A technology transition
If 2020 was the year where many industries implemented flexible working for the first time, then 2021 was the year that organisations’ basic shifts to online moved towards a more permanent, hybrid state.
Dell Technologies has had a hybrid working culture for more than 10 years and as a technology company, the transition was not as sudden. Our ‘connected workplace’1 policy allows all of our team to enrol in remote working, and receive an allowance that permits them to purchase all of their technological requirements to work effectively from home.
But we recognise this is not the case for everyone, which is why we have supported our customers in their own digital adoption throughout the pandemic, and are working with partners to deliver digital inclusion2 across the country.
Prior to the pandemic, the workplace was predominantly viewed as an office. During the course of the past two years, this has evolved: now a workplace can be a kitchen table or a bedroom.
At the heart of this has been addressing the digital divide. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs3 lays out the physiological and psychological requirements humans need to survive and thrive, with the most basic needs (water, food, shelter) holding everything else up. For the digital age, there is a need for a new hierarchy, with access to broadband and basic computing hardware a universal necessity.
Prior to the pandemic, the workplace was predominantly viewed as an office. During the course of the past two years, this has evolved: now a workplace can be a kitchen table or a bedroom. In 2022, the evolution of the workplace is a combination, hybrid environment: underpinned by fast, stable broadband, and collaborative tools that allow hybrid working to happen effectively.
Moving from presenteeism to outcomes
While the question of whether remote and hybrid working has led to productivity increases is one for individual organisations to answer, global assessments have suggested that many industries have seen a rise in productivity4.
It is one of the reasons that a long-term ambition for Dell Technologies is for 60% of our workforce to operate remotely on any given day5, while organisations that had not implemented remote working prior to the pandemic are now seeing a transition in how they talk about flexibility. Workplace culture is now about a trusting, outcome-based approach. If tasks were not getting done effectively, then flexible working would not be sustainable.
The long-term ambition leaders should have for their businesses, is to give their people a choice. Health and safety permitting, cater to the needs of an individual and let them decide what works for them.
Attracting and retaining talent
The business case for hybrid working is based not only in productivity terms, but attracting talent. If you think about what has changed most in the pandemic, one aspect is that the world has got smaller and talent pools much bigger. Now, hiring is not limited by geographical boundaries, with access to international talent also opened up.
This allows organisations to access more diverse talent, which is crucial for a competitive advantage. Cultivating inclusion is one of Dell Technologies’ moonshot goals, to ensure 50% of our global workforce and 40% of our global people leaders identify as women by 20306.
Equally important is ensuring that older generations receive the right training to reskill and upskill, so that they can adapt to the digitised world.
As the composition of the workforce changes, companies embracing diversity and inclusion are experiencing greater innovation, productivity, engagement and employee satisfaction — along with better business performance7. It has been found that ethnically diverse companies are 36% more likely to outperform their peers8.
Flexibility is also important for retaining existing talent. Younger employees, who are considered to be more driven by purpose in the companies they want to work for, want flexibility and to work with the best technology on offer. By providing this, we can unlock the potential of the next generation. Central to this is ensuring that digital skills are a core part of the education curriculum, so that young people are learning everything they need for the workplace of the future.
Equally important is ensuring that older generations receive the right training to reskill and upskill, so that they can adapt to the digitised world.
Cultivating culture
A better working culture is something that must be nurtured by leaders. As a society, we are shifting towards a cultural focus, where a business’s values and behaviours are more important motivators to employees than the day-to-day job9.
This starts at the top. It is important for leaders to be a true example of a balanced working life, particularly when operating remotely and the line between work and home is blurred.
This is important for maintaining well-being in a redefined workplace10, one of our core focuses in the last two years, with a mental health network in the UK that has been proactive in educating leaders to understand their people’s mental health.
We also encourage our colleagues to take time for themselves, by giving all team members 15 crisis management days to use when necessary – to look after their family or for themselves. This only works however, if leaders are supportive and understand that managing well-being, burnout and stress is just as important as physical health.
What is the future of work?
The last 24 months have changed everything. For businesses. For leaders. For employees.
Now, as the dust settles, one fact becomes clear: the power has shifted – from organisations to people. From profit to mutual prosperity. From “me” to “we”.
The world is more collaborative, fluid and dynamic than ever. But ultimately, the future of work in 2022 and beyond will be about choice: the choice that leaders make to deliver hybrid working for their people, and the choice that those people then make about the way they work, doing what is best for them.
It is up to leaders in both the private and public sectors, including Government, to enable that flexibility, to deliver an inclusive workforce and nurture a culture that allows every person to thrive.
Find out more about Dell Technologies’ solutions for a redefined workplace, and how you can enable your organisation to operate with flexibility and better productivity, through technology, here.
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References:
1 https://www.delltechnologies.com/en-us/blog/empowering-a-connected-workplace/
2 https://www.delltechnologies.com/asset/en-gb/solutions/business-solutions/industry-market/dell-digital-build-back-better.pdf
3 http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Maslow/motivation.htm
4 https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/what-employees-are-saying-about-the-future-of-remote-work
5 https://jobs.dell.com/work-life-balance
6 https://corporate.delltechnologies.com/en-gb/social-impact/reporting/2030-goals.htm#cultivating
7 https://corporate.delltechnologies.com/en-gb/social-impact/cultivating-inclusion/workforce-of-the-future.htm
8 McKinsey: How Inclusion Matters
9 https://audioboom.com/posts/7904045-sir-john-timpson-cbe-chairman-owner-timpson
10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5qcwH6pO0E
