The way business, government and education come together to navigate changes in technology and the economy will affect the workforce, a panel of experts said at the Workers and the Innovation Age event. Panelists also discussed the skills gap, growth in the gig economy and the impact of automation.

Jump Trading aims to hire field engineers to work on telecommunication towers that transmit financial orders to shave off milliseconds. Job listings call for technicians who can climb up to 1,000 feet and who have strength to hoist up to 1,500 pounds to mount dishes.

Companies can attract talent by offering benefits at the top of job seekers' wish lists. Health care, parental leave, continuing education and remote work are among eight benefits sought by candidates, according to a Jobvite survey.

Top-down structures can't prevent toxic workplaces, as employees need to feel empowered, says MIT Sloan professor Thomas Kochan. "When the workforce feels customers are dissatisfied, and they can't do anything about it because they don't have the discretion to solve [problems], you get a reinforcing cycle of very low morale and frustrated people," he says.

Providing employees with time to gather and socially connect is one way to alleviate feelings of loneliness and stress they may be experiencing, writes Michael Lee Stallard. Workplace cultures that focus on connection can create "higher employee engagement, tighter strategic alignment, superior decision-making, greater innovation and more adaptability to cope with rapid change taking place in the world today," he writes.