Introduction to Workplace Culture
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a plethora of change in the business world and their operations at large. People slowly started to adapt to the changing environment and were able to evolve with it. As a leader, one must be aware of these changes and developments that are taking place in the workplace. Understanding these developments will help an organization’s smooth transition. This is especially true when it comes to the well-being of the employees.
Factors Contributing to Bringing About a Change in the Work Front
Digitalization of the Recruitment Process
Against the backdrop of Covid, technology has evolved the way the recruitment process is done. The recruitment process has been automated in the present scenario – from shortlisting candidates to scheduling interviews. Advanced features like an applicant tracking system and easier mobile accessibility have enabled candidates to experience an easier process. These processes have helped hire better candidates in less time-consuming methods and low-value tasks.
Management of Diversity and Inclusion Through Improved Connectivity and Employee Support
Several factors on the work front may bring out a change in the work culture. An organization with the right set of tools can manage a diverse workforce through improved connectivity, training of an employee, and providing them with support through technology. These management tools must be used right from when an employee is recruited – by providing them opportunities for personal growth, professional skill building, and training. In addition, providing open communication channels helps create a more secure and efficient workplace. This allows a better flow of communication between teams and creates an opportunity for bonding.
Another driver of change is the inclusion of different age groups of employees. This has assisted organizations in developing a work culture that is inclusive while promoting mutual respect for various communities. Here, the inclusion of cultural diversity and equity plays an important role in the workplace. An employee feedback tool in the form of redressal is also essential in an organization. Here employers can easily engage with their employees with conversational surveys to address concerns regarding racism, sexism, or favoritism. The tool can be designed in a way to solve sensitive issues, irrespective of gender and cultural background so that all employees can express their views by remaining anonymous.
Surging ‘Work From Home’ Culture and Its Impact
Covid propelled many advancements in businesses and injected modern ways of learning. A drastic change was seen in how organizations worked with the introduction of the culture of work-from-home and hybrid work structure. Many researchers have pointed out the advantages of the hybrid work mode that benefits employees and employers. A flexible work structure promotes and facilitates work-life balance among employees. A well-balanced employee schedule will yield productivity results as they will not be stressed.
Use of Technology to Curb Moonlighting and Retain Employees
With the onset of technology, the traditional role of an organization is constantly changing at every stage of the employment cycle. However, organizations are still struggling to leverage the benefits of the technology in hand. And because of this, employees tend to seek other opportunities to help them grow. Thus, resulting in the phenomenon of “moonlighting.” Employees indulged in moonlighting are often less productive in their primary responsibilities. This has had a negative impact on the organizational bottom line.
Now, the question arises of how to prevent moonlighting in employees and possible ways to retain them. Employee retention is important for an organization to grow.
Retaining employees helps businesses save money by reducing talent acquisition costs. One can opt for a wide range of Human Capital Management tools and work on filling the necessary gaps that have compelled employees to increase moonlighting. These tools often substitute the manual aspects of management and streamline the entire process by offering a better employee experience, simplifying HR operations and improving employee analytics. Here, the focus keyword is ‘the candidate experience.’ With better employee experience, chances are they will have a greater sense of job satisfaction and minimize any chances of turnover or moonlighting in the near future.
Generation of Employment Opportunities
Following hybrid work, the structure has also generated employment opportunities for many job seekers. This virtual workspace has enabled the Human Resource team to hire more people without having any geographical boundaries. This work fusion has led to managers confronting new realities, and on the part of employees, it has offered them more choices.
Upskilling of knowledge with E-learning
To grow in the long term, organizations need to provide employees with the right opportunities. When employees learn and upskill, it expands their vision and knowledge, allowing them to become more proficient at their jobs. So, providing the workforce with opportunities to upskill increases the chances of retaining top employees. In this case, businesses must invest in allowing employees to take professional courses and encourage them to enroll in different virtual learning platforms. In the long run, this will help the employees understand the need of the growing corporate world while enabling organizations to become more profitable using the employees’ potential.
Addition of Health and Wellness of Employees’ Engagement Tools
In addition to the existing work culture, the health and wellness of the employees must also be taken into account while designing the workplace’s structure. All businesses must consider their employees’ physical and mental health. Events, standard working hours, and recognizing the employees’ efforts help businesses retain their best employees. And with technological advancements, organizations can explore a plethora of tools and platforms that focus on maintaining good employee wellness. The best thing about these tools is that while maintaining a healthy schedule, it can also incentivize the employees’ efforts. In the long run, this enhances their productivity and promotes a healthy work environment.
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A Shift From Basic Human Interaction to the Increasing Role of AI
AI or artificial intelligence is a new technology that is still unexplored but will play a vital role in improving an organization’s data analytics which will help improve performance. On top of that, with the functionality of AI, organizations can improve their overall recruitment process. As per studies, the use of Artificial Intelligence in businesses will increase significantly from 40 % to 80% in the next couple of years. AI helps an organization identify an employee in-depth, especially during the onboarding process, and minimizes the use of human supervision.
For instance, a potential employee who has applied for a position in the organization can easily communicate with chatbots without human supervision. This is beneficial for both parties – employees as well as employers. This raises the question of job security, as technology is replacing human jobs. Thus, to ensure job security, employers need to improve employees’ emotional and social skills, which machines cannot replace.
Cloud-Based HR Tools
To keep a tab on employee’s quality of work, cloud-based HR systems are now becoming a popular tool for organizations. These tools not only help employees who are working remotely by offering them solutions but also increase productivity and make well-informed decisions by accessing real-time data of employees. The cloud-based HR tools are generally easy to use and are accessible globally, thus allowing a seamless flow of work.
Gearing up Technological Advancements to Ensure Cybersecurity
Another point that must be noted is the increased rate of cyber threats and attacks, which has resulted in companies focusing more on cyber security. With the increased number of people working remotely from different corners of the world, companies must invest in cyber security to prevent cyber crimes and deal with security challenges that may come along the way.
Usage of Technology in the Coming Years and How It Aims to Transform the Workplace Culture
In the coming year of 2023, companies must aim to improve communication to bridge the gap between employers and employees. Communication is the key to managing a good workflow within the organization. Thus, to communicate, one must use the right business tool, as it can serve as a bonus to strategizing your overall performance. In terms of employee wellness, using a tool that is low in cost and easily accessible by all helps improve the overall quality of the workforce in terms of their health. This must not be confined to the onboarding process but also during the de-boarding of an employee.
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Therefore, for any organization to grow, serving the workforce using the right technological tool is vital in maintaining a healthy balance and status quo between the employers and the employees at large. Thus, with technology seeping into the world of organizations, traditional offices are becoming less relevant. If used correctly, technological tools can play a significant role in an organization by becoming more cost-effective, efficient, and agile.