Some may say the remote workforce has its drawbacks, not only for employees but also for businesses planning to expand overseas. Global organizations scaling to new markets may be concerned that we are losing some element of our common humanity as tech becomes so enmeshed in our daily lives. It’s clear that in today’s competitive environment, retaining top talent and finding ways to keep today’s workforce engaged and loyal is crucial. A recent global study showed that improving employee engagement led to a 3% uptick in revenue. Indeed, we are at an inflection point in the relationship between people and technology.
In order to be a desirable workplace, workforces must personalize their technology offerings to suit diverse employee needs. For example, research has revealed that more than 50% of employees expect to be working in a smart office in the next five years, while workers expect conference calls and virtual meetings to become more common over the coming five years. Face-to-face meetings were cited as the only form of business interaction that respondents expect to become less frequent.
The workplace has to encompass not just tech and space but also cultural and personal sensibilities. Smart workspaces that merge tech, space and culture will drive the ultimate employee experience. Getting it wrong could mean “cultural debt” – it hurts productivity and companies will spend more trying to fix the culture over time. Adding to the burden of cultural debt, it can take companies 10 years after moving into a new market overseas just to reach one percent return on investment, according to HBR. Expanding overseas seamlessly while embracing global cultural differences should fuel company growth, not slow it down.
“Intelligent transformation” closes the gap between the promise of tech and its actual delivery when expanding into a new market. A smart office is a key element to consider, according to McKinsey Global Institute in its study, “Solving the Productivity Puzzle.” Furthermore, data is the currency of the digital economy; and in the workplace, the Internet of Things (IoT) will trigger and sustain exponential growth in data volumes. To make data actionable, it needs context and intelligence via Artificially Intelligent (AI) and smart machines. This is key to smart workplace success, according to PwC.
Offices around the world are undergoing a revolution. Workplaces are transforming into collaboration spaces where no one has a fixed desk, computers are no longer tied to a single user and boardrooms are virtual. When it comes to ensuring a successful expansion, the evidence is showing a clear trend towards a more flexible way of working as the hurdles are overcome by fresh innovations in technology and people management. Furthermore, employers must recognize, respect and accommodate the changes in how millennials and post-millennials work, especially in expanded regions, to attract and retain the best talent as well as drive innovative and profitable business.
One of the largest drivers of the changes in how and where we work has been technology. When building a global workforce emerging technologies, such as AI, Augmented Reality (AR) and Smart Office, will change how employees interact with technology and each other, therefore transforming workplaces to efficient collaboration rather than task-based work environments. In the global workplace, it’s powerful to enable a better employee experience, where tech, space and culture merge.
Lenovo’s latest addition to its smart office portfolio, ThinkSmart Hub 500 for Zoom Rooms, is an example. Expanding the all-in-one meeting room system portfolio, it gives global employees a unified communications platform optimized for easy setup and efficient meetings. Though designed for the huddle room, Hub 500 can be rolled out across various meeting room sizes by simply adding the right mix of accessories like Avocor displays, enabling teams to collaborate across the globe by providing 4K video, as well as Huddly IQ, an AI-powered conference camera that delivers smart video for more engaging meetings. Also, Zoom Rooms is a software-based conference room solution that transforms meeting rooms into powerful collaborative workspaces, with integrated HD video and audio, one-touch to join and one-click wireless sharing.
In order to build a workspace of the future, knowing how people move, use and interact in the workplace will lead to happier, healthier and more productive employees. Organizations that understand how to unify their workforce with emerging technologies to accelerate their speed to market will ultimately be the most successful. More than that, a smart workplace has to encompass not just tech and space, but also cultural and personal sensibilities for a better overall employee experience. Incorporating comfort and encouraging human connectivity are key factors here.
Reaching a new market – whether that’s embracing remote employees or scaling overseas – isn’t the hard part, but taking the business there is.
