Is your company keeping up with the ever-evolving tech revolution?

From diversity, and work-life balance, to four-day work weeks, the world of work has been changed in countless ways over the last few decades. But perhaps nothing about the world’s workplaces has evolved faster than technology.

At the start of the pandemic, companies were content with ensuring that their employees had access to laptops and decent wifi to work from their homes.

Then, as remote work dragged on for several years, some employees leveled up their tech by providing ring lights, podcast-style microphones, and external cameras for better video call quality.

And now?

IT departments are essentially back to focusing on tech at the office, but differently than before. Stephanie Hallford, a VP at Intel, said that most companies are now looking for ways to create a balanced environment in a hybrid workplace.

Hallford added that she and other business leaders are looking ahead to the metaverse and the promise it holds for converting telepresence into co-presence.

During a recent workshop on workplace technology organized by the online news platform Quartz, other experts also weighed in on how tech can be better utilized in workplaces today. 

Some of their suggestions include the following: 

• Making connections between employees beyond Zoom happy hours.
• Coaching applications. 
• Artificial intelligence for personalized learning and development.
• Removing bias from performance assessments. 
• Assessing job candidates for attributes like grit, conscientiousness, and good interpersonal skills. 
• Determining, with the help of machine learning, the optimal traits or experiences for success in specific roles. 

Sophie Ruddock, a VP at the tech apprenticeships platform Multiverse, said that spreading competency and capabilities across the organization allows everyone to prepare for the future of work.”

Regarding tracking technologies, Quartz at Work editor Anna Oakes advised employers to let their workforce know if they are in use. She added that leaders should also explain why it’s essential, as this might even become an opportunity to underscore your mission.

Finally, business leaders agreed that companies should not “fall in love with their workplace’s technology.” Innovations are being released daily, making even the ones released the previous month quickly turn obsolete.

Figure out how your workplace tech can be helpful today, and make full use of it while it still makes your operations as efficient as they can be.

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