Over the past two months, we have set out to explore how business leaders can start making the most of this new era in our “Leading Change at Work: Devising your digital workplace strategy” advisory report. Businesses have weathered more than their fair share of disruption over the past 18 months. Yet findings from Ricoh commissioned research suggest significant under-investment in some crucial areas, such as technology.

Last year, we released our Conscious Workplace Report dedicated to the impact of the pandemic on the way we work. The report focused on statistics related to both attitudes and challenges. This year, we wanted to examine how the pandemic (and other external factors, such as Brexit) has changed the day-to-day life of employees and managers – gathering insight from different sectors and speaking directly with Facilities, HR, IT, Finance and Operations professionals.

Collaborate to build the big picture

For senior leaders to develop an effective change strategy, it is vital to listen to department heads, invest in skills and enable collaboration. Many business leaders today, particularly those in Finance and Operations, feel a growing burden as a result of internal silos.

A key to success for any business in times of change has always been collaboration. Yet the mass and rapid introduction of hybrid work has made this more challenging. Our research found that many businesses are still operating in silos, with key departments feeling that their needs are not being met and that investment, both financial and in terms of focus, has been limited.

The pandemic demonstrated the power of what can be achieved with cross-collaboration. Many IT, Finance, HR, and Facilities teams found themselves working together with a common goal for the first time – to enable hybrid working and protect the wellbeing or workers. Vodafone’s workplace transformation with Ricoh and Coventry City Council’s smart locker solution are great examples of what successful collaborations can achieve.

Investing in a long-term digital workplace strategy

Over the past 18 months, virtually every business has undergone some form of digital transformation change that has supported the remodelling, refreshing, and renewing of its approach to working. When done successfully, this digital transformation has enabled businesses to increase their innovation and agility. However, when poorly implemented, the implications can be far reaching and serious.

For finance departments, demonstrating a return on investment with quantifiable metrics helps to make the business case for digital workplace improvement projects. One area of investment that is passing the cost-benefit analysis now is addressing ongoing cybersecurity and data protection challenges. This type of investment comes in many forms, from expert consultancy to advanced technology, but the challenge is clear, and the outcome is measurable. Only through sourcing reliable metrics will finance teams be able to make successful and valuable investments to support employees.

Effective long-term change strategies must factor in the wider business context to be truly effective. For example, strong economic growth and low interest rates can mean more experimental investment, set against higher rates and slower growth which may mean planning for more cost-effective processes. The key to both is in the measurement of newly introduced technology and processes coupled with addressing the needs of a modern workforce. Getting this right leads to greater business agility and better support for employees and their productivity.

The word of the future: flexibility

Remote work has altered employee mindsets for good. Over 400,000 workers in the UK resigned in the three months leading up to September. It’s clear that the perception of “normal” has shifted. With an international talent shortage, businesses are feeling the strain to appease all employees – regardless of conflicting demands.

Almost all businesses recognise that they need to enable flexibility to attract and retain talent. But this involves more than a simple amendment to working hours. With more employees than ever working with colleagues in different time zones, global issues (such as supply chain) frequently disrupting working patterns, more innovative approaches are needed. The introduction of workflows, switching from conventional shift patterns or enabling more autonomy are all possible solutions. Only through the introduction of change and effective measurement can you identify what needs best suit your business.

The requirement to shape your business according to needs, to keep up with the times without losing your identity, is certainly a challenge. Organisations need to remain flexible and agile to remain competitive and ensure business growth while attracting and retaining top talent.

While there are still rough seas ahead for businesses across industry and sector, the storms are navigable through collaboration, careful investment, and increased flexibility. Take a look at our “Leading Change at Work: Devising your digital workplace strategy” advisory report, you can find clear guidance to lead your business down the path of greater productivity and security.

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Presented at the CBI annual conference 2020, our Conscious Workplace Report focused on the impact of remote working and the core challenges business leaders were facing. Featuring interviews with employees and managers from across the UK at the end of the first lockdown in England. The report also formed one of the first clear pictures of homeworking experiences and perceptions.  

