Evolution in the Workplace

Nowadays it’s an important priority that companies attract and retain highly engaged talent and to do that we have to challenge convention and accept progressiveness in the workplace. To do that, we take a look at how the working world has changed to accommodate and ensure a happy environment for employees to be productive.

The three drivers of engagement are meaningful work, rewards, and environment.

Here are key things to consider:

Flexibility in the workplace: Flexible work brings up the idea of employers evaluating productivity not by the number of hours you spend in a chair but by the amount of work/results you actually manage to produce in those hours, eliminating the need for most employees to work from offices as long as they have all the necessary amenities to conduct work remotely.

Bring Your Own Device: The value or need for company sanctioned phones and computers is on the decline. In the spirit of progression employees should be able to use any device they chose to get their jobs done. allowing them to use many personally owned devices for work.

Sharing ideas and information: Employees keeping information to themselves is no new thing. Before, there was no reason for employees to share what they knew with others. Knowledge is power and if employees keep their ideas to themselves then they have the power. Going forward any employee can have an idea that can turn into a new product, service, or opportunity. Companies are now implementing incentives and setting aside time for employees to share and brainstorm on innovative ideas for company advancement.

Everyone is equal. Anyone can be a leader: Giving employees a voice in the organization by encouraging them to share their ideas and learn more through short diplomas has become vital. It may just be the turning point for your business. An employee that is able to generate interest and create buzz with the content they share internally is capable of being a leader by influencing the way people think or what they know about your brand. Think of how many people have become leaders as a result of social platforms and how employees can do the same inside of their companies if given a chance.

Knowledge vs adaptive learning: Knowledge is now nothing more than a commodity. To be the world's smartest person all you need to do is pull out your cell phone where you have access to anything you need to get answers to. This means that for the future employee it's not knowledge that is the most important but the employee's ability to learn new things can apply those learnings to new situations and scenarios that come up. In other words, always being able to learn how to learn and stay adaptable. This is far more important and valuable than what you "know."

Everyone is a teacher and a student: Today anyone can take out their cell phone and learn something new. Simply being able to connect employees to each other provides a way for peer to peer learning and teaching. Thanks to sites such as Udemy, Coursera, and Khan Academy & LinkedIn Learning, we have the ability to learn what we want to learn and teach what we are uniquely qualified to offer to others.

Finding the right talent is now more important than before as they allow companies to achieve more, but accommodating these employees will have to come with some changes as the evolution of the employee has granted employees more independence. With this independence, employees are now forging their own career paths, switching companies, and even industries as they choose.

Work-life balance and career fulfillment have become more of a necessity than a luxury when it comes to retaining the right talent. Companies that don’t realize this are at risk of having their top talent leaving.

For more information Contact: kim@kim.ac.ke or Tel. +254719054101. #Futureskills #FIR #Learning #Unlearning #Relearning #Upskilling