The modern workplace isn’t always easy to define. Learn about six characteristics of the modern workplace to help you know you’ve found it.
The modern workplace changes how employers and employees see their workspace. Today’s technology opens a new world of options for a productive and enjoyable environment.
In the past 20 years, how we work with others has dramatically changed. I would argue that the rapid advances in technology in our personal and private lives have inspired this change.
At home, we tend to share our experiences and upload content and news to social channels. We collectively experience things and trade our likes and comments freely. We do these things almost effortlessly – regardless of where we are in the world or what time of the day it is.
This effortless communication at home has given rise to employees’ clamor for similar tools at work, leading to what we now refer to as “The Modern Workplace.”
What Is a Modern Workplace?
Today’s set of products, tools, and the space employees use them in is, in essence, the modern workplace. That is, the modern workplace takes advantage of enhanced communication and collaboration tools, helping employees work better together. It often helps reduce issues in finding information and people while encouraging knowledge sharing and bridging the divide between generational differences of “doing work.”
So, what is a modern workplace? It’s a space where employees can more effectively communicate and collaborate and do so through secure, integrated, cloud-based, and mobile-friendly tools.
Why Is the Modern Workplace Important?
According to a study by PWC, only 53 percent of employees believe their company pays attention to their needs when introducing new technology.
In some cases, employees’ needs are met – with crossover products like Box and Dropbox. Although organizations may tacitly support using these products among many others, there is serious concern tied to risk, exposure and information protection.
The good news is within the last eight to 10 years, the gap between the personal tools mentioned in our introduction and enterprise products has narrowed. Digital workplace technologies now look, feel and function like those used at home. All the while, these tools have become more secure and provide ample information protection and risk mitigation.
These new tools have opened up the ability for teams to communicate, making it much easier and more efficient to respond to business needs.
A modern workplace does not exist solely by technology implementation, however. Although technology is critical to supporting the space, there are additional characteristics of the workplace that require consideration.
The Six Characteristics of a Modern Workplace
Building a modern workplace for your employees requires measured, planned steps.
Although the outcome is unique to your organization, we’ve observed that arriving there is a journey with maturity waypoints along the way.
When you reach your destination, you’ll find a mature modern workplace has six key characteristics. It’s:
1. Access
You can connect with anyone in your company and collaborate with them across any of your devices. For work, you can also access the tools you need to do your job from any one of your secure devices.
By removing barriers for users to access core resources like hardware encryption key fobs, corporate-issued laptops, or corporate VPN Firewalls, you reduce friction, making it easy for users to get work done.
An internet-enabled browser is becoming the minimum required device for an information worker to be productive. It’s similar to how the water park and zero-entry pools encourage the water-adverse child to swim and dip their toes in the water. These modern, easily accessible tools can help you get more people on board with change, increasing your return on investment.
2. Interconnected
Your team, group or division is no longer a silo. In a modern workplace, you can easily communicate and collaborate. One of the core needs of any worker is to feel as though they are not alone, that their work matters, and that they are connected to the larger corporate mission. With a modern workplace, the ability for a user to consume information about current activities they are not responsible for can help them connect their everyday tasks to those of another area of the organization.
3. Available
At home, you can access the information you need anytime you need it. You are not restricted to standard business hours. For example, tomorrow I have a doctor’s appointment for an ankle injury. It took me six weeks to see the specialist in town due to his high demand. My appointment is in the morning, and I can work later in the evening to make up for the time I missed.
4. Office Optional
You don’t need to be in a physical office – instead, you can work from any internet-enabled area with sufficient bandwidth. For example, after dropping off my daughter at school, I spend my mornings at a local coffee shop. Then, I come home for lunch and work the balance of my day. This gives this extraverted consultant needed energy from being around people and allows my introverted wife recharge time.
5. Insightful
You benefit from advanced algorithms that help find information as well as bring information to you that is useful in your day-to-day job.
AI, automated summary, and prediction tools are helping bring to light missed conversations or tasks that have slipped through the cracks. These virtual assistants are becoming more helpful, and it’s becoming easier for the everyday worker to see the value in these tools.
With the release of Microsoft’s Copilot, these tools will cross over into the world of generative AI to create content or complete mundane tasks.
6. Safe
Your information is secure, and your workspace allows you to work with and for clients securely through a combination of people, process and technology configurations.
Seeing who you have shared a document with from Microsoft OneDrive is a helpful reminder to review to see if others still need that access. You can label and protect content no matter what folder you store it in. For example, a confidential file only for internal employees will be blocked from being sent to external users via email or chat.
How Does My Organization Start a Modern Workplace?
Technology platforms like Microsoft 365 can catalyze the creation and building of a modern workplace.
However, deploying a platform only helps you take the first step or two. Bear in mind a couple of other critical considerations you need as you get started:
- Gain cross-functional buy-in. A modern workplace is not an IT initiative. It is an organizational model supported by IT and many other functions. Your organization’s leaders must be committed to the change and willing to lead by example.
- Adoption change management. If you don’t have a proven adoption strategy in place, no matter how good the technology is, 70 percent of the users will be unlikely to use it. Thirty percent of the average workforce are typical early adopters of any technology, and they do not need much help. Just give them access to the tool, and they take off.
The remaining 70 percent of the workforce statistically need an organized, clearly communicated approach to the changes. If you think about it, two-thirds of the people you know “don’t like surprises” or change in their daily work streams. Give them time to understand how the change impacts them and learn and become familiar with new tools.
To help with both tips above, establish a workplace center of excellence (COE) team of champions with representation from various stakeholders for maximum support.
Final Thoughts
Over the past two decades, how we collaborate and communicate at work has undergone a significant shift, mirroring the seamless and effortless interactions we experience in our personal lives. The modern workplace, characterized by enhanced communication and collaboration tools, is the nexus for improved efficiency, knowledge sharing, and bridging gaps in work methods.
As organizations embrace the modern workplace, it’s crucial to view it not only as a technological shift but also as a holistic organizational model that blends technology, communication, collaboration, and commitment. This perspective will empower organizations to navigate the evolving landscape of work, creating an environment where employees can thrive, innovate and contribute to the collective success of the organization.
Ever feel like you’re flying solo at work? If so, Microsoft Copilot may be what you need to take the controls when the winds get rough. Download our checklist to see if your organization is ready.
