The Transformation of the Workplace…
Why providing a 21st Century workplace could be easier than you think.
Are we all still “going to work”?
Born out of the Industrial age, the notion of “going to work” was about arriving at a specific place of work, at a specific time and working on a task with the same group of people. Over time, as result of management theory, materials and technology, the workplace evolved to provide constantly improving working conditions, more efficient, less labour-intensive processes and even the introduction of simple employee benefit schemes to motivate employees when good working conditions had become a given.
However, on the whole, employees still carried out their hours of work at a designated location and “Management” was a function that was largely undertaken with the control that is afforded when employees can be seen carrying out their tasks. In the last decade or so, however, the steady evolution of the workplace has morphed into radical transformation and the notion of us all “going to work” has been rocked.
What is the definition of the workplace today?
Well, there isn’t one! It definitely isn’t the figment of late 20th Century futuristic films where you might expect a highly sophisticated robot to approach your desk with a coffee menu! Depending on the industry and type of work in question, the workplace for some continues to be a specific location at a specific time to do a specific task, for others it’s a specific location at flexible times providing they put in the required hours, and then for a growing percentage of the working population, the workplace is anytime, anywhere providing they have the right equipment and access to Wi-Fi!
What is influencing this change to working practice?
The influences on the notion of “going to work” as we know it are threefold;-
The Globalisation of the business world has forced a change in working practices as it has brought about the necessity to work and therefore communicate with colleagues or customers in other time zones, requiring employees to be available and able to work way outside of the traditional working hours of 9-5pm. As a result of business globalisation, the number of jobs requiring the individual to travel extensively has also increased hugely in recent years, and as a consequence so has the requirement to be able to work on a train or from a hotel room on the other side of the world.
The need to re-establish some work-life balance – Many modern jobs require incredibly long hours and therefore the transforming nature of the workplace can be partly attributed to the employees themselves who have pushed for more flexible working conditions in order to effectively manage their heavy workload without neglecting their responsibilities in other areas of their lives.
The Millennials – For the older generations the digital era has brought about a way of working to which they have adapted, but for the Millennials “digital” is a way of life! These Milllenials, now in their 20s and 30s are fast becoming the largest group of employees in large and small companies alike. They are neither lacking in digital confidence nor work-shy and as a result many of them are making their mark, ascending the career ladder at a remarkable pace and defining the workplace along the way. In this digital age, these individuals have power and influence well beyond that which their more senior colleagues are likely to have had at the same point in their careers. They want a “flexible” approach to work and they are likely to get it, their definition of “flexible” being the ability to work remotely and on their own clock rather than being confined to the traditional notions of “going to work” and “the working day.”
As a result of the shift in working patterns, coupled with the demands of modern family life and the expectations of the most recent generation to the join the workforce, the optimal workplace for many modern businesses is not so much the state of the art buildings with robots bringing a choice of coffee but more the anytime, anywhere workplace made possible with mobile technology and communication that gives employees the flexibility and mobility to do their job effectively wherever they need to be.
How Let’s Connect facilitate the provision of the optimal workplace for the 21st Century without costing you a penny!
Let’s Connect is a leading employee benefits provider, offering a range of fully managed home technology and Smartphone schemes to medium and large organisations in the UK. We can give you the opportunity to offer employees the latest, highly desirable home technology products from Apple, Samsung and HP, or the latest Smartphones and mobile phones with great air-time contracts, whilst allowing them to make savings using a convenient salary sacrifice benefits arrangement. The schemes are fully-managed by us and cost neutral to you, the employer.
Embrace the inevitable transformation of the workplace and support your employees in their need or desire to work more flexibly by offering the tools necessary to do their job effectively but in the 21st Century way. Talk to Let’s Connect today!
If you are interested in finding out more about the schemes we offer, take a look at our Benefits Page or contact us on 0330 2000 231 – we would be very happy to provide you with more information and answer any questions you may have.