But what can businesses do now to prepare for the future? The workplace is changing all the time, and so are employee expectations. In short, businesses must take stock of the learnings, start listening and work hard to define operational needs. 

To help facilitate these conversations inside your organisation, we will be conducting further research. Bringing industry leaders together to discuss potential ways forward for UK businesses. Using our Conscious Workplace Report as the blueprint for our discussions.

Destination versus desk time 

Our report indicated that hybrid working is essential as businesses seek to implement policies and processes that best suit their people and customers. 

The office is no longer a place employees visit every day, completing tasks and projects between the same eight hours. The original definition of the office may no longer be fit for purpose for many businesses and their teams. 

As a result, to overcome this challenge and find solutions, business leaders must open up lines of communication. Leaders, including HR directors and facilities managers, need to be involved in company-wide open discussions to understand the needs of the business and its workforce.

What does the future workplace look like?

As organisations begin establishing their return-to-work strategies, it is important to evaluate physical spaces and decide if existing workspaces are appropriate and fit for purpose. Asking a few questions can help with this process: 

• What benefit does a total return to the office bring?
• Does it fit with the current business strategy?

It is getting to the ‘why’ of the office, which is crucial. Employees have proved that they can work from home and be productive. Instead, it may be that the office becomes a destination. A space that encourages collaboration, creativity and teamwork rather than a place where people would gather to work in silos.

Business leaders should consider the existing policies and technologies their business has already implemented. These will highlight and demonstrate existing employee needs and allow leaders to devise a strategy that consciously uses the office. Alternatively, it could reveal that existing workplaces would be better suited for a redesign. Above all, allowing collaboration and supporting the new expectations of employees within the business. 

Greater collaboration needs to take place across businesses to understand the true nature of working practices today. However, to truly address this, more discussion between business function leaders is needed. To help understand the landscape we’re in and the future we want to create.

Revolution or evolution?

The way we work was already beginning to change pre-pandemic, with remote and cloud-based working growing in prominence. The pandemic has accelerated this movement, creating the need for rapid implementation of new technology. But now is the time to consider the past 18 months and look further past tomorrow, next week, or even next quarter to the next decade. New technology must suit the needs of the business for many years to come. 

Firstly, the shifting dynamics of the workplace shouldn’t be treated with suspicion and fear but rather as a natural evolution. It’s just taking place faster. Leaders have the opportunity to charge forwards and shape what evolution looks like. To mould practices and policies into what organisations need. 

Time to define the future workplace

Every component of the modern workplace, whether it’s physical or virtual, now requires conscious consideration and active decision-making. So how exactly do you create a plan that supports your people and digital business transformation?

Download our Leading Change at Work report for advice and help on how to devise your digital workplace strategy. We collected data from both our customers and industry experts based on real-life examples.

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The same research report, The Conscious Workplace, identified that “Before the pandemic, only 30% of UK employees had ever experienced working from home”. It went on to say, “Despite this fact, it is not a new concept. For years psychologists, behavioural economists, and forward-thinking business leaders have championed the practice. Touting the numerous mental and physical health benefits it can bring.”

The report confirms that our past approach to remote working has served us sufficiently well for 6-8 months. However, as we look ahead to the future, when we again return to the office, will this current approach sustain us? So we face the challenge of ensuring our office communication and collaboration infrastructure is fit for purpose and responsive for the future. To achieve this, redefining the workplace and its new purpose is critical.

Read the Conscious Workplace:

Click to read The Conscious Workplace

Returning from mass remote working

Looking to the future people will most likely be splitting their days between both the office and home. Therefore it’s imperative for both employees and management that meetings, informal catch-ups and communication, are quick, easy and seamless.

The Conscious Workplace Report says, “The events of late have rapidly accelerated the need for shared workspaces in the cloud, face-to-face video calls and a raft of other work from home tools that could have enabled this style of work sooner. Despite historical concerns, office workers have transitioned to working from home, and for the most part, the system didn’t break. However, remote working through lockdown has resulted in a wide spectrum of experience in technology, covering both remote work and those who have been able to transition back into the office.”

