Flexibility for the digital age

UPGRADE By giving employees the freedom to decide when and how they’re going to manage their work, organisations are getting a more responsible, loyal workforce

Digital workplaces provide employees the flexibility to work from anywhere. HTShine. com’s survey on ‘How does a digital workplace impact your life?’ revealed that as many as 50% of employees working in an organisation encouraging digitisation and flexible timing felt they were productive working from home, as they were connected with the devices of their choice and had enough time to be with their families. For 52.5%, this increased efficiency.

When asked if flexible working hours had blurred the boundaries between work and private life, 47.5% found themselves to be more productive both at work and home because they got adequate time to be with their families. About 27.5% were increasingly comfortable in office, improving their interactions with teams. However, 25% found both their personal and professional life coming together in a digital mesh, leaving them with no time for family.

Moreover, 37.5% found it easy to collaborate with colleagues and teams from across geographies in real time. Exhaustion was a problem, however, with 17.5% saying that being connected 24x7 was tiring.

A massive culture change was evident. For 65% employees, the transition was smooth, motivating them to behave more professionally. Unfortunately, for 22.5%, getting used to a 24x7 work culture was tough. They were of the opinion that it was easier for the younger generation to get used to workplace changes. As many as 12.5% were overwhelmed by the changes and dismissed them, saying they were more used to their newspapers in the morning and books and had issues with the “tweeting and Facebooking culture.”

When asked if professional interactions had undergone a change, 52.5% said it had led to increased efficiency, whereas 32.5% thought the personal touch was missing. About 15% rued the fact that they no longer got a chance to speak to their team members and that “life at work had got more process-driven.”

As for managers, implementing changes was a big challenge. About 52.5% said that their role had changed from manager to coach and that they had to spend more time inspiring and encouraging the team. As many as 35% said they now had to depend on employees to do their job regardless of time zone, set working patterns and location.

Source | Hindustan Times | 25 August 2015