The modern workplace is a brand-new world. Only a couple of decades ago, the average work environment was a world away from what we know today, with filing cabinets and paperwork everywhere, meetings in congested rooms where attendees had to be physically present, and a business phone on every desk.
Now, the rise of technology trends like collaboration tools, cloud computing, and even artificial intelligence has transformed the way that professionals interact, not just with each other, but customers too. Everything is omnichannel, connected, and packed-full of important data to gather and learn from. What’s more, today’s talent doesn’t have to be actively present to be productive, with remote workers leading to greater results for lower operating costs.
Digitisation: The Business World Reimagined
While there’s still plenty of legacy technology and old-fashioned equipment lurking in some older companies, it’s the brands with the ability to be agile in this digitally-transforming world that stay ahead of the curve. Natively digital organisations have nothing holding them back, that means that they can embrace versatile cloud technology and evolve at a pace that suits them, without breaking the bank.
Of course, like any transformation, unlocking the power of the digital world in your company requires the entire firm to embrace a new way of doing business – often fundamentally different from traditional methods. For instance, rather than using desk phones and email to communicate with people in your team, an agile digital company might switch to instant messaging, video conferencing, and collaboration tools.
Going Digital in a Multi-Generational Workplace
The key to success in the modern business environment is making sure that your workers are engaged. One of the factors that have driven such a widespread use of digital technologies in the world today, is the fact that we have more digitally-native people in the industry. We’re living in a world where more virtually-savvy individuals are entering the workforce, such as millennials, and generation Z. While the balance of generations in your business might differ depending on the vertical you work in, the chances are that you’ll begin to see more millennial talent in your pool in the years ahead.
Based on some statistics from PWC, around 50% of the global workforce will be comprised of millennials by the time we hit 2020. As people who grew up with things like social media, smartphones, and internet connectivity, millennials are often the driving force behind digitization in this new evolving workplace. They’re also the people most likely to crave the flexible schedules that come from new digital initiatives like cloud-based software and mobile working. Indeed, statistics show that 85% of millennials would prefer to telecommute 100% of the time.
Driving the Digital Workforce
The world as we know it is constantly changing, with innovative minds consistently searching for new and improved ways to contribute to more efficient and convenient working life. The digital workforce is simply an extension of this quest for improved business experiences, driven by new possibilities in the technology sector, and new demands from the digitally-native professionals of the day.
To appeal to staff who expect to be able to access the technology solutions to accomplish their goals, today’s companies need to find a way to become more flexible and scalable if they want to future-proof their organisation. No matter how big or small a company might be, no-one can avoid the rise of the digital workplace forever.
