Working from home has been widely discussed recently with large companies calling their workforce back to the office and conflicting views from the government. Reeves wanting her team back in the office and Reynolds stating that working from home is beneficial for British companies. However, the debate is much wider than the ‘working at home’ remit as we are amid a new workplace revolution transforming the workplace forever. The fall out is disconnected employees and companies struggling to manage the new world of work.

Employees have become increasingly disconnected and disengaged by remote working since the COVID pandemic. Elder generations are attempting to understand demands and expectations from Gen Z who grew up in the digital age and the different ways they work. Then of course there is the proliferation of disruptive technologies such as AI that could either super charge performance or make us lazier and more disengaged. This is a lot to get your head around and a mandate to work at home or not is not the only solution.

What’s required is a completely new outlook of accepting and embracing this new workforce by implementing a new culture and management strategies to ensure that employees stay connected and engaged.

Keeping the Connection

Over 44% of people now work from home or are hybrid working (ONS) so it’s a risky strategy for companies to insist that employees return to the office full time. If they do then they will struggle to retain and recruit employees.

A report from FlexJobs stated that 63% of employees chose remote working as the most important aspect as of their job beating salary (61%). Working at home is here to stay and companies need to ensure that employees have the latest conferencing and collaboration technology to do their jobs more productively and stay connected.

However, it is not just about having the latest technology. Employers need to ensure that remote workers remain motivated and always connected to colleagues, so they communicate and collaborate effectively.

Microsoft revealed that remote workers spend 25% less time collaborating compared to in office teams. It’s important to get a balance of face-to-face time with colleagues and set up collaboration and social sessions to ensure remote workers do not work in isolation.

Count on Me

Whether an employee is working remotely or in the office they should always be accountable on what they are doing and their output. Disengaged employees are not motivated and accordingly to Gallup and can cost companies between $450-$550 billion per year in lost productivity.  Disengaged employees have clearly lost interest in their roles and not motivated which affects their mental health, their performance and your bottom line.

Discover why they have lost their mojo and are disengaged and set up new initiatives to motivate and empower them. Introduce systems to track their output, engagement and provide opportunity for feedback to ensure they are accountable and have the required level of support.

All Ideas Welcome

If your employees are disconnected and disengaged this will hinder creativity and innovation. Ensure to promote a culture of transparency and innovation encouraging employees to share their ideas no matter how big or small, all will be considered. This will empower them and give them a sense of belonging and being part of team which is essential for remote workers as this ethos is often lost.

Create space for employees to collaborate virtually and face to face to generate ideas and problem solve. Again, demonstrating the importance of teamwork and how more can be achieved together than in isolation.

Back to Basics

The younger generation coming into the workforce have been educated remotely, awarded grades without exams and entered the workforce, alone, working from home, without the swivel chair or watercooler conversations and learning that my generation greatly benefited from.  We are starting to see these younger workers wanting to take control of their career development back, seeking opportunities, where people are present to learn from and build social relationships and connections.

As digital natives they are fearful to use the phone to talk, 32% of Gen Z rarely make a voice call and 26% ignore the phone when it rings (Sky Mobile). They will always choose the digital option but in business sometimes it’s essential to pick up the phone to talk to a colleague, customer or supplier to build the human connection and solve problems. It is easier to get to the point and sort the matter out than go backwards and forwards with emails or messages.

Companies can introduce soft skills training programmes to build Gen Z’s confidence in making phone calls and communicating face to face rather than digitally. Also training in empathy for managers attempting to understand why their younger colleagues may struggle with these basic skills that elder ones take for granted and how they work differently. This applies vice versa where the younger members of staff can assist the elder ones about digital technologies demonstrating different ways for use to drive innovation, efficiencies and productivity,

AI to Empower and not Replace

Employees fear AI and it’s no surprise as McKinsey predicts that by 2030 up to 375 million workers may need to switch occupations due to automation. Companies should adopt a culture where employees are empowered by AI and not fear it. Understanding how it will augment their job and not take it away and assist with their learning and development. A digital assistant, or copilot which can sit on the shoulder of the employee helping and challenging them.

It is crucial that when designing and deploying AI solutions whether that’s in the contact centre, HR systems or for individual tasks that they blend to utilise human skills such as empathy and creativity which is where we excel.

Discourage laziness and encourage employees to collaborate with AI to add value to their task and the result. Use it to propel creativity and ideas and not dilute it facilitating your employees to be empowered by AI viewing it as an assistant or virtual colleague. The AI assistant works for them and not the other way round.

Connect NOT Disconnect

The new social workforce revolution needs to be embraced, and business leaders need to implement the required changes to empower and motivate their employees, so they feel valued and part of a team.

Ensure you prioritise socialisation and collaboration, so employees are not disconnected and lonely designing remote working solutions and strategies with empathy in mind.

Strategically plan how you use AI and digital technology blending it with your employees’ skills to assure it will be successful and not hinder creativity or encourage laziness. Work with Gen Z be patient, be empathetic and understand how they work and have an open mind to learn from them too.  Implement an effective training development plan, placing suitable emphasis on soft skills and digital skills. By joining all the pieces together, blending technology, connecting with your employees, understanding empathy, and implementing continuous learning you will create a connected, empowered engaged workforce ready to thrive in the new world of work.