During this sustained period of remote working people have become accustomed to working in a very immediate, hands-on way. They could manage their time more freely, collaborate, establish and set up meetings quickly and efficiently, flex how and when they worked and even relaxed how they dressed. As such, as offices become more available, its the responsibility of organisations to reconsider and begin the process of redefining the workplace, both the office and home.

Redefining the workplace, its purpose and relationship with remote working

The workplace undoubtedly now includes the home, as well as the office. Human behaviour and our daily interactions have changed – many of the positive aspects of that change will need to be considered as people work more flexibly in the future.

The report recommends, “Empathy must be offered to managers who are walking a tightrope whilst managing expectation versus reality. Suddenly, managers are responsible for more than staff productivity. They have to take charge of adapting and maintaining their work environments, whilst remotely managing staff who are no longer within direct reach.”

The top challenges when redefining the workplace and overcoming them

Some solutions can ease the process of redefining the workplace, such as quick and easy collaboration tools, digital processes and productivity cloud applications. Here are just a few to share some ideas;

Finding meeting spaces

With the aid of remote digital collaboration tools, we can start or join a meeting with just a click of a button when at home. But in an office environment organising a physical meeting has historically required a far more involved process. Firstly checking meeting space availability then securing the right meeting resources. However, smart workplace management solutions provide a real-time view of which meeting desks, rooms and spaces are available. This includes spaces that are currently in use, pre-booked (but currently not being used) or if they are under-utilised. Solutions such as these provide an equivalent ‘one-click’ experience for the office.

Ensuring critical messages are communicated clearly and immediately

There are an array of solutions that can assist in effective communications across single or multiple office locations. For instance;

• ‘Multiview’ on multiple locations across the office, laptops, desktops and mobile – sharing news, health and safety reminders, travel. Helps visitors, employees and customers access the latest information. A single management dashboard can update these messages from one remote location across a range of multiple communication channels.

• Managing visitors and employees with digital print and integrated digital signage and IPTV

Wayfinding and integrated intelligent building management systems

Whilst redefining the workplace there are cloud solutions available that can be integrated with what you already have in place. These can provide the ability to manage and control the office to ensure comfort and maintain an optimal working environment. Solutions to regulate heat, light and humidity in the building. Or to help meet compliance standards such as safety notices, regulations and logistics.

HR and Management tools

There are also management tools to ensure the right employees, both remote or in the office, have seen the correct training video. These can also incorporate additional features such as hands-free/contactless updates and controls options, reporting and tracking functionality.

Conclusion

Whether your challenge is communication, wellbeing, space or productivity there are solutions to help make your workplace fit for purpose. That includes redefining a workplace to improve efficiency, addresses people’s needs and create a smart and safe environment.

To learn more about this subject why not watch our recent webinar – ‘How digital signage should support your smart and safe workplace‘.

Work Together, Anywhere – Helping business succeed in a changed world

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No matter what happens next, we have learned some incredibly valuable lessons. The importance of business resilience. The potential of flexibility. The benefits of having the right technology and working practices in place to ensure future business success.

But most of all, we’ve fortified our understanding that our most important asset is our people. Mental health and wellbeing have turned into topics at the forefront of business leaders’ minds – and it’s crucial it stays that way.

So, let’s take a look at some of the things you can do to look after your people.

Communicate regularly and openly

Nobody likes to be left in the dark, especially if they’re feeling anxious or uncertain. By being transparent and honest with what’s going on across your business – both the successes and the challenges – you maintain a sense of togetherness, making sure your people feel part of the big picture.

It’s also the role of managers to have regular one-to-one conversations with their teams. And not only to talk about work but also to enjoy each other’s company as if they were hanging out at the office coffee machine.

Provide opportunities to get away from work

One of the biggest challenges for people’s mental health and wellbeing in the last 12 months has been finding the right work/life balance. Indeed, many worked long hours in an attempt to maintain the same productivity they had in the office.

