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H R BULLETIN VOLUME 85
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H U M A N E - R | V O L U M E 85
HR BULLETIN
Workforce collaboration in a virtual worldA new era of real-time engagement
With this technological backbone, a hybrid model of work has emerged as the perfect way for organizations to strike a balance between face-to-face work and the flexibility of working from home. The pandemic held up a mirror and forced people to see the unpredictability of life. It acted as a litmus test for business continuity and resiliency and threw a curveball at even well-prepared companies. From board meetings to court hearings, everything became virtual. What became a challenge at offices was for the Human Resources Team to ensure minimal disruptions to work, productivity, and business goals.
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H U M A N E - R | V O L U M E 85
Navigating the shift to remote work, amalgamating technology into every aspect while ensuring that employees stay connected and relevant in an ever-changing environment became the new normal. It became evident that people wanted their jobs to fit into their lifestyle, unlike earlier, when they molded their lives according to their job. Hybrid work was the solution. Technology: The force behind hybrid work productivity Last year's events hastened the arrival of the future of work, which includes a scattered yet connected workforce, the emergence of futuristic skill sets, and a rise in automation. New technology trends influencing this hybrid work culture will depend on next-generation technologies like AI/ML, Cloud Infrastructure, SaaS, and IoT. This upgrade in technology will empower employers and employees to collaborate more efficiently, flexibly, and with resilience over the long term. Traditional businesses need to adapt and opt for reliable technology which enables them to participate in this revolution. With this technological backbone, a hybrid model of work has emerged as the perfect way for organizations to strike a balance between face-to-face work and the flexibility of working from home. It boosts the employees' productivity and ensures that there is a better work-life balance and positive mental well-being. The shift to hybrid offices is already visible in many parts of the world. There is a considerable demand for new-age office communication and collaboration tools that support team building in the virtual world. Real-Time engagement platforms will redefine and lay the foundation for hybrid work by enabling meaningful conversations and networking through internal video/audio collaboration. As companies continue to adopt a more flexible, hybrid style of working, meeting colleagues is no longer confined to the physical walls of the boardroom. They are now required to become more at ease with the highly interactive video conferencing tools and virtual whiteboards. Remote work productivity can be easily enabled via RTE. With live interactive features like real-time messaging, voice chat, video chat, screen sharing, document sharing, and more, RTE provides the building blocks to create seamless team productivity apps that enhance efficiency and creative collaboration. RTE platforms also offer social features like virtual gifting, face filters, and sound effects that encourage fun and team building. Similarly, technologies with integrated cloud whiteboards give multiple remote users the ability to collaborate in the same space in real-time. Colleagues can provide real-time feedback and can even edit content directly, irrespective of their location. Whether it's a one-on-one brainstorming session or a live conference stream to a million people, advanced algorithms provide adaptive resolution. Immediate initial video rendering and seamless channel switching offer a reliable stream without delay, against even the most challenging network conditions. There will be an emergence of mixed reality environments that companies will adopt to boost remote collaboration in the coming days. Mixed Reality will facilitate a merger between the real and virtual world. It is no longer unrealistic to imagine teams attending VR-based conferences with their colleagues while on vacation in Mexico. The future is now Companies need to rewind, re-think and re-assess their working choices now. Today, a lot of conversations are only calendar-driven and end up as work talk. Employees miss the coffee breaks, office picnics, and casual chit chat. Therefore, it is crucial to foster and drive a sharing space that allows other people to see the discussion and simultaneously participate and feel more connected. The new generation of workplace tools goes beyond communications infrastructure's utility and aims to provide human interactivity. Companies such as Pragli and Loop are replicating In-Real-Life (IRL) experiences in a virtual space. In a physical office set-up, we would tap someone or look at a colleague's body gestures and movements and determine their moods. Recreating some of those real-life behaviors is vital in how we think about the future of the workplace in 2022.
