Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform the many ways businesses find, engage, source, and manage talent, as well as how they structure business operations in a candidate-centric world. Today on the Future of Work Exchange, we present another exclusive infographic, “Five Ways AI Can Transform Talent Management,” that reflects how AI is primed to not only disrupt talent acquisition, but also influence, impact, and revolutionize the Future of Work movement.
Digital workspaces are increasingly becoming powerful additions to the realm of remote and hybrid work. In the simplest of terms, these digital spaces allow employees to work remotely or from anywhere with an internet connection, rather than being tied to a specific physical location.
In recent years, the adoption of digital workspaces has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced many companies to adopt remote work policies. However, even before the pandemic, the trend towards digital workspaces was already on the rise, driven by factors such as the increasing availability of advanced communication and collaboration technologies, the rising costs of real estate, and the desire for greater flexibility and work-life balance.
Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research in 2023 finds that nearly 80% of businesses across the globe experienced a greater number of remote and hybrid workers in 2022, a stat that represents something deeper about this type of work model: it’s now permanent, no matter how many executives believe they can ignore the spectrum of flexibility that has become synonymous with post-pandemic working.
The adoption of digital workspaces has not been without its challenges, however. One of the biggest challenges has been the need to adapt to new technologies and ways of working, especially as many executive leaders continue to push for return-to-office initiatives. For many workers, the transition to remote work has required a significant learning curve, as they have had to figure out how to stay connected and collaborate with their colleagues without the benefit of face-to-face interactions.
Another challenge has been the need to balance the demands of work with the demands of home life, as many people have had to set up makeshift offices in their homes. This can be especially difficult for those with children or other family responsibilities, who may struggle to find the time and space to focus on their work. Thus, the elements of work-life integration will continue to be a critical issue for enterprises that enable a flexible working environment for their talent.
Despite these issues, there are many benefits to digital workspaces. One of the most obvious advantages is the ability to work from anywhere, which can be especially appealing to people who live in high-cost cities like New York, Chicago, Boston, etc. Digital workspaces also offer greater flexibility and autonomy, as employees are not tied to a specific schedule or location. This can lead to increased productivity and job satisfaction (two factors that play vital roles in talent retention efforts), as employees are able to customize their work environments to fit their needs and preferences.
And, with innovation at play, digital workspaces can offer so much more than a flexible, automated, and collaborative environment for remote and hybrid employees. As seen with Vista Equity Partners and Evergreen Coast Capital’s acquisition of digital workspace leader Citrix last year, the convergence of virtual desktop technology and advanced, real-time intelligence (as well as other forms of automation) can provide business users with an additional layer of value. The Citrix deal proved that (with TIBCO (a Vista portfolio company)), digital workspaces can be seamlessly integrated with various applications and data across the enterprise technology infrastructure of the contemporary enterprise…meaning that businesses have the ability to shift a true office environment onto a remote infrastructure without losing control over intellectual property and data whilst giving flexible workers the same strength of access to enterprise systems that they would have in the office.
Overall, it is clear that digital workspaces are here to stay. As more and more companies adopt remote work policies, it is important for employees and employers to find ways to adapt to this new way of working. This may require a rethinking of traditional work practices and the use of new technologies, but the benefits of digital workspaces – including greater flexibility, cost savings, and, with a push from next generation automation, frictionless integration of applications and intelligence – prove that their power is critical for success in 2023.
Digital workspaces are increasingly becoming powerful additions to the realm of remote and hybrid work. In the simplest of terms, these digital spaces allow employees to work remotely or from anywhere with an internet connection, rather than being tied to a specific physical location.
In recent years, the adoption of digital workspaces has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced many companies to adopt remote work policies. However, even before the pandemic, the trend towards digital workspaces was already on the rise, driven by factors such as the increasing availability of advanced communication and collaboration technologies, the rising costs of real estate, and the desire for greater flexibility and work-life balance.
Ardent Partners and Future of Work Exchange research in 2023 finds that nearly 80% of businesses across the globe experienced a greater number of remote and hybrid workers in 2022, a stat that represents something deeper about this type of work model: it’s now permanent, no matter how many executives believe they can ignore the spectrum of flexibility that has become synonymous with post-pandemic working.
The adoption of digital workspaces has not been without its challenges, however. One of the biggest challenges has been the need to adapt to new technologies and ways of working, especially as many executive leaders continue to push for return-to-office initiatives. For many workers, the transition to remote work has required a significant learning curve, as they have had to figure out how to stay connected and collaborate with their colleagues without the benefit of face-to-face interactions.
Another challenge has been the need to balance the demands of work with the demands of home life, as many people have had to set up makeshift offices in their homes. This can be especially difficult for those with children or other family responsibilities, who may struggle to find the time and space to focus on their work. Thus, the elements of work-life integration will continue to be a critical issue for enterprises that enable a flexible working environment for their talent.