Mix this in with constant video calls – “Can you see my screen?” – it’s no wonder there is a lot of fatigue.

You need to continually reassure your people that it’s ok to manage your own time. In fact, you should positively encourage them to disengage from their home desk and get active. Especially in the shorter winter days – make the most of the sunlight!

Set objectives to work towards

Targets and objectives play a major role in motivation. When we’re working towards something that’s challenging yet achievable – perhaps with the potential of a reward at the end – we feel driven to perform at our best and reach truly excellent results.

It’s all about giving yourself focus and a sense of control. But this doesn’t have to be related to your business. Even things as simple as trying out a few new exercises can release those endorphins, reset your mind and improve your work productivity.

Some extra inspiration from Ricoh…

We’d like to tell you about something we’re doing to promote a sense of unity and support among our people.

In February, we’re asking our people to get active and raise money for charity by taking part in The Prince’s Trust ‘Future Steps’ challenge. This involves downloading an app and trying to do 10,000 steps a day for the month of – with a leader board to keep things competitive.

Everyone here is very excited, it’s generated a sense of community and it’s for a good cause. Why not try something similar in your business?

And remember, it’s all about taking the conscious approach.

Taking a conscious approach means constantly monitoring and supporting your people. It’s about being aware of their mental health and wellbeing at work through open communication. And being proactive when you identify problems and solutions.

Reach out to your colleagues before the emotional fatigue of remote working sets in. Put the right support in place before anyone even needs it. And understand that plans are just sketches – things you can adjust and tailor as you make each decision along the way.

Find out more by reading our report on The Conscious Workplace here.

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With the vaccine rollout underway, the road to normality becomes a serious possibility. So we can soon start to make plans for the future but the first thing we need to understand is where precisely are we now? That’s why Ricoh undertook ‘The Conscious Workplace Survey and Report’. By surveying over 1,300 people across the UK, we have established a clear understanding of what workers in the UK have dealt with this year. This includes employees working both remotely and in the office ranging from frontline workers to c-suite managers.

The Conscious Workplace Report

Our Conscious Workplace Report uses survey data captured in September 2020. This was used to evaluate managers and workers’ experience to help identify their most significant challenges and overall employee behavioural experience. This, in turn, enabled us to highlight the opportunities we, as businesses, currently face as we plan our future.

Almost all the participants cited four common concerns:

• Happiness, motivation and productivity are significant challenges
• Existing office spaces are unsuitable for a post-COVID world
• Managers are struggling to introduce new processes and look after their employees
• New technology also caused concerns for managers over security issues and its inefficient use.

So, why does all this make employee behaviour experience such an important factor? Because every challenge facing organisations across the UK, in terms of productivity, process and wellbeing, centre around your people.

What are the challenges facing employees and managers?

We may have come a long way, but there are still many teething issues that affect our day-to-day lives. And managers and employees are on the front line of dealing with them.

Anything that changes in our life causes friction and stress. Relocation, remote working, changing power dynamics – these are all common occurrences across the country, but they’re major events which have occurred all at once. Then there are all the little things we used to take for granted whilst working in an office environment; such as conversations, micro-rewards, and collaboration ease. Now all replaced with digital imitations that sometimes don’t quite hit the mark.

Sudden changes to routines, environments and ways of working can have a big physiologically impact, which can ultimately change the employee behavioural experience, ultimately impacting wellbeing.

Meanwhile, for managers, there is an additional layer; their roles have changed drastically. Once they were focused on organisational objectives. Now they must pay much more significant consideration to their employees’ wellbeing – whilst still ensuring things get done. And this is all happening amidst huge societal change, with distressing news and uncertainty across the country.

Managing employee behavioural experience needs behavioural insight.

One of the most difficult things to replicate from our office days is social interaction – a critical human happiness requirement. It plays a huge part in peoples’ mental wellbeing. We’ve all come to understand the challenges with video conferencing, collaborating while working remotely and getting quick answers to questions you could once ask in person.

