It is always a good idea to invest in people, but the pandemic has made it more important than ever. The new normal has heralded significant changes in many people’s personal and professional lives. In terms of the workplace, it’s time for companies to focus on the changing culture and invest in employees’ professional development.
According to Gartner, it is crucial for management teams to analyze the changes the pandemic brought in the last two years as these will affect strategic goals and plans. While the world stood still due to lockdowns and stay-at-home mandates, many industries swirled with internal change. To move forward, business growth must be centered on sustainable strategies and technological innovation.
Here are three crucial areas for organizational development that companies need to focus on in 2022 and beyond:
There’s still a debate over what workplace setup is better: on-site or remote work. Every company is different, but a hybrid setup is a good compromise. For collaborative projects, companies must provide opportunities for workplace learning and collaboration regardless of their physical location.
A Gallup survey revealed that more than half of the workforce prefer hybrid work. So, what can you do to make the hybrid arrangement work?
Maintaining employee engagement with hybrid or remote setups is one of the biggest struggles for companies all over the world.
HR teams want every employee to work for more than just their paycheck. They encourage an emotional connection to the company and their colleagues to inspire them to work hard and help the company succeed.
How do you keep employees engaged?
Talent retention is significantly easier and more affordable than acquisition. Investing in current employees’ career development is more productive than starting the hiring process from scratch.
Failing to keep employees happy and satisfied could lead to high turnover. This is why companies need to invest in continuous learning and development to give employees a chance to better themselves professionally. Such growth will also open up opportunities to move up the company ladder and encourage them to stay in the company for years to come.
Training is even more important with employees adapting to new technology in the new normal.
A strong and positive work culture leads to many benefits. For one, when people are motivated to work, they boost their productivity, leading to increased sales. When employees are happy with their work environment, there is better teamwork and increased efficiency. And when the company invests in an employee’s professional development, morale will be high.
The best investments for forward-thinking enterprises are tech-focused, to future-proof your operations and take productivity to the next level. Invest in workplace learning by allowing UPfolx to transform your learning structure with an all-in-one platform that will engage your employees while keeping them safe.
Resources:
Turner & Baker, June 16, 2022, 9 Future of Work Trends Post Covid-19, Gartner, accessed September 1, 2022 <https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/9-future-of-work-trends-post-covid-19>
Wigert, March 15, 2022, The Future of Hybrid Work: 5 Key Questions Answered with Data, Gallup, accessed September 1, 2022 <https://www.gallup.com/workplace/390632/future-hybrid-work-key-questions-answered-data.aspx>
Uzialko, August 6, 2022, The Smart Office: How Connected Tech Is Redefining the Workplace, Business News Daily, accessed September 1, 2022 <https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/9463-smart-office-responsive-workplace.html>
Pratt, February 11, 2022, Why CIOs Should Rethink Their Covid-19 Digital Strategy, TechTarget, accessed September 1, 2022 <https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/feature/Nows-the-time-to-review-COVID-19-business-tech-investments>