The new world of work is rapidly evolving with futuristic innovations, tech advancements, changing social and cultural norms and globalization. Remote working, flexible working models and the rising gig economy have become the new norm. The way people work, the way work is organized and managed, the workplace environment has changed with increased focus on learning, collaboration, work-life balance and mental well-being. Are employers prepared to adopt and adapt? While it may not be as simple as it may seem, employers would have to reframe their value proposition to hire, engage and retain their employees and keep them happy to rein in the new world of work.
Here’s how employers can adapt to changing technologies along with changing employee attitudes in the midst of rising computing power and dream internet connectivity:
Access to data
While our workspaces are data-rich, access to the same is usually limited or distributed between various stakeholders across departments in an organization. In a digital workplace, it becomes imperative that all teams have easy access to necessary data that gives them an overview of the business enabling them to make informed decisions. This is the new norm of the future of work, where all team members are equally involved in sharing fresh ideas and coming together to form a decision. Providing data access to all members of an organization may help businesses see healthy collaboration and make more informed and intelligent decisions beneficial for the business.
Communication and collaboration
Communication and collaboration have always been crucial at workplaces, however they have become even more important in the new world of work. Remote work, distributed teams all over the world, global markets, etc. make communication and collaboration key aspects for business success. We have moved from face-to-face meetings to video conferencing, phone calls to text-based communication and this is where the soft skills of leaders come into picture. Ability to connect with your people is going to be a significant skill for the future. Organizations and leaders are expected to thrive in both face-to-face and remote work environments. This mainly involves engaging constructively with your team, connecting to bring your team together for work, taking feedback and sharing experiences and information. It also involves keeping employees informed about changes in the company, expectations, goals in order to foster transparency and trust.
Company culture
Over the last couple of years, organizations have overhauled their way of working and so have employees. However, today’s workforce needs more. With remote and hybrid being the new norm, employees are looking to have a similar culture when they are working from the office. Companies will have to rebuild their culture by streamlining workflow and communication for better collaboration and making the team feel part of something bigger. The main focus of organizations should be to create a desirable work environment for employees both in a remote as well as an offline set-up by bringing a sense of community and belonging to the workplace.
Upskill employees
With fast-paced digitization and organizations adopting latest technologies, AI, cloud computing, etc. to keep up with the competition and positively impact business growth. This can only be effective if the employees of the organization are skilled enough to handle all the advancements. Companies must focus on upskilling their employees enabling them to aid in the adoption of cutting-edge technologies for digitization.
Stay up-to-date with technology
Employers should have a growing thirst for knowledge that can match up with the speed of changing technology. In today’s digital age, it becomes imperative for businesses to leverage competitive advantage to avoid disruption. If technology and automation is leveraged by businesses, it can help in creating top-quality products, streamlining processes, increasing efficiency and improving productivity.
Employee focus
Post pandemic most people have started to re-evaluate their lives and are questioning their choices. Employees of today and of the future are less likely to remain at a job where they are undervalued or dissatisfied. They are looking for flexible hours, clear growth opportunities, and better quality of life. To find and retain a high-value employee, an evolved employer may have to offer the right combination of compensation, culture, flexibility, transparency and training. This ensures that an organization hires the right people with long-term viability and right skills.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
With an evolving globalized workforce and changing workplace expectations, diversity, equity and inclusion have become more important than ever for employers. Fostering a culture of inclusion can help create an environment for employees where they feel respected and valued, regardless of their backgrounds. This enables employees to perform to the fullest of their abilities and in turn helps employers leverage from their talent and succeed in businesses.
All in all one size doesn’t fit all – some employees prefer working from home, while there was a percentage that wanted to go to work. So, employers would require a global strategy that can cater to different segments of the workforce by assessing their workforce. The new world of work is characterized by a rapidly evolving technological landscape and employers must be open to change and be quick to pivot in response to changing market trends and business needs accordingly.
Contributed by: TeamLease Digital
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