The past few years have ensured that technology will be the mainstay for determining what the future workplace will look like. This has also helped us recognize how unique the notion of hybrid work is to each of us. However, it brings with it a sense of overwhelming change and the opportunity to reinvent our relationship with work. Whether it's a senior executive switching from in-person meetings to video conferences or a creative employee turning an idea into a reality, technology tools, workspaces, policies, and information flow should not limit possibilities. To fuel the way you work best, workplaces should be intelligently built with collaboration and productivity in mind.

Maintaining a perfect mix of efficiency, customization, and security will be critical for firms looking to provide a positive employee experience. However, given that we've established that hybrid work is the new normal, the question is how organizations can create sustainable hybrid work arrangements that will help them flourish in the long run. One of the most prominent themes in this virtual work environment is the significance of smart technology in unlocking new potential for businesses of all sizes. To allow this, keep in mind that what worked in the past may not be the best solution now. That is why we are reimagining what the next work-technology relationship should look like.

It is critical for businesses to create a customized model that is best suited to their needs. More importantly, they must strike the optimum balance between flexibility and consistency by investing in the essential infrastructure and technological advancements. We live in a time when Zoom and Teams calls have largely replaced in-person meetings, where our kitchen has occasionally replaced the conference room.

When it comes to office spaces and technological infrastructure, this opens up new possibilities and considerations for IT managers and facilities teams. This entails integrating wireless charging technologies, clever software applications, and creative features in order to create a unique, seamless experience. As information is no longer restricted to a physical area, security is a major problem when teams share critical data. It is time for companies to assess how they handle employee device security.

Another focus area for enterprises will be to foster a culture in which people are actively encouraged to learn, develop, and cooperate with one another. As leaders go forward in a hybrid world, they must tackle the rise of split cultures between employees who work in the office and those who work remotely. Moreover, the job market has shown dynamic waves in the last couple of years, from the great resignation to the great recruitment and now the industry-wide layoffs. According to statistics compiled from LinkedIn and leading business job boards, India's white-collar employment market registered 330,000 active job opportunities in May, the largest number in the last 30 months. Nevertheless, flexible engagement forms remained popular, with remote and hybrid positions recording their greatest tallies over a two-year period, accounting for 16% of total prospects.

Companies are now seeing great possibilities in the metaverse, a fictitious version of the internet where people — and their avatars — socialize. Banking firm Jeffries predicts that the metaverse will “cause the biggest disruption to human life ever seen.” Meanwhile, Meta, previously Facebook, planned to spend $10 billion last year alone on constructing metaverse components such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI). As a result, upskilling demand is anticipated to rise further this year as concepts like Web 3.0 and the metaverse take centerstage, offering new job opportunities for developers, engineers, and innovators all around the world.

Things may never be the same again, but people can and do change when called upon. We're doing it right now as we break old behaviors and learn new ones. Both old and new technologies can be innovated and reinvented to help us create rewarding experiences, widen our reach, and enhance our knowledge. Hence, employees will look to their employers to help them rethink what the future of work looks like as workplaces continue to transform. Consequently, actions taken by companies will have a significant influence on productivity, culture, and wellbeing.

Image

-Geetika Goel, Technology Head, Hero Vired