By Amy Atsumi, Organizational Design Strategist, Dell Human Resources & Jason Moody, Technology Evangelist, Dell Mobile/BYOD Solutions.
There’s no one right way for adapting to the new workplace – it’s a two-way street for both employers and employees. That’s what we learned this week as we participated in the Evolving Workforce Social Think Tank held in New York City at the #DellVenue.
- First, companies need to listen to what motivates their workers and give them an environment where they can thrive.
- Second, employees need to be responsible when given this freedom and respect the guidelines provided by their organizations.
Joining us in New York for the conversation was an inspiring group of entrepreneurs, career and workforce experts and Gen Y thought leaders. Both of us left energized about the potential for technology to guide companies and employees along this journey to a more productive, balanced and better workplace.
Here’s a quick recap:
- Our discussion was centered on this idea of harnessing “social capital,” a term used by our moderator and president of the Young Entrepreneur Council, Scott Gerber. How do we build true “human” relationships within and outside our organizations, and then leverage technology to deepen those relationships while remaining focused on the collective results we need to deliver?
- There was agreement among our group that we’re moving from a hierarchal business culture to one where all employees have an equal and influential voice. This is especially true with Gen Y employees who want more than ever to align their careers and personal passions. Liz Ryan, founder of Human Workplace, said that the future success of companies depends on them plugging into the individual “power sources” of their employees.
- And finally, we talked about how companies must embrace technology as an enabler – and not try to put up roadblocks that prevent their teams from getting done what they need to. Whether that’s completing a sales report from the road or using Twitter to stay connected to their interests during the day … from whatever device they choose, from wherever they choose to connect. Today, the reality is that there are ways for companies to securely allow access to both work and personal data. Figuring this out will only result in a more productive and a more satisfied workforce.
We encourage you to check out the archived livestream here and continue the conversation at #techatwork!