Despite these issues, there are many benefits to digital workspaces. One of the most obvious advantages is the ability to work from anywhere, which can be especially appealing to people who live in high-cost cities like New York, Chicago, Boston, etc. Digital workspaces also offer greater flexibility and autonomy, as employees are not tied to a specific schedule or location. This can lead to increased productivity and job satisfaction (two factors that play vital roles in talent retention efforts), as employees are able to customize their work environments to fit their needs and preferences.
And, with innovation at play, digital workspaces can offer so much more than a flexible, automated, and collaborative environment for remote and hybrid employees. As seen with Vista Equity Partners and Evergreen Coast Capital’s acquisition of digital workspace leader Citrix last year, the convergence of virtual desktop technology and advanced, real-time intelligence (as well as other forms of automation) can provide business users with an additional layer of value. The Citrix deal proved that (with TIBCO (a Vista portfolio company)), digital workspaces can be seamlessly integrated with various applications and data across the enterprise technology infrastructure of the contemporary enterprise…meaning that businesses have the ability to shift a true office environment onto a remote infrastructure without losing control over intellectual property and data whilst giving flexible workers the same strength of access to enterprise systems that they would have in the office.
Overall, it is clear that digital workspaces are here to stay. As more and more companies adopt remote work policies, it is important for employees and employers to find ways to adapt to this new way of working. This may require a rethinking of traditional work practices and the use of new technologies, but the benefits of digital workspaces – including greater flexibility, cost savings, and, with a push from next generation automation, frictionless integration of applications and intelligence – prove that their power is critical for success in 2023.
This week, both of my children began their 2021-2022 school years. My daughter (eight, heading into third grade) and son (five, heading into kindergarten) waddled onto the bus with masks on their faces and and anticipation in their hearts. For both of them, and this is something that surprised me as a parent, wearing a mask is commonplace: at the grocery store, at Target, at indoor activities, and, of course, at school. For children that are similar in age to mine, there’s a constant worry that nags at both of my wife and I’s minds, and that’s that both cannot receive any of the three available COVID vaccines.
For the millions of children under the age of 12, the first few months (at the very least) are going to have to leverage the same non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) used during in-person learning last year, including masks, social distancing, better ventilation, altered activities, etc. Once one of the major vaccines (most likely Pfizer’s or Moderna’s) is approved for children under 12, the game changes tremendously. But for now, we’re experiencing increased anxiety as working parents.
This uncertain start to the school year translates into uncertainty for businesses, too (something I talked about during a recent (Contingent Workforce Weekly podcast episode). If we take a quick trip back to a year ago, many of us remember the first day of school as the first day of “remote school,” in which we, as working parents, would simultaneously pop open two laptops and start the day. We would shuffle around conference calls and video meetings, frequently checking in on our children to ensure that they had the proper modules up on their screens. No doubt that this had a tremendous affect on productivity, consistently, and morale within our roles at our respective enterprises.
A year later, none of us want to go through that experience again. However, the reality is clear: the vast majority of school-age children are not yet qualified to receive a vaccine, meaning that those aforementioned NPIs are all we have to combat infection in the classroom (although vaccinated teachers are certainly helping the cause, it still is only one vaccinated person in a room filled with upwards of 12 or more bodies). And again, as discussed on the Contingent Workforce Weekly podcast, there are major ramifications if things get out of hand and we are forced to contend with a hybrid schooling model.
Behind the uncertainty for the new school year is also a ripple effect due to the Delta variant’s rampage. After-school programs, activity centers, and daycare facilities are all dealing with their own staffing shortages and workforce issues. This extreme gap in both daycare and aftercare has a direct influence on whether or not working parents who cannot perform remotely wade back into the labor pool. Although 70% (or more) of the jobs lost during the pandemic have been restored, those difficult-to-fill positions may remain that way for some time as high-contact roles (restaurants, hospitality, retail, etc.) fall out of favor due to the increasing impact of the Delta variant.
Business leaders must approach the coming weeks (and months) with a balance of empathy, flexibility, and strategic planning in order to thrive this wave of the pandemic:
In addition to the above elements, there is another notion at hand: the range of enterprise skillsets and how they can be shifted within a digital environment. Many businesses have poor visibility into their available skillsets and expertise, including both full-time workers and non-employee talent. Understanding where and how these skills are deployed company-wide can be a crucial advantage in developing new work models. Businesses that operate on a digital scale can easily push skills to where they are needed, and, as an uncertain fall looms (due to both the return-to-school and Delta variables), this dynamic approach can alleviate some of the productivity gaps that may arise if working parents experience disruption.
No matter what the next several weeks brings to the world of talent and work, business executives can act now to ensure that empathy, flexibility, communication, and innovation are at the forefront in how they lead their organizations to success during uncertain times.