The New Workplace
The year 2020 caused massive disruption, uncertainty and profound shifts at every level of business. As a result, we’re still figuring out what the new workplace looks and feels like. Through all this however, the pandemic has provided us with the biggest experiment in remote working in human history. In the midst of chaos, this year and last forced many to quickly adapt a remote workforce and how it’ll affect us in the short term, as well as shape our future.
What will work be like in the next year and beyond? That all depends on who you work for. The pandemic has forced many companies to modernize and realize that there are other ways to work – but that won’t always necessarily translate into lasting change. While some companies are seriously looking at what they can learn from the pandemic, many others are desperately hoping they can return to doing things the way they did pre-2020.
For the most part, workers applaud this new remote workplace. Vaccinated or not, more than half of employees said that, given the option, they would want to keep working from home even after the pandemic subsides.1
The benefits of working from home are clear for both the employees and the businesses they support. However, like most things in this world, there are some potential negatives to this equation. Employees are working longer hours, trying to find a good work/life balance, and juggling even more than they’re used to. You can help overwhelmed employees by investing in smarter technology that can help them focus better, increase work efficiency and help their day-to-day experience.
How has new technology affected the modern workplace?
The trend for a while now has moved from desktop machines to a more mobile business laptop. With laptops, many workers can take their office anywhere. Microsoft 365 moved our work and collaboration to the cloud, accessible with many device types and from any location. Those companies embracing M365 made the transition to virtual meeting with Teams less painful. The pandemic forced change on everyone, but also propelled the enhancement of collaboration tools. This improved productivity whether in office or remote.
Let The AME Group and Lenovo help you get there. While we don’t consider it our job to encourage your business to increase its remote workforce, it’s ours to support you with the latest tech and services – whichever way you lean in the work-from-home debate. Lenovo devices can help you find a harmonious balance across culture, physical space and technology to maximize impact and make sure employees have the opportunity to collaborate efficiently and be productive.
So, whether your business is considering an all-in approach or just wants to continue to be prepared should the need arise, you’ll need to have the basics covered to ensure your employees can capably work from home.
Support the changing operational needs of the organization. Ensure your employees are happy with their technology. Ensure they have the right tools. Contact us today to get started.
[Footnote]- Pew Research Center. How the Coronavirus Outbreak Has – and Hasn’t – Changed the Way Americans Work. December 2020.