Kate Davis is joined by Fast Company podcast hosts KC Ifeanyi, Yasmin Gange and Josh Christensen to discuss the biggest stories from 2023

Workplaces move through design trends and conceptual themes just like other parts of modern interior commercial design. Remember the evolution of the cubicle farm, or the early 2000s’ startup office with a long communal desk (and ping pong table nearby)? But now, with our in-office and work-from-home routines in flux, what design elements will the future office feature? Fast Company writer Nate Berg talks through several design proposals centered around Gen Z employees, remote workers, and hybrid work styles with some of the top office design firms. Check out our deep dive into new office design concepts, including what both employers and employees are looking for, plus images of these hypothetical workspaces: RTO in 2024: Fast Company’s 8-point guide for designing an office your workers actually want to return to.

Sometimes, taking a scary, big career risk is the move that changes everything. We asked attendees at the Fast Company Innovation Festival a few months ago to share the biggest career risks they’ve ever taken. We heard everything, from switching to a new industry to dedicating their work to a cause they care about.

Emotional intelligence remains a workplace buzzword that confuses many people. On this episode from our LinkedIn Audio series, Farah Harris, author of ‘The Color of Emotional Intelligence,’ discusses how emotional awareness and management play into our office lives. It’s a skill often treated as optional, but mastering emotional intelligence—the ability to manage your emotions and understanding the emotions of those around you—is essential for weathering transitions, maintaining healthy relationships, and communicating clearly.

Quitting a job is a huge decision, so what are the signs that it’s time to go? Chronic burnout or toxic colleagues might be a few of the red flags.

For decades, the typical image of a midlife crisis has been a man buying a sports car or getting a divorce and marrying a younger woman. Whether or not that still rings true, for women in the workplace that has nothing to do with reality. Midlife for women is the time when menopause, family caregiving, career ambitions, and a range of other personal shifts come together. In fact, author and consultant Lucy Ryan calls it the “midlife collision” and advocates for workplaces to offer much more flexibility for women in this stage of life. She says we need to reframe the typical career timeline to include a robust, energetic, and creative period of work later in life, when women with a supportive workplace can adapt to these changes while staying engaged and productive in their jobs.

"What's your biggest weakness?" remains one of the trickier job interview questions frequently posed to an interviewee. How do you tout your skills and accomplishments while being honest about your challenges?

After hearing from experts about how AI is changing the office, we decided to test out a few AI tools and report back on how they brilliantly changed our workflow. But as it turns out, some of these tools are definitely not ready to deliver the productivity boosts they promise. 

Writing a cover letter, especially when not required by a job application, can feel like a big pain. But it really makes a big difference—here’s why. 

Companies now have mountains of data to help drive decisions and develop products, but a holistic approach to product development must also prioritize customers’ needs and preferences. In this podcast interview, Stephanie Mehta, CEO of Mansueto Ventures, the parent of Fast Company, sits down with Emily Roberts, Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise Consumer Product at Capital One to hear how to harness the power of technology and customer feedback loops to innovate products and experiences.