In photo: A co-working space in BGC, Taguig City
(Photo file/THEPHILBIZNEWS)
By Alithea De Jesus
Even before the pandemic hit the world, the landscape of the workplace has drastically changed.
From the stiff cubicle type and managers room, into shared co-working space which is accessible 24/7 for big co-working space companies.
However, the advent of the coronavirus pandemic has inevitably pushed for the mass adoption of remote working brought on by COVID-19 has shown that many organizations needed to radically rethink how they operate. Most likely, successful businesses will be ‘networks’ of people and technologies, with physical location becoming less important.
As we move into the “next normal,” businesses must come up of strategies on how they can create the best working environments to empower new ways of working.
Samir Sayed, Managing Director, ASEAN and Korea, Poly, shares insight on the 6 key trends that will shape the future of work in 2021.
- Hybrid Work is here to stay
Work is not a place, it’s what you do. In 2021, Poly expects to see more organizations adopting the new hybrid work model and a more consistent work experience no matter where they are– whether in the office, at home, or anywhere in between. Work is no longer defined by the hours put in, but on the outcomes of the work.
2. Anything-as-a-service will drive business agility
Digital transformation will be fuelled by XAAS, or Anything-As-A-Service. This is an adaptation of the digital services subscription model, as providers shift to providing value as a service. This lets businesses introduce and scale deployments as needed, providing the agility to continue to work seamlessly and without disruption.
3. The rise of the Prosumer
Employees have realized that consumer-grade gears simply cannot deliver. They need their home workspaces to be at par with their office setup. Employees need tech upgrades to allow seamless collaboration such as a reliable internet connection, smart gears like noise-blocking headsets, and quality audio and video conferencing solutions which allow them to join video meetings with the click of a button.
4. Transformation of the office
Instead of being the place for work, offices will more likely to become a gathering point for employees to meet, while majority of work will be done remotely. Workspaces will become collaborative and technology-enabled to accommodate the work style of every employee, and facilitate business being done from anywhere.
5. Video is the way forward
Video meetings ruled 2020, and it will continue to be an integral part of business this 2021. Thanks to technological advances in the past few years, collaboration thru video is now on a whole new level, catering industries such as telemedicine and education where video is critical to continue business-as-usual and at the same time, adapt a whole new way of doing it.
6. Connectivity to drive better collaboration experiences
Businesses will look to technologies like 5G to drive a better collaboration experience through seamless connectivity, as if in person. Digital transformation efforts will also see an increase in focus on technology that adapts more seamlessly to the end-user.