Since the global pandemic that had hit us last year, not only workplaces but also work culture has transformed significantly to accommodate the new normal. It has played a pivotal role in accelerating the already evolving skills landscape in India. It made enterprises realize that human capital is at the core of any business, and their needs for upskilling and reskilling cannot be overlooked.
In light of ever-changing business scenarios, organisations are now increasingly adopting digital transformation and focusing on capability-building initiatives. Here are five workplace trends that have emerged, and are transforming workplaces in the post pandemic era:
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Also Read: 4 ways in which CFOs will change in the post-pandemic Digital Age
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Hybrid Workplaces – Businesses have started to return to “business as usual” with an understanding that work culture can never go back to what it was. The remote working model has not only compelled employees to upgrade their skillsets but also evolve their needs and requirements. Hence, the new reality for 2021 and beyond is hybrid work, which supports both workforce – physical and remote. Employees are demanding a hybrid workplace that prioritizes flexibility. It provides employees with the best of both worlds – physical and virtual, and further allows them to strike a balance between their personal and professional lives.
AI-Augmented Workforce – Businesses across the globe are rethinking workplace and collaboration. As per the Remote Work & Compensation Pulse Survey in May 2021, 48% of employees have expressed a desire to be fully remote, 44% have favoured the hybrid working arrangements. Among employers, 51% support the hybrid work model, while only 5% mention fully remote work as a possibility. To work in such a scenario, the workforce needs to be comfortable with automation and other new-age technologies such as cloud and AI. Enterprises are striving to create an atmosphere, where humans and machines can work side-by-side at a shared workplace, enhancing the abilities of the human workforce. The increasing proliferation of intelligent automation into the workplace is taking away a lot of tedious, repetitive work, freeing up employees to focus on more valuable tasks and enhancing the nature of their roles.
Virtual Communication – Empowering the hybrid workforce with strong virtual communication and collaboration tools has become a necessity. The total global market for virtual communication is estimated at around USD 9 Billion in 2020, and the market is expected to grow to around USD 21 Billion by 2028. The CAGR of the market is accounted at around 5.92%. Videoconferencing market is expected to be the fastest growing market from around USD 4 billion in 2020 to USD 6.5 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 7.48%. Majority of cloud services providers are offering sophisticated virtual collaboration tools for hybrid workforces to seamlessly connect with team member and customers.
Digitization and Skilling – To keep up with new normal, digitization has become inevitable. The legacy infrastructure cannot support the evolving needs of today’s businesses and workforces. This has completely altered the hiring and skilling processes of enterprises. Upskilling and reskilling have now become business essentials and imperatives. This has compelled HR leaders to modernize their ways of hiring and training the talent.
The new normal is here to stay and businesses across the globe need to transform themselves to keep up with it. Enterprises need to invest in new-age technologies, at the same time pay attention to the training and skilling requirements of their employees. The new trends that have emerged in the corporate world will not only reinvent the future of workplaces but also make it more sustainable.
