From Harish Jagtani’s Desk 

 

With AI and automation unlocking new opportunities in the workplace, companies must invest in up skilling their employees to work with such advanced technologies

Nowadays, organizations worldwide are adopting new technologies and tools to assist their employees work more efficiently and increase their productivity. Some companies go even further to create pet-friendly policies so that their teams can bring pets to work and keep everyone happy, while others try to bring down the number of meetings and direct messages and move to an a synchronized communication model.

According to research, an average employee is productive for about three hours a day which is only 31% of an average workday. Most employees feel unproductive because they spend a majority of their time distracted. Another survey report shows that about 65% of the employees in the US are not engaged in their work because they feel indifferent towards their job and want to be inspired for better results.

A good productivity level is when a person spends nearly 75% of his/her time on work and takes a break during the remaining time. But real productivity varies depending upon such factors as work environment, noise, distractions and stress, among others. Here are some tips to improve your company’s productivity.

Focus on Flexibility

Remote work has become a necessity and is not a choice any longer. As we enter 2023, many companies will try to experiment with various forms of remote and hybrid working modules and flexibility. A study found that about 50% of the workforce will continue to work remotely, or in hybrid mode. At a time when 54% of the survey respondents said ‘work from home’ has increased productivity, companies like Tesla are asking all employees to return to office.

As hiring managers and employees try out new methods of hybrid and remote working, organizations should take employee feedback and concerns into consideration to avoid mass resignations. With demand high for remote positions, flexible work policies may become a strong tool for recruitment.

Prioritize Staff Well-Being

Companies have been focusing quite a lot on work-life balance and on the mental health of employees. This will remain one of the most important workplace trends this year. A study says that about 90% of people believe how we feel at work matters, but fewer than 50% feel their organization wants to measure and improve their well-being.

Nowadays, work stress and flexibility benefits drive turnover. So, focusing on employee well-being can have significant payoffs for companies. Initiatives to prioritize employee health and happiness may be included in extra employee benefits, more flexibility and a generally positive workplace experience.

Bridge Wide Skill Gaps

Hiring has become quite difficult in today’s employment scenario. At the same time, organizations are facing a severe talent shortage in critical areas. Headhunters say that about ¾ of companies across industries from construction to tech are facing issues in finding a skilled workforce for several roles.

Additionally, a recent report said that nearly 50% of learning and development leaders say that skill gaps in their organizations are widening further. Forward looking companies will try to address these shortages through up skilling and reskilling initiatives.

Leaders understand that focusing on up skilling employees and career development can help their organizations close skills gaps. This would mean using entirely new tools to identify individual skill sets. Skill development can help companies meet their most urgent business requirements and skills can be measured using skill data.

Emphasis on Soft Skills

Soft skills have become very important today in building relationships virtually and work with reduced oversight. Among the soft skills that are in particularly high demand are management and leadership in a changing workplace environment, critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity. As the year progresses, companies will have to reassess their leadership models and the skill sets that leaders need to succeed in their roles.

Use of AI & Automation

The emergence of advanced AI tools, such as ChatGPT, has increased awareness among people about the importance and growth of artificial intelligence (AI). But AI has been a pressing concern for many companies for a long time. Along with automation technology, AI provides innumerable growth options for them, but only if they are ready to adopt these. With AI and automation opening up new opportunities in the workplace, companies must invest in up skilling their employees to work with such advanced technologies.