In the third podcast of the “Rebalancing the Work-Life Experience” series, our attention shifts to two further drivers of workplace experience: staying informed and collaborative teamwork. Data from our Experience per Square FootTM database clearly demonstrates that both can be achieved successfully in a remote working environment.
The key link between these two drivers is the availability of easy to use collaborative technology. The data shows this is much more important for collaborative teamwork than face-to-face interaction, regardless of whether employees work in the office or remotely. Similarly, remote workers report higher scores for being informed and for information availability. Simply put, technology is now a more important enabler than ever before.
Key takeaways of this podcast are:
- In the current environment, employees are being forced to rethink how they collaborate – old habits have been broken. Positively, many are finding ways to self-purpose technology to make it work for their own needs.
- Technology is a key lever for culture and community. Collaborative platforms are increasingly used to connect people through a variety of channels including voice, chat features, cloud-based information sharing and increasingly video.
- Technology is being used for fun as well as work related activities. Before COVID social interaction at work was by default typically done face to face, now in remote work environments teams are using technology to get to know each other and play games. Technology at home has always been used more for leisure activities.
- When employees start to return to work, companies will have to listen closely to their experiences. The workplace and associated technology will need to evolve to balance productivity, social interaction, collaboration and personal safety.
- Greater investment into building data collection technology will be required to drive actionable insight. However, any data strategy will need to be increasingly sympathetic to individual safety, security and privacy.
Technology will continue to shape how people collaborate and remain informed. The challenge is to evolve from simply connecting people to allowing them to share experiences.
If you missed our earlier podcasts in the series:
- Listen to Episode 1: What we know, what is critical and what’s next?
- Listen to Episode 2: Leadership and Culture: Creating a workplace that excels.
