Hybrid work has now become the new norm for most companies across the globe as we emerge from the pandemic. While the Covid-19 made people embrace work-from-anywhere, it has transformed the concepts of work, workplace, and workforce. According to a recent survey by the ADP Research Institute's People at Work 2022, 76% of India's employees would prefer other job options if forced to work traditionally. Another report by NASSCOM and BCG found that 70 per cent of businesses in India are already operating in hybrid model.

With organisations adopting remote and hybrid working models, the biggest challenge they encounter is taking the appropriate decision on the best operating model and system that will enhance productivity and accuracy at the workplace. Creating a culture that supports people working-from-anywhere requires more than just developing policies and incorporating collaboration tools like MS Teams, Zoom and so on.

To achieve the goal of "work smarter, not harder", organisations must be committed to building a culture rooted in innovation, experimentation, adaptation, and collaboration. Choosing the right technology stack plays a critical role in ensuring a healthy and productive workplace, irrespective of whether you work from home, an office, or a coffee shop. As per a recent report by NASSCOM, 92% of organisations in India believe that future-of-work technology plays a pivotal role in ensuring productivity and collaboration within the workplace. 

Leveraging this power of technology, we have launched AI-powered apps utilising Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology to remove background noises and improve voice quality. For instance, ClaerityAI leverages the power of AI, incorporating speech enhancement technology to cancel out all unwanted background noise and echo from conference meetings, leaving only a human voice to be heard clearly. Our employees, friends, clients, and partners have experienced 95-98% background noise suppression using ClaerityAI in their online meetings. 

Active use of such a technology defines the future of communication where the software can make all forms of surrounding noises go away, exuding the best audio quality. With such technological advancements taking place, organisations need to incorporate effective strategies to maximise employee productivity. Some of them are mentioned below:

Upskilling and reskilling employees 

With the advent of new technologies and digital innovation in India, it is now crucial for working professionals to hone their existing skills and learn new ones. As per the report presented by the World Economic Forum, 50% of all employees will need to reskill by 2025 as the adoption of technology increases. This makes it mandatory for businesses to inculcate a digital workplace learning programme supported by rigorous training and employee engagement that will create a highly skilled and high-performing workforce. Moreover, providing cross-skilling opportunities, and performing a skills gap analysis amongst everyone like C-suite, managers and staff are some of the effective ways that can upskill the workforce and increase productivity. At Aeris, we witnessed an increase in employees investing time in upskilling and cross-skilling themselves during and post covid period. We also launched many internal training programmes to help employees hone their technical skills. 

Utilising artificial intelligence in HR practices 

As India goes through digital boom, organisations today are adapting to these rapid changes using New-Age technologies. Research conducted by IBM revealed that VR-based training can reduce training time by 40 per cent as compared to traditional training and improve employee performance by a whopping 70 per cent. AI technology has advanced to the point where it can help businesses augment their entire HR lifecycle, from mapping potential candidates through AI-generated custom advertisements to finding effective ways to attract a talent pool while retaining the existing team.  For instance, a human resources management system (HRMS) is a valuable tool in automating the hiring process. As part of a broader set of functionalities, these systems help in automating the management process of the candidate. Overall, AI benefits both employers and employees by predicting the right talent within the company, which increases workplace productivity within a short time span.

Embracing automation to enhance productivity 

Enterprises need to welcome automation in their workflow to offer an enhanced digital experience. According to a recent Deloitte report, businesses using Intelligence Automation (IA) appropriately will witness an average cost reduction of 22% and increased revenue of 11% in the next three years. Automating tasks like recordkeeping, task assignment, and attendance gives organisations a chance to streamline decision-making, reduce errors, and ensure data security. Automating tasks also gives enough time for IT teams to focus on improving their skills in the tech stack. 

Setting the right expectations with the workforce 

While embracing digital transformation and automation is important, businesses cannot overlook the significance of transparency. The best way to ascertain transparency between the employer and employee is to devise effective goals, set up clear roles and responsibilities, and communicate regularly to ensure smooth coordination and workflow efficiency.

The Bottom Line 

By optimising the workforce and adapting to new technologies, companies not only map the right talent but also gain agility and cost-efficiency. Through effective use of analytics and insights, organisations today can enhance productivity by monitoring their key performance indicators (KPIs). The processes also help organisations meet budget constraints, remain innovative, and ensure that "work from anywhere" is not a challenge anymore for organisational development. The future of work seems to be undeniably hybrid today. Hence, with the right leadership, proper planning, investments, and the use of technologies, companies can shape a culture that can adapt, thrive, and assist people wherever they work.