For every industry today there is an element of transition currently under way. The influence of technology, in particular, has been having a profound impact on the way that we work, from what it takes to get ahead in business, to the processes and techniques that make up what a workplace is in the modern world. There are some key developments taking place that are likely to influence how the evolution of the contemporary workplace continues.
Ongoing learning and development
In years gone by, employees might develop narrow skill sets supported by a weight of experience and activity relating specifically to those abilities. Today, it’s not possible, either for workers or employers, to rely purely on this approach in terms of the way it contributes to the business. Although speciality knowledge and the ability to leverage this for the company is still highly valued there is also much more of an emphasis today on ongoing learning and development. Employability now also means being able to continue to learn, broaden out a skill set and acquire new abilities that are not necessarily linked to a current position.
The influence of automation
Automation is a great efficiency driver but has not been met with enthusiasm across the board. Statistics, such as those from McKinsey that automation could eliminate up to 800 million jobs by 2030, don’t help to increase its popularity. However, there is real potential for automation to contribute, not just to efficiency and cost saving, but also to creating more space for human resourcefulness and enterprise – and that’s why it’s likely to have such a hand in the evolution of the modern workplace.
Automation has the capacity to take on the more mundane and repetitive processes, gathering vast amounts of data at the same time that can be incredibly useful when it comes to generating actionable insights. Integration of automation enables workers to be freed up from these low skilled tasks so that they are able to add value elsewhere in the business, often in places where machine learning is not yet capable, such as strategy, innovation and creativity.
The multigenerational workforce
From Traditionalists to Generation Z, today the modern workplace has more age diversity than ever before. The range of influences this can exert, as well as the expectations it creates, is a unique challenge for today’s employers. Millennials make up the biggest group when it comes to recruitment, which means that businesses have to consider factors such as work life balance and flexibility, as well as pay and benefits.
Remote working
Not every industry can accommodate remote working but in those where it fits it is becoming an increasingly popular approach. 63% of companies now have remote workers and more than two thirds of workers are doing this at least once a week. Remote working needs to be specifically tailored to the needs of an individual business to be successful, as it’s not a one size fits all solution. In particular, it’s crucial to take into account internal processes and the technology available to make remote working effective.
The workplace is evolving at considerable speed today and technology is having a big influence. At RG Group we are always interested in patterns and trends, both in our own industry and others too. Get in touch to discuss your project today.