Your people can no longer easily enjoy ‘water cooler’ moments, share stories or discuss projects. And it’s much harder to receive constructive criticism, praise or positive feedback from managers. A key aspect of how we get happiness in the workplace.

Behavioural science can help bridge the gaps between your peoples’ difficulties with motivation, happiness and self-worth – both as individuals and within our teams – and a manager’s organisational challenges of the economy, productivity and process. Leading to a more positive employee behavioural experience.

How can a strategy centred around The Conscious Workplace help alleviate these issues?

Organisations have to look at how they can evolve agile working practices that cater to a blend of remote and physical workplace environments. And people are central to that. So put in place an employee behavioural experience strategy to fit a hybrid work style.

Technology
Technology is a great example of this. There are many fantastic options out there that can help your business transform to meet new challenges and opportunities. But you need to pick the ones that are right for your people, or your business will never see the full benefit. It would be best to consider how any new technology will affect your managers and your employees, and how you can help them integrate the new technology into their working lives and use it effectively.

Wellbeing
When it comes to wellbeing, it’s important to understand that the position we are in now isn’t sustainable, whether we’re comfortable working from home or not. You need to be conscious of your people’s health, productivity and happiness, and ensure you’re making critical business decisions with their future in minds.

Coming into the office will become a choice enabling aspects of flexible working to be maintained. Therefore organisations have a positive choice to cater to their needs. Making them feel valued, enabling those shared social interactions, and keeping them safe.

Get this balance right to create a positive employee behavioural experience across the organisation.

What steps do organisations need to take moving forwards?

One of the key issues to address is the disparity between IT experiences at home and in the office. Many people have found working at home to be easy; they can rely on their own setup to connect with others. But when they return to the office, they have to rely on the IT support and infrastructure there, which may well be lacking.

It’s vital that organisations look to technology that enables a seamless transition between the office and home working. And the same is true for existing processes. Scanning, printing and documentation also have to be as easily available to a remote worker as it is in the office.

And when it comes to your people, your greatest resource for identifying what you need to do moving forwards is the people themselves. The cornerstone of The Conscious Workplace is continual interaction to seek a positive employee behavioural experience. Asking them how they are feeling, what difficulties they are having, and then finding and testing the solutions to those problems to find the right fit for your organisation. 

Where can I go for more information?

To learn more about creating a conscious workplace, read our report – The Conscious Workplace.

Ricoh empowers digital workplaces by using innovative technologies and services, enabling individuals to work smarter. Our Work Together Anywhere webinar series is a great research destination for insights and to gain further understanding from experts.

 Watch past webinars and register for upcoming events here.

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The Conscious Workplace Report discovered that a majority of employees (31%) and managers (41%) are restricted by technological issues whilst working from home. More worrying still, 78% of managers and 61% of employees stated that they are experiencing process concerns. 

Similarly, the research also highlighted that a high degree of remote working has impacted the culture, resilience, and efficiency of the workplace. Happiness, motivation, and productivity are cited as the biggest challenges for 40% of managers and 30% of employees.

So how can businesses respond to address these issues?

Business leaders need to find a solution to these issues. If they are to achieve future success in a very unsettled market. They also have a responsibility to their employees that help address these challenges.

The solution is to put in place an effective business transformation plan. A top-to-bottom evolution of working practices, processes, technology and culture to address issues and capitalise on new opportunities. This might feel like a daunting process, but the potential benefits are far-reaching. Every business has its underlying issues so an effective business transformation plan can be vital to resolving them. Addressing these issues as part of a collective shift in both culture and working practices is a very effective way of maximising the investment of a transformation project.

The 3 fundamental steps to effective business transformation:

Identifying value

What is it you want to achieve? Like all good projects, it helps if you know what you are trying to achieve before you start. It might be that you only have a vague idea at this early stage. Or, it could be that you have a long list of objectives. What is essential is to gain an understanding of where and how the transformation will add value to your organisation.

