We know that digital transformation has been an integral part of the changes in the average workplace. At its core, digital transformation is when you use technology to improve operations in different parts of your business. In 2023, workplace transformation will be happening all around. Technology is facilitating most of those changes. So how do you transform your workplace to make work better in 2023?

You've probably heard the phrase "new normal." But what does it mean? And how is it determined? Transforming your workplace is a complex and multifaceted process. With every set of "new norms," we see massive benefits. While we look at the most significant changes to our workplace and work life, let's focus more on the transformation part and less on the digital domain. 

Here are a few examples of the changes that have already caused the biggest impacts in 2023.

The shift to skill-based hiring

The workplace continues to evolve. Employees returned to the office (or not) with new reservations, concerns, and learnings. A significant event like a pandemic pushes people to find new and creative ways to adapt. 

All of the forced changes gave organizations a better sense of what matters in the day-to-day of each role. A big realization was that you could teach anyone how to do the work, but you couldn't teach some things. Enter the soft skills. An ability to adapt quickly, be flexible, and work in different environments and settings was crucial. 

Companies are recruiting for potential rather than just degrees or previous titles. This helps to broaden the talent pool and provide more opportunities for often overlooked soft skills. Empathy, curiosity, and the ability to think outside the box are vital tools in your toolbox. These skills will help separate you from someone good at their role and make you great at it.

Here are some "power skills" that will catapult you to success. 

  • Good communication across all departments and work processes

  • Customer service approached with empathy

  • Leadership through compassion

  • Attention to detail and focus on optimizing

  • Collaboration among tools and team members

Employee well-being is a top priority

We are throwing out traditional business structures and more conventional approaches in the workplace. Instead, you'll find a lot more focus on the employees' well-being (finally!). And while we praise "soft skills" in people, we stress the importance of human traits such as empathy. 

Whether and when they plan to return to the office, safety is the top priority for 75% of enterprises. And by safety, that means both occupational health and wellness, including environmental hazards and working conditions.

Employers are paying much closer attention to employee balance. Burnout costs the company a lot of time and money. And by turning the focus on making sure all employees are finding work/life balance, companies are getting ahead of the problem. Employee boundaries will also need to be respected. With trust at the core of all management approaches, you will expect your team to get the work done within the time they have and not force or micromanage impossible deadlines. 

Flexibility, safety, and accessibility for all

Effective communication among teams and managers is increasingly vital in a remote world. Collaboration tools like Slack, Lucid, Google Docs, etc., contribute to your organization's digital transformation. In a Digital Workplace report, Akumina found that 84% of respondents work remotely or in hybrid mode. 

The future of work is flexible for all. This ensures that it's also accessible to all. And that means in the workplace. The future of the office will be to combine all of the great things you can find on-site, like brainstorming sessions, collaboration, and connecting with your colleagues. Opportunities to connect may be less organic. Still, remote access and programs to connect on topics other than work conversations are also encouraged. 

74% of enterprises will operate on a hybrid work model, a mix of working remotely and from an office. We want to ensure that not returning to the office doesn't mean there are missed innovation opportunities. 

Hybrid learning and hybrid workplace

NovoEd found that nearly six out of ten learning leaders believe the growth of hybrid working and learning will lead to a re-invention of the traditional brick-and-mortar corporate academy. We are abolishing the idea that hybrid approaches are only temporary. 

The best way to find success is to define what hybrid means for you and your teams. At Wrk, we use a hybrid approach when it comes to automation. The best parts of humans should be amplified and not overlooked. Automation, bots, AI, generative AI, and APIs are crucial for this empowerment. Both empower our Wrk Actions. Instead of bulldozing all the great things about robots and humans, we realized there was much more power in combining the two. 

Hybrid approaches mean more flexibility for your team. Independent of how you define hybrid, you accept that two things can come together to improve on both sides. For example, introducing a hybrid approach to your teams through new technologies. Or it could be striking a balance between being in the office and having the flexibility to work remotely. The critical part to focus on is that it works! 

Want to know more about our hybrid approach? Talk to one of our specialists today.