, trend spotters, and soothsayers publish a plethora of Top Tens and Trend Reports; no stone on the subject matter is left unturned. All of these pieces attempt to look into the future, dole out advice on how to do things differently for the upcoming year, and how to start anew. The workplace is no different, yet still, I am excited about 2013 Sodexo Workplace Trends Report. This year’s report and its collective research, offers a unique perspective on the issues being evaluated at the corporate Board Room level about the “at work” environment—the ins and outs of what are essential to successful individual and organizational performance.
To boil it down, as conversations in the C-Suite continue to place more emphasis on how to maximize resources at every function and level of the organization, these trends will continue to grow in importance, relevance and application to business. Now, more than ever, executives should be keenly aware of what is driving the health and productivity of their people. Otherwise, efforts to maximize resources are moot.
The upcoming report, set for release January 28, 2013, identifies 12 key trends impacting the “new normal” of a workplace where volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity are part of the daily grind. The report’s expert contributors, like principle researcher and behavioral scientist Rachel Permuth, PhD, MSPH, Sodexo; Tom Stat, Founder/Partner, Eleven Consulting Group; David W. Ballard, PsyD, MBA, American Psychological Association; and Jim Ware and Paul Carder of the Occupiers Journal, help us understand how continued focus on integration of workplace solutions into strategic plans, not as tactics, is imperative to the future of the success of organizations.
Key Workplace Trends for 2013 include:
- The Built Environment’s Crucial Role in Organization Performance
- Superstar Recruitment – the Power of Community
- Inspiring a Connection to People, Community and Brand Through CSR
- A Contemporary View of Inclusion and its Effect on Psychological Health
- 21st Century Mentoring
- Thriving in the Cloud
- Ushering in the New Era of Recognition
- Facilities Management: A Strategy, Not a Tactic
- Data Reporting OUT; Predictive Modeling IN
- International Design and Construction; a Shifting Paradigm
- The Changing Office…Literally
- Integration as THE Solution
Our findings clearly show that organizations are responding to a “people-and quality of life” centric approach, not just HR-driven thought leadership. In addition, leading facilities organizations like CoreNet and IFMA (International Facilities Management Association) are finding common ground at the executive level. This preview of the reports twelve trends illustrates that “people-centric” approaches will yield positive outcomes and drive more value than past brick and mortar strategies.
Stay tuned for the release of our full 2013 Sodexo Workplace Trends Report next week on SodexoUSA.com. It is something you will want to share with your organization, and include in your strategic planning for the coming year. You can also join the conversation now in our Workplace Experience Group on LinkedIn and let us know how your organization is addressing these trends.
by Michael Norris, COO Sodexo North America & Market President Corporate Services