An example checklist might look like this 

• Learn what’s working well, and not so well
• Establish what you know, and in what areas you need more information
• Research what’s going on in the market; what are your competitors and admired businesses in other sectors doing?
• Agree on key strengths and weaknesses

Throughout this process, it’s important to find and use data to back up your initial thoughts. Using solid data discovery in the form of ‘assessments’ will ensure you make informed decisions. Working with an experienced transformation partner such as Ricoh will ensure you obtain a complete picture of both your employees and business situation.

Once you have this, you can begin to define a list of challenges, goals, and objectives against a list of desired outcomes that will ultimately lead to an effective business transformation process.

Creating the Value

The next step in your assessment process is to build a business case for each outcome. 

First, create a proof of concept for validation. This means identifying a solution to a specific need that you can easily measure. Carry out this solution as a pilot, collect the data, and review how it went. Ideally, look to measure the ROI and make sure you practice continuous conscious learning throughout. And adapt and change the pilot if required. 

Create a clear plan, share it with your people, and get them on board – because with 66% of remote managers and 50% of employees struggling with processes, it’s important you find a solution that’s right for them.

Once you’ve got sign-off it’s time to start implementing change.

Realising the value

When you’ve identified the requirements for an effective business transformation and created a roadmap for your business, it’s time to realise that value. This involves communication, implementation, and measurement.

Communication: You need to be open with your people and intended plan, make sure they’re on board, and use the results of your pilot to demonstrate the benefits.

Implementation: Carry out the actual steps of your roadmap, working to milestones, continually testing and reviewing.

Measurement: A continual measurement approach will provide you with the insight required to consciously make better business decisions.

Case study for effective business transformation

Fraikin is one of Europe’s largest commercial vehicle leasing providers. The business had the vision to throw off its legacy image and become a smart, modern, digitally-driven industry leader. 

Through a partnership with Ricoh Workplace Services, Fraikin realised that goal and delivered one of its most important transformation projects in ten years. It prompted one major customer to say Fraikin had become a 21st-century business overnight. Read the full case study.

“Fraikin set out to become a modern, more efficient, and digitally savvy organisation. With Ricoh Workplace Services, we’ve delivered one of the most important, positive, and impactful transformations the business has experienced in the last 10 years. Reaction from visitors has been phenomenal. When one of our biggest customers commented about the new office ‘Fraikin has become a 21st Century business overnight’ it captured exactly what we aimed to achieve.”

Henry Horsfall, HR Director, Fraikin

Read our informative eBook to discover more about The Conscious Workplace and understand the behavioural drivers behind the modern, agile workplace.

Alternatively, if you are ready to start your journey towards effective business transformation read our practical guide ‘Implementing a Conscious Workplace’.

Work Together, Anywhere – Helping business succeed in a changed world

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The past 18 months have been challenging.

At a time when only 30% of UK employees had ever experienced working remotely, you were plunged into a state of isolation and uncertainty.

• More than 50% of managers are struggling with employee mental health
• Nearly 1/3 of remote managers and employees find health and well-being a challenge
• Staff motivation, happiness, and productivity remains the greatest challenge for managers (45%), while 15% of employees struggle with habits they formed at home and 13% feel less productive

Then, through the ensuing months, you have had to adapt and adopt new processes, practices, and technologies.

You did so brilliantly. In a collective effort from business leaders, managers, and employees alike, you rose to each challenge and turned them into opportunities. But this long battle has created a new priority. One which is now crucial to address: our mental wellbeing at work. It’s time for business leaders to bring unity and calm to the workplace. To learn from the past and proactively build for a better future.

And it all starts with being consciously aware of how your people are feeling.

There are four key things that are affecting our wellbeing at work.

First, we must understand what’s affecting the mental health and wellbeing of your people. Research by Ricoh and in collaboration with leading clinical psychologist Emma Kenny has identified these four:

Confidence of control

Communicating our actions, thoughts and feelings is a way of controlling a situation. At work, we used daily signals, language, and actions to demonstrate our purpose and value.

