Not long ago, we envisioned the future of work to be a future where work can be done anywhere. Whether that means working from home or that coffee shop around the corner, the vision was work is not about the place that you go but it is what you do. Fast forward to today, and we are currently living in what we thought could only happen in the distant future. While it is hard to imagine what will happen in 2022, here are some things that you can be prepared for:
Welcome to the Era of Choice
With the world slowly opening up, employees can now go for a face to face meeting in the office and come back home to continue working. So, the biggest change of all is the fact that employees now have the choice to leverage the best of both online and offline worlds. They can also go to the office for several hours or select days, and work from home when there is a need to do so. The choice is there for them to make.
Gone are the days of early morning commutes and various team meetings on a full day in office. Today, work is also happening in the kitchen, dining table or for someone like me, in my home office. With meetings done virtually and full-scale projects being managed remotely, how we work has changed forever.
What does this mean for business leaders then? Going into 2022, it is imperative for leaders to provide employees with the freedom to work. So, no matter where they are – at home or at some point in the office – they can engage, collaborate and positively contribute to the broader working environment on a united platform. To do so, leaders need to make sure that they have the right technology in place – one that is robust, secure and truly connected.
Quality Social Interactions Matter – Meet the Born Digitals
Not only the way we worked has changed, the workforce has also evolved. We are now transitioning into the world of the Born Digitals. Defined as consisting of Millennials (born 1981 to 1996) and Generation Z (born after 1997), Born Digitals are the first generation to experience the evolution of the digital world. As the generation that is expected to form the majority of the workforce in the next decade, these young employees are different from previous generations in that they have only ever known a tech driven world of work. In fact, the youngest among them, who began their careers during the pandemic, have only ever known a world where remote work was the norm.
We recently conducted a study to better understand the work preferences of the Born Digital generation in Singapore. In our The Born Digital Effect study, we found that the majority of Born Digital workers support the idea of flexible and hybrid work arrangements even once the pandemic-related restrictions are lifted (87 percent) and that they would like to be given the opportunity to work two days from the office (39 percent). Despite their strong belief towards hybrid and flexible work arrangements, the Born Digitals also identified three challenges that could arise when transitioning to such models:
- Visibility (52 percent) – Those in office will be more “connected” to the team than those not in office
- Collaboration (51 percent) – Those working virtually may miss out on vital informal information
- Exclusion (46 percent) – Some members might miss out on meetings and information sharing
While there is clearly a strong preference for remote work, Born Digital workers in Singapore also recognize the importance of quality social interactions and they aim to leverage workplace technology to stay connected in a hybrid or remote environment.
As we look towards understanding how the future of work will look like, it is important for business leaders to take into account this new generation. The Born Digital generation is after all the future and as such, finding the best ways to support them will be crucial in unlocking their potential for many years to come.
Turbo-Charging Innovation with Freedom and Flexibility
According to The Era of Hyper Innovation research, worldwide investments in new technology and flexible work models over the last year has fueled US$678 billion in revenue across multiple industries. The research also indicates that such exponential growth has been driven by hybrid work models, which has allowed distributed and collaborative innovation to flourish anywhere and in any environment.
If the pandemic has proven anything, it’s that innovation can happen anywhere. Even in the absence of face-to-face communication, the data shows that employees have found new ways to connect and share their ideas. In fact, about 93% of those polled believe that increased digital collaboration has led to more diverse voices from across the organization being heard and a greater range of ideas being surfaced. Around 80% of respondents also say they have come up with more creative ideas during the pandemic as they have had more free time to think.
It is clear to see that the future of work is evolving. Never before has there been such a huge shift in the way people view and do their jobs. Ultimately, as business leaders we are in the driver’s seat of this transformation and the power to mold the future of work lies in being able to empower employees to do their best work, supported with the right technology and work models.
