How has COVID-19 affected the workplace?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAlthough remote work is often the focus when discussing the impact of the pandemic, the workforce has needed to adjust in other ways as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Research from Personio<\/a>, an HR platform company in the UK, suggested that a number of factors may converge to create a \u201cpost-pandemic talent drain.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\nAccording to their findings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- 38% of employees in the UK are likely to change roles in the next 6 or 12 months or when the economy has strengthened<\/li>
- Top reasons for this impending exodus include a worsening work\/life balance (23%), pay cuts or freezes (22%), or toxic workplace cultures (21%)<\/li>
- 30% of respondents rated career development support as \u2018good,\u2019 versus 64% of HR professionals who feel the same<\/li>
- 37% of respondents felt there were too many digital tools to use at work<\/li>
- 36% felt that working across multiple tools disrupted their productive flow<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
These statistics highlight the fact that the digital employee experience directly affects employee metrics such as employee productivity, engagement, and retention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They also point towards the bottom-line benefits of creating a digital employee experience that is simple, seamless, and consistent\u2014regardless of where employees are located.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For reasons such as these, forward-thinking organizations are restructuring their workplaces in order to prevent such a flood of employee exits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Restructuring the workplace for the 2020s<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn the years ahead, many companies will adopt new policies, processes, and structures that solve modern challenges and prepare their people for any unexpected disruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are a few changes to expect as we move forward:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The hybrid office<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nWorking from home (WFH) was something employers required of their teams in 2020. Perhaps somewhat ironically, some surveys suggest that WFH may now become a staple for employees in what they expect of their employer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some even prefer to quit instead of giving up remote work<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\nEmployers who recognize the importance of meeting employees\u2019 expectations are rewriting work policies, changing business processes, restructuring offices, and even adding new software and hardware<\/a> to support the hybrid office model.<\/p>\n\n\n\nChanged workforce compositions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe structure of tomorrow\u2019s workforce will differ in many respects from the workforce composition<\/a> many of us have known.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFor instance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Globalization has enabled companies to hire workers from anywhere in the world<\/li>
- The digital skills gap<\/a> is creating a talent divide both within the marketplace and within organizations<\/li>
- New work arrangements, such as gig work and contracting, will become more common<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
In combination with the rising number of remote workers, these changes will drive a workforce composition that will require new management styles, workplace policies, and business strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The composable enterprise<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe shift in workplace dynamics goes hand-in-hand with the movement towards new business practices and architectures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To counter a lack of digital dexterity<\/a> in the workplace, as observed in Personio\u2019s survey, many organizations are deploying no-code composable software, such as WalkMe\u2019s Digital Adoption Platform<\/a> (DAP). These DAPs are invisible apps that operate independently of other software and, among other things, can be used to compose, rearrange, and redesign workflows.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis composability within workflows and the workplace is a reflection of agility at the organizational level. That is, not only are companies treating workflows as modular and changeable, they are treating their entire organizations as composable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A composable enterprise<\/a> would be more open to creating new cross-functional teams or business units. This approach is flexible and more suitable for today\u2019s uncertain and ever-changing business environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAlignment of HR and IT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nMany organizations are recognizing that certain departments, such as HR and IT, are playing a bigger role in the employee experience, employee performance<\/a>, and in the organization\u2019s ability to perform and stay agile.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAs a result, many organizations are aligning their IT and HR departments and pursuing joint programs, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Digital adoption programs aimed at simplifying software onboarding, training, and support<\/li>
- Digital employee experience programs aimed at measuring and managing employees\u2019 digital workplace experiences<\/li>
- HR transformation<\/a> efforts designed to improve the overall digital maturity of the HR department<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Organizations pursuing these types of programs often understand that digital technology must now lie at the heart of the business, its operations, and the workplace. To keep up, it is crucial for IT and HR to work together to build a workplace and a culture that is digital-first<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPush the boundaries<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nFor some organizations, the changes mentioned above may be significant as well as daunting\u2014if not impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other companies may be more willing and able to adopt hybrid office models, permanent telecommuting policies, no-code composable software<\/a>, and the other measures discussed above.<\/p>\n\n\n\nRegardless of where one is at on their digital transformation journey, it is important to recognize that adaptation is a necessity, not a luxury. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to their findings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- 38% of employees in the UK are likely to change roles in the next 6 or 12 months or when the economy has strengthened<\/li>
