Microsoft has recommended three strategies that it believes will be critical to the success of the new world of work in 2022.
This comes against the backdrop of a hybrid working model the world has adopted since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Companies must consider flexibility, culture, and inclusion as part of their hybrid work strategies when planning and implementing them and will have a significant impact on who stays, who leaves, and who seeks to join different teams,” said Ibrahim Youssry, Regional General Manager for the Middle East, and Africa Multi-Country Region at Microsoft,
So far, about 40 percent of the global workforce is considering leaving their current jobs by the end of 2021, according to the 2021 Work Trend Index Report, released in March this year.
The survey included over 30 000 workers from 31 countries, and it drew on data from applications such as Teams, Outlook, and Office 365 with the majority of respondents saying that hybrid work is difficult.
“How you shape your business culture going forward, what you do to attract and retain talent, how you respond to changes in your working environment and how you approach future innovation will all be key to success in the coming years,” noted Youssry.
According to Youssry businesses can get the hybrid work right by enabling extreme flexibility, taking a proactive approach to company culture, and prioritising inclusion.
On flexibility, and while this might make some feel uncomfortable, it’s important for organisations to sit down with their employees and take the time to find out what everyone needs to be as efficient and productive as possible. Youssry says this will likely be different for each person and for each team.
As for company culture, team-building efforts must be proactive, not passive,
“It’s critical to invest in strategies and technologies that bridge the gap between the digital and the physical worlds so that those working remotely don’t feel disconnected from those working in the office and vice versa. To break down siloed thinking, teams must be presented with opportunities to brainstorm, collaborate, and share ideas – no matter where they are located,” he said.
Lastly, companies will also need to consider inclusion as another priority. When you consider that one billion people with disabilities around the world have been disproportionately impacted due to the pandemic, it is every employer’s responsibility to prioritise their inclusion, explained Youssry.
“In today’s workplace, it has never been more important to include everyone. Accessibility is the vehicle to inclusion,” he said, noting that there really are no limits to what people can achieve when technology reflects the diversity of everyone who uses it.
Microsoft’s investments in AI aim to put emerging technologies in the hands of developers so that they can accelerate the development of accessible and intelligent AI solutions, designed by and in collaboration with people with disabilities.
“Just like everyone else, we at Microsoft have never done this before,” he noted. “We’ve used this period as an opportunity to grow and evolve our workplace so that we can deliver capabilities that help our employees, customers and business thrive.”
