The balance between work and life has often caused conflicts in our personal and professional lives. As younger generations enter the workforce, the shift toward work-life balance continues to create some conflict but also to create harmony for the next generation of the workforce. But there is perhaps no greater shift affecting this dynamic than the introduction of digital technology. 

Some researchers, when studying the world of work and trying to predict the future trends and changes that will affect that world, have categorized possible trends by the likelihood of their coming to pass. These three categories are defined as mature trends, emerging trends, and weak trends.

• Weak trends are trends that are possible - maybe even easy to imagine coming about - and have the ability to develop into more likely trends, but at the moment the data does not support them as being very likely. 
• Emerging trends are trends that studies support as statistically likely to affect us in the near future, or they’re trends that may develop soon into mature trends but at the moment are still developing.
• Mature trends are trends that are affecting the work world right now and may grow to have an even greater effect. 

Work-Life Balance Trends: An Emerging Change

Work-Life balance is in the category of emerging trend; no doubt you have already seen its impact in your life. With the ability to use digital technology from almost anywhere, it has become much easier to work from home. Work in many industries has become more flexible as a result. 

But with this increased flexibility has also come with the invasion of the work life into the private life. Since it is easier than ever to perform certain tasks from home, many people have found their work lives slipping into their private time, whether it’s responding to texts or emails from colleagues, or the ability to take assignments home. 

How to Prepare for a Changing Work-Life Balance

Millennials in particular prefer a greater balance between their life inside and outside of work. It’s one of many manufacturing trends that particularly appeals to younger people. If you are hoping to attract millennial employees to the industry, finding ways to promote better work-life balance trends could help make the difference between them pursuing a career in manufacturing or pursuing it somewhere else. 

Want to Know What’s Keeping Young People from Jobs in Manufacturing?

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