The rapid advancement and proliferation of technology have engendered a massive shift in workplace dynamics. In fact, by 2022, a staggering 22% of the American workforce will be working from home. This translates to roughly 36.2 million employees.
However, despite these changes, one thing that remains constant is workplace collaboration. Proper collaboration and understanding of workers' roles are imperative to the success of any organization.
That's why top-tier companies invest heavily in collaborative work tools. They also put in place policies to encourage collaboration in the workplace.
While no one knows what the future holds, we can speculate on what future work roles and collaboration will look like. Today, we'll be highlighting the future trends in workplace collaboration and the roles employees will play.
Improved workplace flexibility
As mentioned earlier, more and more people are working from home, and rightly so. These days, businesses are waking up to the fact that work isn't a physical space. Employees can be just as productive, if not more, working from the comfort of their homes.
What's more, nowadays, workplace collaboration tools are very evolved. That’s why remote working is no longer a hindrance to collaboration in the workplace. Still, companies must invest in efficient workplace collaboration tools to succeed.
Platforms like Mesh, for example, are excellent for workplace collaboration. They allow employees to connect and work on projects from anywhere in the world.
There are tons of benefits to letting your employees work from home, including:
Increased productivity
According to a Stanford study, employees who work from home might actually be more productive than their office-based counterparts. It's tough to refute hard statistics.
Reduced overhead costs
Workplace collaboration tools can help reduce the need for expensive office space. This can help businesses save a bundle in overhead costs.
Improved work-life balance
Working from home can help employees achieve a better work-life balance. This is great for both their physical and mental health. It also helps improve employee retention.
What's more, companies that allow remote working are more attractive to employees. Your company can attract top talent to take your business to the next level.
Better employee engagement by superiors
It's not uncommon for employees to feel detached from their managers and other superiors. People have this ill-conceived notion that detaching from employees helps maintain some level of respect. Of course, this is far from the truth.
In the future, we'll be seeing improved communication between superiors and their employees. Workplace collaboration tools will help bridge the gap between managers and employees. This way, employees will feel more engaged with their work and be able to give their best performance.
A study by Gallup found that companies with high employee engagement levels enjoy:
- 24% lower turnover rates
- 41% less absenteeism
- 25% higher productivity levels
- 49% higher profitability
In some cases, companies might need to change their organizational structure to facilitate better employee engagement. For example, they might need to create more cross-functional teams with different heads. This way, employees can work together on projects and get to know each other and their managers better.
Talent interlock
Your employees can "complete" each other to bring the best out of themselves. Any work team combines a diverse group of employees with different skills and talents. Talent interlock means that these employees are working together to create a sum that's greater than their parts.
The right collaboration tools can help employees share their talents with each other and work together to create something amazing. For example, let's say you have an employee who's great at writing copy and another who's a whiz at design.
Workplace collaboration tools will enable them to combine their skills and talents for the greatest effect. This way, your company can produce better results with fewer employees.
Polls to gather employee insights and feedback
Polls are a great way to get employees' honest opinions about your company, its policies, and its procedures. This is especially true for anonymous polls that hide the workers' identities.
It's super difficult to get employees to share their honest opinions in person. Thankfully, digital polls make it easier for employees to give their feedback. With them, you can gain valuable information that can help you improve your company and make it a better place to work.
Additionally, it can help you identify any potential problems that you need to address. For example, if you see that a large number of employees are unhappy with your company's health insurance policy, you can take steps to improve it.
Brainstorming sessions
Brainstorming sessions are informal "meetings" where employees can brainstorm ideas for moving the company forward.
These sessions are usually led by a supervisor or manager. Think of it like a spit-balling session where all ideas are valid, but only the best ones are forwarded to management.
In the future, workplace collaboration tools will make it easier for employees to participate in brainstorming sessions. With them, employees can share their ideas on specific issues in the workplace. This is also a fun way to engage with employees and make them feel like integral members of the company.
Online chats and documents
Formal letters or memos to employees will soon be a thing of the past. That's because, with features like online chats, sending physical memos simply becomes a waste of time and resources.
Collaboration tools will allow you to communicate with employees in real-time. This is especially useful for quickly conveying important information or updates. Plus, online documents will allow easier collaboration between employees working on the same project.
For example, if you're working on a presentation for a client, you can easily share the document with your team and work on it together. This way, you can get feedback and input from everyone involved.
The future of workplace collaboration is in your hands
Knowing the future of teams and collaboration gives you an edge over the competition. It's now up to you to prepare your company for these future trends and pave the way for your company's success.
Clearly, collaboration and communication technology are at the core of future workplace collaboration. With platforms like Mesh, the future of workplace collaboration is firmly in your hands.
Contact us today and secure your company’s future.