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/performance-managementsystems/workforce-collaboration-in-a-virtual-world-a-new-era-of-real-timeengagement-32922
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H U M A N E - R | V O L U M E 85
What workers really want from their employers Now is the moment to look within your company and ask if your most essential job seekers are interested in what you're offering. Understanding what existing employees want from their next job is critical to improving a company's talent acquisition and retention tactics. According to a survey, money and well-being related issues have increased dramatically in recent years, securing first and second place as the most important factors for accepting a job elsewhere. Gallup recently polled 13,085 U.S. employees to find out what factors they considered most significant when considering whether or not to accept a new job offer from a new employer. Employers who are serious about winning the fight for talent in the next year or two should consider the following six variables as the baseline expectations of potential hires, and should strive to meet these conditions when attempting to attract — or retain — top talent. A significant increase in income or benefits According to the poll, the most crucial factor respondents seek in a new job is a substantial boost in pay or perks, which 64 per cent stated is extremely important. This is up from 41% in 2015, when "income or benefits" was the fourth most important factor…
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/employmentlandscape/what-workers-really-want-from-their-employers32861?media_type=article&subcat=employee-relations&title=what-workers4 really-want-from-their-employers&id=32861
H U M A N E - R | V O L U M E 85
The new-age handbook to corporate wellness for employers These uncertain times have taken a toll on the overall physical and mental health of the workforce. The idea of providing group health insurance to ensure employee wellness is not new. What’s new, however, is how it has evolved over the years to encapsulate contrasting needs of all segments while keeping up with digitisation. If the pre-COVID era saw corporate insurance warming up to technology, the pandemic essentially transformed its landscape, particularly to match the pace with remote work settings. Besides, COVID has brought the significance of insurance to the forefront. Hence, what was earlier perceived as a perfunctory component of the CTC, is now being carefully scrutinised just so it caters to the health needs of employees - and by extension their families - in a pandemicravaged world. These uncertain times have taken a toll on the overall physical and mental health of the workforce. Therefore, the newage corporate wellness playbook is all about flexibility, customisation, inclusivity, and digital means to achieve these goals. This is where InsurTech comes into the picture - to act as an interface between corporates and insurers and facilitate a smooth transition of technology into the group insurance space. Here’s how digitisation is rewriting the rules of corporate insurance that employers need to know about. Adapting to dynamic workplace needs The recurrent pandemic waves have made it difficult for the organisations to set a policy in stone. The workplaces have been operating on different models, keeping the employee well-being in mind…
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/employee-relations/thenew-age-handbook-to-corporate-wellness-for-employers-32829
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H U M A N E - R | V O L U M E 85
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The new normal necessitates the adoption of new workforce metrics by the HR HR must design better policies and strategies to make the hybrid ecosystem more productive, robust, and secure to achieve better results. The pandemic outbreak has wreaked havoc on practically every facet of life, and our professional lives/workplaces are no exception. It has forced us to reconsider how we conduct business, communicate with others, and work. The new world order presents many challenges for organizations, including the need for a quick and practical shift in workforce metrics to cut costs and boost growth during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The most important implication of the new normal is for HR, who is the heart of an organization and critical to a company's operational efficiencies. HR's role has expanded dramatically in recent months, from developing remote working regulations and ensuring smooth workflows to designing return-to-work programs and new safety standards. As a result, the new normal requires HR to implement new workforce metrics. So, how can HR ensure that organizations transition smoothly to the new normal? Focus on building a robust hybrid work environment The remote work trend imposed on employees because of the pandemic has now become the norm. According to the findings, 82% of respondents prefer working from home rather than from the office. However, total remote employment can weaken business culture and make it challenging to maintain client relationships. Many organizations have shifted to a hybrid workspace…
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/strategic-hr/the-newnormal-necessitates-the-adoption-of-new-workforce-metrics-by-the-hr-32879
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H U M A N E - R | V O L U M E 85
The real reason why leaders don’t succeed despite incredible talent Leaders have to learn that building adaptability is one means to establish a human connection with your employees.
Pinterest is all about idealism. It allows its users to create the perfect version of everything - from their homes to their gardens, meals, clothes, hair, and even cupcakes. Although Pinterest is the embodiment of all things perfect, its workplace was not. This became evident when Pinterest shareholders sued company executives, including CEO Ben Silbermann, for nurturing toxic workplace culture in December 2020. As alleged in the lawsuit, Pinterest's CEO repeatedly put himself before the company, surrounded himself with yes-men and, to make things worse, ignored or silenced employees who raised concerns. In cases like the above, it is a challenge to figure out why an experienced leader, with a track record of success, is suddenly not able to meet expectations. What goes wrong? As you gain power, confidence, and control, it's easy to get wrapped up in the act of leadership and lose sight of what’s really significant. The hurdle to leadership success Even before the pandemic, unanticipated leadership crisis plagued many companies. Organizations lag behind not due to circumstantial changes but due to leaders’ aversion to adjust to them…
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/leadership/the-real-reasonwhy-leaders-dont-succeed-despite-incredible-talent-32942
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