Bridging the Workplace Generation

Historically, there has been a perception within many organizations that if an employee is not directly visible, they are not doing work. Yet, the forced migration around WFH resulting from COVID-19 has shattered those perceptions to prove that most employ ees can be trusted to work effectively from anywhere.

The onset of the pandemic has been pivotal in permanently shifting the way we think, live, and work. Businesses have had to adapt quickly, leveraging new technologies and initiatives to ensure employee safety whilst preserving productivity.

Working from home has become the new norm for many of us and adjusting to this modern way of operating will be essential for business sustainability, continuity and growth.

Companies now need to focus on defining their workplace transformation plans for the long term. They must look at how they can execute flexibility at scale to deliver on the true value of remote working, benefitting from enhanced performance and productivity, a better employee experience, an expanded talent pool, and, in some cases, reduced costs. This is a seismic shift for legacy leadership.

However, the way we’re having to communicate now is exposing marked generational differences in technical ability. Whilst millennials and Gen Z stand out for their technology use, continuously leading their older counterparts in their adoption and use of tech, older individuals are more likely to feel uncomfortable and intimidated by an increasing digital presence.

Research indicates that ‘digital savviness’ decreases notably with age. Whilst 64% of millennials are digitally competent, only 46% of Gen X are . This drops to just 23% of baby boomers. It is, therefore, not surprising that the sudden need to virtualize all aspects of working is deepening the differences across people at an incredible rate.

The technology skills gap seen through the pandemic lens reveals that employees will need a range of digital competencies to help them navigate the post-coronavirus working landscape. But what will be most fundamental to workforce success will be the effective use of remote digital communication skills and ability to adapt to working and learning in a remote setting.

In some ways, what’s happening right now can be seen as an extension of a substantial digital transformation that’s already well underway. Companies have been slowly migrating to an increasingly digital core based on software, data, and digital networks for many years. But now, COVID-19 has propelled this even further – digitalizing the relationship between the workplace and employees in a way that we have never seen before.

In the near future, progressive organizations will begin to adopt a hybrid working model, with teams spending some days in the office and others remote, perhaps aligning employees’ in-office and remote schedules to create equity. In any case, dynamic workplace models will enjoy increased productivity and deeper collaboration in addition to attracting a more diverse workforce.

When implemented correctly, technology can serve to eliminate the gaps culture and generations. Platforms that enable a virtual collaboration via video allow employees to be physically and emotionally present in a way that’s not possible on the telephone line. Integrating this with messenger, email, calendar, and file sharing enables workforces to communicate much more efficiently. Combining this with other critical business tools such as contact center and CRM streamlines this experience even further.

In order to work for everyone, it is essential that these solutions are simple and don’t generate additional frictions or confusion of juggling multiple applications.

This is where SCB Global’s OPTO4Teams comes in. SCB Global’s single-vendor approach is designed with the end-user in mind, providing virtual collaboration that is truly seamless by delivering global calling, contact center, CRM security, and network edge, natively within a single application front – Microsoft Teams.

Compatibility with any device makes adoption as easy as possible and ensures the same user experience for all. As the way we work is becoming increasingly governed by technology, bridging the digital gap is more crucial than ever. For more information about how SCB Global’s OPTO solutions can empower your workforce to thrive in a digitally charged future, see here.