The COVID-19 pandemic ignited a digital revolution in the workplace. Prior to the pandemic, digital tools helped improve worker efficiency, but those tools became essential as the pandemic took hold of the business world and companies that failed to deploy them lost their competitive edge — or, in some cases, failed completely.
“Covid was a massive catalyst in the digital revolution that is reshaping the business world,” says Jaime McMahon, Chief Digital Officer of LineZero. “Initially, there was the expectation that employees would simply march back into their offices once shelter-in-place orders were lifted, picking up right where they left off. As we all know, that hasn’t happened. Most organizations today have some form of a hybrid office setting, with remote work capabilities that rely on digital tools.”
LineZero works with organizations in a wide range of industries to empower better communications, engagement, and culture through the effective use of digital tools. One of its specialties is unlocking the power of Workplace from Meta, a game-changing business communication tool that ensures the full spectrum of employees and teams are connected, regardless of the size of the organization’s footprint.
“The digital workplace creates equity in terms of both opportunity and engagement,” McMahon explains. “Businesses must provide the tools, processes, and rigor if they expect everyone in the business to contribute effectively to the workflow.”
Navigating the transition to a digital workplace
Digital transformation provided a lifeline for many organizations during the pandemic, but it wasn’t achieved without overcoming significant challenges.
“There are four key business functions that are more challenging to achieve when organizations are distributed via a hybrid or remote work model,” McMahon says. “They are connectedness, culture, innovation, and collaboration. All of these can be achieved — even enhanced — in a digital workplace, but it takes a special commitment.”
Embracing innovations like virtual or mixed reality is one pathway organizations in the post-Covid landscape are using to empower meaningful engagement for remote workers. Those tools can enhance an employee’s sense of connection, which can allow for more impactful collaboration.
McMahon warns, however, that simply adding new tools with the hope they will encourage connections won’t solve the problems that challenge the effectiveness of a remote work environment.
“Things like mixed reality help, but they won’t do it alone,” McMahon says. “Behaviors need to change. Leadership needs to understand how digital workplaces are different. They need to take intentional action to ensure there is a plan that addresses and mitigates the negatives of the digital workplace while taking advantage of the positives.”
Ensuring adoption of the digital workplace model
McMahon encourages organizations to take a human-centric approach to deploying a digital workplace. Essentially, this involves creating systems in which technology serves people, rather than the other way around.
“Whenever you think about leveraging technology to support business, you need to think about people, which means training and communication,” McMahon explains. “Providing digital tools is just the first step. To get a return on investment, businesses must make sure people adopt them, embrace them, and use them. Employees need leaders and processes to guide them from the old way of operating to the new way.”
Change management is an essential component of ensuring adoption of the new reality of the digital workplace. It requires organizations to assess how the new reality will impact workers at all levels and develop a plan for communicating what is happening and why. Training and support are essential to change management, as are monitoring and evaluation as the change begins to play out.
“Change management comes into play with any transition or transformation,” McMahon says. “The people in your organization need to understand why this new way is better. They need to know what is in it for them and how it solves the challenges they face. People will naturally resist change and hold onto the old — even if it’s less effective — because it’s easier. If leaders don’t sell the transition and usher their organization into and through it, people will continue to do what they’ve always done because it’s the path of least resistance.”
Enjoying the benefits of a digital workplace
The positives businesses can expect in the digital workplace include increased productivity and efficiency, enhanced employee experience and engagement, reduced costs, and increased revenue. Improved talent acquisition and retention is another benefit that has emerged as the flexibility of the digital workplace has increased its appeal among employees.
“Organizations that effectively navigate the transition to a digital workplace end up with an invigorated, motivated, and growing workforce,” says McMahon. “Employees are growing, learning, and having new experiences. All of this creates a culture that not only enhances the talent you have but also attracts new talent.”
Published By: Aize Perez
