Giving Employees a Choice in the Digital Workplace

The pandemic has made organizations, irrespective of their size and the industry they belong to, a living lesson in how they should bring the flexible model of work into their workplace. It all begins with the leaders of these organizations evaluating their remote work capabilities and physical office setting to figure out a working model that can foster productivity while giving employees the freedom to choose when and where they prefer to work. The suitable solution capable of meeting these needs is a digital workplace that is as close to the hybrid model as any other.

And while the hybrid is the priority of business leaders across the world, there is still quite a difference in the way organizations define and implement it. In other words, hybridization is not the same for every organization. And it doesn’t always mean dividing the work hours of an employee equally between the office and home. The essence of the hybrid model is the flexibility provided to employees to choose the right office-home balance for themselves. Some employees may tilt a little more towards remote working, while others could pick a work plan that is office-heavy. Whatever employees choose, employers need to realize that the digital workplace is a reality, which they need to accept to retain top talent.

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With the pandemic changing the way people work, employers have to ensure that they are working towards meeting the top expectations of employees. One of the critical expectations that employees have is to have access to technology that can keep them connected with their company and people at all times, irrespective of their location. In the beginning, it was all about rolling out the remote working model as soon as possible, at any cost. At that time, the priority was neither employee experience nor network security but staying operational. However, two years have passed. It is time for organizations to build a digital workplace that prioritizes employee experience by smoothing the transition between the two places of work with the help of the latest laptops, smartphones, and tablets.

In today’s job market, employees don’t have to stick with companies that don’t listen to them and work towards meeting their basic needs. So, if flexibility is a need and a company intends to fulfil it, employees are more than happy to look elsewhere for better opportunities. This is an excellent opportunity for employers to attract and retain top talent. They can make the hybrid work model a part of their existing talent acquisition strategy to have a larger pool of talent to choose from. 

There is no point in building digital workplaces if employee well-being isn’t a priority. When employees are free to choose where and when they work, they will be happier and more productive, directly translating to their well-being. A digital workplace offers employees a way to figure out the best work-life balance for themselves.

Reference: Choice in the digital workplace | KPMG | Christian Rast | 10 January 2022

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