Technology is changing the workplace at a rapid pace, and there is no stopping the progress. Employers need to be on top of the latest advancements and make the most of them by adopting a digital-first approach to improve employee productivity and retain an edge over the competitors.
According to IDC FutureScape prediction, by 2023, digital transformation and business volatility will drive 70% of G2000 organizations to deploy remote or hybrid-first work models, redefining work processes and engaging diverse talent pools. This means that IT alone will not drive the baton of digital transformation. Instead, employee-centered digitization will span across all business domains. Here are some emerging trends that are influencing various aspects of the workplace.
The Healthy Workplace
More and more organizations have started to focus on employee health and wellness. To enable this, new ground-breaking technologies have emerged that help in maximizing innovation and productivity.
According to Gartner, by 2024, 50% of organizations will support their employees’ mental well-being with emotional AI technologies. One of the key aspects to consider here is the use of wearables to monitor and support employee well-being. For example, workplace solutions can be integrated with fitness bands to act as personal assistants for employees. The assistant can recommend the employee to take breaks whenever there is a deterioration in health statistics or could even suggest meeting reschedules, if necessary.
Several organizations are also enabling guided workouts, meditation, and counseling sessions as part of daily employee workday schedules. For instance, Zerodha, an online stock trading platform, initiated a 12-month fitness program and promised to incentivize the achievers with one month's salary as a bonus. This is a great way to promote a healthy lifestyle and improve overall employee engagement. Putting the employee first is the first step to success. When employees view themselves as vital business owners, they are more proactive and resourceful.
The Hybrid Workplace
The pandemic prompted most organizations to adopt remote working which acted as a catalyst toward trailblazing hybrid work culture. According to Gartner, By 2030, 48% of employees will work remotely.
But what about the remaining 52%? Organizations need to adopt innovative solutions that coalesce the workplace experience for employees across physical and virtual domains. For example, Microsoft has launched Teams Rooms to bridge the gap and enable seamless collaboration between people working remotely and those in the office. As workers split their time between home and office, hot desking (co-working) systems are also seeing traction to maximize space efficiency and reduce redundant office spaces.
This further calls for enterprise solutions and applications that are device and location agnostic. Whether an organization is a hybrid workplace skeptic or evangelist, one thing is true for sure, hybrid work is going to be the modus operandi going forward
The Educational Workplace
The last several months have seen an unprecedented bulk exit of employees from the workforce. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 47 million Americans voluntarily quit their jobs in the year 2021.
So how can organizations combat this challenge and protect themselves from this wave of great resignation? Employers who invest in human capital by enabling employee training and development programs are well-placed to stay ahead of the curve. Several organizations are leveraging AI and ML to provide customized learning experiences for every employee, based on the challenges they face in their role, their career aspirations, and their personal preferences. An AI-powered training program is highly adaptive, and the modules can be modified based on employee age, gender, cultural background, etc.
For instance, the current workforce has 4 generations of employees. Generation X will be more comfortable with video tutorials while Generation Z will garner more value with gamified lessons. By showing employees that leaders truly care for their growth and development, employers can set themselves apart as a great place to work and enhance their retention rates.
The Meta Workplace
We have lately witnessed a breakthrough in innovation with the introduction of the concept of Metaverse. The Metaverse - a collection of immersive 3D digital worlds - is becoming more than an elusive buzzword. By 2030, it’s anticipated that 5 billion people will interact on the Metaverse taking the total addressable market up to $13 Trillion, according to a report by Citi.
Organizations may also adopt the use of VR headsets during meetings to offer a completely immersive experience. These are exciting new ways of doing business and an incredible approach to keeping employees happy and engaged. Metaverse is a transformative innovation that will revolutionize the way we communicate and collaborate in the future.
Conclusion
To conclude, technology is a major influencer in the workplace, and its impact can hardly be overstated. However, digital transformation isn’t just about investing in the latest technological trends. Instead, it is about understanding the unique requirements and issues faced by the employees of an organization and then implementing the right solutions to address those needs in such a way, that it helps employees manage their work easily.
We at HCL realize that innovation helps forward-thinking companies replace organizations that fail to adapt to technological advances. Hence, we have created a portfolio of revolutionary products which transforms IT and business operations by leveraging AI and the cloud. One such product in the digital workplace domain is DRYiCE BigFix AEX.
DRYiCE BigFix AEX is an end-to-end digital workplace solution that transforms employee experience and fosters productivity while optimizing costs through AI, automation, and self-help capabilities. With BigFix AEX, enterprises improve employees’ digital dexterity and drive higher business results.
