Work, as we know it, has and will continue to change. Advancements in technology and digitization have enabled how, when and where work gets done. Workers can more easily navigate time and place to collaborate across the globe and accelerate “best in class” contributions aimed at the highest possible outcomes and “always on” business models.
For employees, this means creating environments that support work as something you do, not where you do it. Never have we experienced a time for such an acceleration of rethinking the workplace.
The workplace requires new thinking
Now, flexible
work is feasible,
practical and
increasingly desirable.
COVID-19 has clearly demonstrated that flexible work is feasible, practical and increasingly desirable, which for some is old news.
Some companies had already begun to embrace flexible work, allowing employees to flex their schedules between office or remote/home locations – viewed by many employers as an effective employee attraction and retention tool in the war for talent. The number of remote workers increased by 159% between 2005 and 2017, with some companies fully embracing while others still struggled to adopt.
As people return to a “new normal,” recovery requires an understanding of the new expectations of physical, financial, emotional and technological safety in the workplace. Employees who previously didn’t have access to more flexible arrangements are now voicing their expectations for flexible work, health and safety and improved work-life integration. In April 2020, a Gallup poll indicated 59% of U.S. employees surveyed said they would like to continue to work remotely forever.
Digitization combined with laptops and mobile connectivity allow teams and organizations to drive productivity in new ways. Artificial intelligence, advanced robotics and other technologies also change the nature of work. Employees are processing less paper, and often advanced technologies perform mundane tasks seamlessly, replacing the need for workers to spend time in more routine tasks. The nature of what we do at work is fundamentally changing.
Every organization has a unique opportunity to accelerate the multi-generational workplace. Never has the requirement for digitally enabled talent, along with seasoned practice experience, been a fundamental requirement for business operations. Organizations recognize the opportunity to use the workplace as a catalyst and tool to both attract and retain top talent, and foster collaboration and engagement, ultimately enhancing productivity.
Employees and employers have choices in how and where work can get done. Networks of talented and skilled workers, including contract and contingent workers, along with onshore and offshore solutions, are brought to projects, programs and initiatives in a cost-effective yet productive new approach. Suddenly the ability to have 24/7 global work processes accelerates work productivity and outcomes.
