Shaping our Work Futures
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After enduring a year of the pandemic, now with a pinprick of light at the end of the tunnel - the way we work, shop and learn has eventually adapted and it’s unlikely that it will ever return to the way it was before.
These changes have been on the precipice of reality for years, with the pandemic accelerating the change into action. The way we shop has also been teetering on the brink of being led by e-commerce with the decline of the high street and the demand for digital leaders like Amazon, with lockdown finally pushing reluctant consumers online.
Similarly with workplaces. Research shows that the 9-5 office and gruelling commute has been an unsustainable way of life for a long time and becoming archaic considering the communication technology now available at our fingertips. For people and organisations to survive the new ways of doing business, we have to make well-informed decisions quickly and adapt immediately. At Handy AV, we have experienced how the needs of workplaces have evolved over the last 12 months and how successful businesses are embracing change to engage and motivate their employees with seamless flexible working solutions.
The ‘new’ technologies
Lockdown and new ‘working from home’ rules meant that centralised working became redundant practically overnight in March 2020 accelerating the need for cloud-based workspaces to enable people to access and collaborate securely from anywhere.
Phone calls suddenly feel antiquated compared to the endless functionality of collaborative video conferencing platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom which saw tremendous growth during the pandemic. Microsoft Teams has even opened its meeting platform to third-party apps, such as Polly, Open Agora, Miro, iCIMS, and HireVue, so users have access to more tools during meetings to help them work seamlessly and efficiently.
The pandemic has also seen an increase in employees using their own devices and software solutions to interact with co-workers as they’ve been forced to work from home, sourcing alternatives to office-based hardware. The ‘Bring (or Use) Your Own Device’ (BYOD) culture, has resulted in an increase in efficiency as it creates a more agile workforce where employees can use their own laptops and mobile phones to work collaboratively - wherever they choose to work.
Employing tools for collaboration are proven to boost creativity, productivity and strategic thinking. Ingredients for all ambitious businesses. Boundaries no longer exist when effective communication and collaboration are working in harmony. Location, language, currency and time zone are no longer obstacles in the way of achieving great, unified results.
Ultimately…
Managing the shift to remote working and employee flexibility can have two outcomes. Negative – a corporate culture that is resistant to change results in a demotivated team without the tools to work effectively, ultimately causing a decrease in productivity. And positive, where a business that embraces new technologies enables its employees to do their best work, and communicate and collaborate with their team and customers wherever they are.
Sustainable working environments for the agile workforce of tomorrow result in increased productivity, innovation, and most importantly - an engaged and motivated team, despite or perhaps in spite of, global disruption.
Ben Oram is Chief Technology Officer at Handy AV
