The latest work dynamics companies need to adapt to as soon as possible
AlfaPeople |
May 20, 2019

The latest work dynamics companies need to adapt to as soon as possible

The fast-changing world we live in ? where digital trumps analog ? brings with it a series of new corporate paradigms. Work has become more flexible and mobile thanks to collaborative work platforms and the simplification of tools to access resources and establish professional communications between teams and third parties. Technology is responding to these changes with apps created to meet the growing challenges and endless possibilities that technology is delivering to human resources.

The main traits of these new “workplaces”

Digital transformation not only brings changes to workflows and organizational culture, it also influences the value and meaning people attribute to their work. Remote work, the cohabitation of people from different generations in the same company, burnout and hyperconnectivity, define how, when and where duties are performed. For human resources, identifying an employee or collaborator?s needs and expectations is fundamental. It determines the strategy a company uses to attract, hire and retain the very best talent and ensure alignment between staff and the company?s overall corporate culture.

Current labor models and project development methodologies favor collaboration. Companies must have offer open workspaces that allow for the development of strong group dynamics. However, they cannot overlook the need for individual environments, where employees can isolate themselves from distraction.

Given the high volume of information they manage on both a social and professional level every day, it is no wonder that employees can quickly get distracted. Naturally, their productivity deteriorates as a result. Employees need to find a balance between moments of hyperconnectivity with digital disconnection. New workplaces are merging design, selection of building materials and acoustics to encourage concentration and avoid interruptions or distractions. Work teams.

Remote work or home office: tearing down traditional ideas about employment

The importance currently attributed to balancing work and personal life has led job hunters to seek roles that allow them to work from home or remotely. This is a growing trend worldwide. In fact, according to a Gallup report, between 2012 and 2016, the percentage of the workforce working remotely climbed from 39% to 43%, proving that current work paradigms are shifting.

Companies considering remote work for their employees must first understand the impact of this model on productivity, set clear objectives, predefine solid KPIs and ensure the right infrastructure is in place. Trust is also a key component; employees must enjoy the use of multiple communication channels and a strong support network. Compliance with these norms is partly why this employment model is becoming a trend right now.

Your employees: more diverse than ever?

Studies suggest that by 2025 millennials will make up approximately 75% of the workforce. This generation, which includes people born between 1980 and 1990, has well-defined expectations regarding where and how they want to work.

Firstly, millennials tend to seek jobs with meaning and purpose, which means they lean towards companies that share a similar value system ? in other words, a place where they can develop their full potential even on an existential or philosophical level. They also express enthusiasm about working at companies which use innovative technology but, on the contrary, can get frustrated if they have to use outdated systems.

Yet workplaces are not just comprised of millennials. Older generations still remain active: studies suggest that in 2024 25% of employees will be over the age of 55. While this will certainly give way to a significantly more diversified workforce, it remains to be seen what type of consequences will emerge from intergenerationally. There is no doubt that each group has different work values, perceptions of authority and a different perspective of life in general. To avoid conflicts within teams, leadership and management must understand the values that motivate each group, create management techniques that satisfy each generation?s needs, and develop training programs that allow all workers to feel empowered and competent.

Challenges companies must face with this new workforce

According to a Gallup analysis, only one third of employees in the United States feels committed to their job and only one in five is motivated to do an outstanding job. Company leadership and management must therefore create human resource strategies based on horizontal communication and the development of talent attraction and retention techniques which form part of an inclusive organizational culture.

In order to select and attract qualified employees and create effective retention strategies, companies can rest on technologies like Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Talent, an outstanding solution for managing human resources and achieving high-impact corporate results.

The needs of the contemporary workforce continue to be redefined on a daily basis. This means companies must conduct in-depth analysis to develop proper attraction and retention strategies that satisfy employees and collaborators and build stronger work teams.