Workplace and Workforce 2020 Forward
Key Insights
- COVID-19 has accelerated transitions long in the making. Enterprises have been forced to act more quickly than they ever imagined, and they’ve been pleased by how their investments paid off and how quickly their people adjusted
- Technology has been successful in enabling sustained productivity, but the next challenge is in the “soft skills.” Executives and managers who are not so comfortable with digital interactions, need to quickly win their black belts in how to build relationships in a mostly-virtual world
- Digital can be more effective than physical, if human contact can be maintained. Both digital and physical processes need to exist in parallel to effectively meet various needs, but it seems best if they don’t exist in the same space — hybrid meetings typically don’t work very well
- Productivity can be maintained, but what about culture? Purpose, principles and technology are holding companies together under stress, but companies must find a way to sustain and develop their unique identities and missions in an all-online world
- Enterprises have an increased obligation to give all employees work that is both safe and meaningful. Leadership and the human touch are key, now more than ever, to get the best from and for every person — which will include expectations of increased personalization and flexibility in employee journeys
- Executives and IT hold the responsibility to embrace, rather than resist, the new. Companies won’t completely cease to have physical presences, but the world is never going back to how it was. Leaders need to combine technology with frequent and transparent communications to evolve the mostly-digital employee experience