Paving the Way to Thrive in the Future Workspaces
The pandemic has fundamentally altered how businesses operate by getting everyone to adapt to remote working. With digital adoptions and structural transformations in the traditional work models, organizations evolved, as the pandemic taught firms to focus on the resource that matters the most; “PEOPLE”.
Adopting a People-first Approach
The pandemic renewed the focus on the ‘people’ element. While the HR department has always been responsible for productivity, efficiency, and performance, understanding and addressing the challenges faced by their employees is also important. The need to create a people-first culture in the workplaces has become more imperative than ever.
Corporations endeavor to support their employees better, especially during these uncertain times. Several reputed multinational firms introduced facilities like Covid-19 Medical Advisory Helpline available in multiple languages for virtual consultations with medical practitioners, along with other essential resources to support employees’ physical and mental wellbeing.
Businesses should consider creating policies that put more focus on their employees’ wellbeing and experience and ones that help develop new attitudes and values to create a positive work environment.
Expanding the Role of CHROs
Amidst the unprecedented business changes that were triggered by the pandemic, CHRO’s role in the organization has expanded manifold. CHROs are the essence of any firm’s C-suite as they continue to work on institutional strategies, providing employees with extra mental and physical health support, and ensuring high levels of employee engagement and productivity. They are paving the way for strategic growth across executive decisions related to recruitment, training, talent management, employee engagement and recognition programs, etc.
CHROs and HR Teams in today’s day and age, act as engines of change, driving companies towards a more agile, digital managerial structure, from the traditional systems that were more rigid. With newer, evolved strategies, companies can effectively address the ever-expanding need to understand and address talent needs and adjust to a variety of employment arrangements to achieve business goals.
Adoption of New HR Technologies
There has been a meteoric rise in HR technology options available. With employers and employees turning towards technology to optimize and transform their organizations and experiences, HR tech has grown into a $148 billion market.
New technology is constantly improving the efficiency of HR departments by giving them access to detailed insights that can help identify pain points and offer data on all possible metrics. These tools have endless potential and can help drill down on specific numbers around employee engagement or payroll and improve transparency and communication within the organization.
Technology has enabled all new-age employee experiences to be delivered seamlessly, in a compliant manner.
Direct and Deep Involvement with Employees
According to a Gallup survey, employees with healthy relationships in the workplaces.
are more engaged and productive. However, building personal relationships with employees, especially the new hires, is still evolving in the virtual workspace.
Digitization accompanied by remote work situations, along with the adoption of strategies like remote performance management has disrupted the human connect, leading to a certain level of disengagement amongst employees. However, in this new age of hybrid work models, these same strategies can potentially be rewired to allow more direct and deep interaction between employees and employers.
Rebuilding human connections and forging new relationships, while also maintaining digital transformation, is important, alongside creating an environment where employee and employer experience go hand in hand. Workspaces of the future are not just to strengthen the existing working conditions but also to portray employee engagement v/s experience as the foundation of a robust business approach.