- Top reasons for this impending exodus include a worsening work\/life balance (23%), pay cuts or freezes (22%), or toxic workplace cultures (21%)<\/li>
- 30% of respondents rated career development support as \u2018good,\u2019 versus 64% of HR professionals who feel the same<\/li>
- 37% of respondents felt there were too many digital tools to use at work<\/li>
- 36% felt that working across multiple tools disrupted their productive flow<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
These statistics highlight the fact that the digital employee experience directly affects employee metrics such as employee productivity, engagement, and retention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They also point towards the bottom-line benefits of creating a digital employee experience that is simple, seamless, and consistent\u2014regardless of where employees are located.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For reasons such as these, forward-thinking organizations are restructuring their workplaces in order to prevent such a flood of employee exits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Restructuring the workplace for the 2020s<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In the years ahead, many companies will adopt new policies, processes, and structures that solve modern challenges and prepare their people for any unexpected disruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are a few changes to expect as we move forward:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The hybrid office<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Working from home (WFH) was something employers required of their teams in 2020. Perhaps somewhat ironically, some surveys suggest that WFH may now become a staple for employees in what they expect of their employer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some even prefer to quit instead of giving up remote work<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Employers who recognize the importance of meeting employees\u2019 expectations are rewriting work policies, changing business processes, restructuring offices, and even adding new software and hardware<\/a> to support the hybrid office model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Changed workforce compositions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The structure of tomorrow\u2019s workforce will differ in many respects from the workforce composition<\/a> many of us have known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For instance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Globalization has enabled companies to hire workers from anywhere in the world<\/li>
- The digital skills gap<\/a> is creating a talent divide both within the marketplace and within organizations<\/li>
- New work arrangements, such as gig work and contracting, will become more common<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
In combination with the rising number of remote workers, these changes will drive a workforce composition that will require new management styles, workplace policies, and business strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The composable enterprise<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The shift in workplace dynamics goes hand-in-hand with the movement towards new business practices and architectures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To counter a lack of digital dexterity<\/a> in the workplace, as observed in Personio\u2019s survey, many organizations are deploying no-code composable software, such as WalkMe\u2019s Digital Adoption Platform<\/a> (DAP). These DAPs are invisible apps that operate independently of other software and, among other things, can be used to compose, rearrange, and redesign workflows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This composability within workflows and the workplace is a reflection of agility at the organizational level. That is, not only are companies treating workflows as modular and changeable, they are treating their entire organizations as composable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A composable enterprise<\/a> would be more open to creating new cross-functional teams or business units. This approach is flexible and more suitable for today\u2019s uncertain and ever-changing business environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alignment of HR and IT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many organizations are recognizing that certain departments, such as HR and IT, are playing a bigger role in the employee experience, employee performance<\/a>, and in the organization\u2019s ability to perform and stay agile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a result, many organizations are aligning their IT and HR departments and pursuing joint programs, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Digital adoption programs aimed at simplifying software onboarding, training, and support<\/li>
- Digital employee experience programs aimed at measuring and managing employees\u2019 digital workplace experiences<\/li>
- HR transformation<\/a> efforts designed to improve the overall digital maturity of the HR department<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Organizations pursuing these types of programs often understand that digital technology must now lie at the heart of the business, its operations, and the workplace. To keep up, it is crucial for IT and HR to work together to build a workplace and a culture that is digital-first<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Push the boundaries<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
For some organizations, the changes mentioned above may be significant as well as daunting\u2014if not impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other companies may be more willing and able to adopt hybrid office models, permanent telecommuting policies, no-code composable software<\/a>, and the other measures discussed above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regardless of where one is at on their digital transformation journey, it is important to recognize that adaptation is a necessity, not a luxury. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- New work arrangements, such as gig work and contracting, will become more common<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.walkme.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/04\/Change-Management-A-min_8643bf07.png\"\/)
<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"To adapt to the drastic changes wrought by COVID-19, organizations have been restructuring their workplaces, their business models, and their