There can be no escaping how the workplace is evolving. It is shifting into an AI digital-driven age, where talent is going to be harder to find, and collaboration with teams across the world is going to be commonplace.
With this in mind, what is the future work environment going to look like? Read on to find out.
Collaboration to Improve and Excel
One inescapable trend is how collaboration is optimising. It is no longer limited to the boardroom or office. With more and more people working from home it has become apparent that businesses need digital workplace solutions whereby exchanging files, ideas, and working on projects remotely is the go-to option.
Before lockdowns, there were some very good collaboration tools on the market that when combined with cloud-based solutions optimise workflow and productivity.
These tools are going to prove invaluable going forward.
Attracting Top Talent is Getting Harder
The feeling is that the power dynamic in the workplace is shifting to the employees. They’re asking questions such as what am I doing this for? How can I do it better? As such, getting a person who knows what they are doing and is able to take the reins and drive a business forward is more in demand than ever.
This shift in power means the better leaders are going to be able to offer aspects such as remote working and flexibility and yet still get the job done. In a way, this ties into better collaboration options between a team that is going to be mission-critical going forward.
Integrated Systems
System integration has been a bugbear of many organisations around the world. Often, companies have an off-the-shelf solution that is very good at one thing, and another which is very good at doing something else. The problem is one doesn’t talk to the other and this slows down productivity.
As such, many firms are looking for bespoke solutions which work the way they want to, and not the other way round. Adopting companies are seeing better productivity, profits, and growth. In the future, off-the-shelf software solutions are going to be far more flexible to compete with the growing bespoke software solution market.
Sustainability
The UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance and Former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney recently wrote about businesses and sustainability: “If multinational companies focus on their emissions all the way across their value chain… reductions can be pulled through economies and across the world.”
The bottom line is that sustainability is no longer a choice. If businesses can’t demonstrate a commitment to it, they will go under. As such, businesses showing how green they are is going to be universal in a very short space of time.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robots (Not invasions)
From doing Know Your Customer (KYC) checks to picking orders and driving your car in the not too distant future, the rise of AI and robotics is already a thing that will escalate. At the moment, robotics is largely confined to industry but soon one could be helping you at the supermarket. Meanwhile, developments in AI could see a world where everything you buy has been designed not by man/woman but by machine.
The future is with us today. Blink, and you’ll miss it.