But now our environment has changed. So too have our signals and language. And this has led to misunderstanding and frustration, undermining our wellbeing at work.

Misplaced validation

People need validation. Historically this has been given through pay raises and promotions. Today we know that a person’s sense of achievement extends well beyond financial gain.

So, how do you learn how your people want to be validated on an emotional level? In an office environment, it’s easier to identify and deliver. But remotely, it can be a clunky, misplaced, and often even patronising affair.

Unanchored authority

We’re creatures of habit; in the office, we could rely on routine. Start and finish times, lunch hours, health, and safety guidelines. These anchors helped us plan our day and reach our goals.

Now we’re remote working, this solid structure has become fluid. And while this has benefits for our work/life balance, it can also lead to working longer hours, difficulties switching off and fatigue.

Apathetic employee experience

Employee experience is as important as the customer experience. It isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ bonus offered by any given company, but a necessity if you want to keep wellbeing at work and your people productive.

Business leaders have to find a way to remain empathetic – despite today’s challenges – if they want their organisation to be successful.

But we can’t make fixed plans for our people.

If we’ve learned anything in 2020, it’s the importance of being agile and flexible in how we work. Without this, we cannot quickly and effectively meet new challenges and opportunities.

Nobody could have planned for the pandemic, and you can’t plan for whatever happens next. We’re on an unknown journey with a destination that’s yet to be discovered. But you can develop stronger business resilience by adopting a more conscious approach – one which puts your people first and keeps your finger on the pulse of change.

The solution? Take the conscious approach.

Taking a conscious approach means constantly monitoring and supporting your people. It’s about being aware of their mental health and wellbeing at work through open communication. And being proactive when you identify problems and solutions.

Reach out to your colleagues before the emotional fatigue of remote working sets in. Put the right support in place before anyone even needs it. And understand that plans are just sketches – things you can adjust and tailor as you make each decision along the way.

Find out more by reading our report on The Conscious Workplace here.

If you’d like to hear more insight on how to protect and enhance the wellbeing of your people working at home, you can watch our webinar here

Watch on-demand: How to protect and enhance the wellbeing of your people working at home

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2020 will long be remembered as one of the most challenging and unpredictable experiences. The spread of COVID-19 and the ensuing global health crisis impacted the personal and professional lives . The UK lockdown and need to remain in the home when possible led to the UK GDP to fall as far as 20.4% in April – the lowest ever recorded monthly drop.

How lockdown unleashed accidental innovations in home working?

The first months saw a rise in discussion of a ‘new normal’ to come. As businesses and employees began to adapt to working from home, we saw an acceleration of remote working. Policies and the adoption of technology to support these new models up and down the nation. Businesses looked to innovate to stay afloat. Whilst we learned to adapt, it has become increasingly clear that the next challenge is the evolution of our workplace.

Facing new challenges

Never before have businesses had to deal with employees being fearful of returning to work . The consideration of illness within the office has never been a conscious worry. Perhaps people had hand sanitiser during flu season. But no office would have required staff to physically distance, sit behind Perspex screens or wear masks for the safety of the team.

What will lockdown mean for the way we work in the future?

Similarly, employees are no longer reliant on the convention of the office to be productive. With many people thriving in new locations, there is a growing call to change the way we use the office.  Addressing the modern-day worker who will want to use the office as a ‘destination’ location, that is fit for purpose.

This new ‘conscious workplace’ is achieved through engagement with change, enablement through new technology, innovation and a constant state of evolution. As a result of the current climate, businesses are having to make difficult and carefully conscious decisions to guarantee the safety and well-being of their staff – both physically and mentally.

We’re not just transitioning to a ‘new normal’, but rather a new future. So how exactly do we, as business leaders, make these choices? How do we create a physical environment which still functions productively and can generate collaboration and innovation?

Enabling through technology

Enabling through technology means employees and employers can create an environment that evolves in a stable way. Supporting your business’s future recovery and growth.

Productivity in the UK was in continuous free-fall before COVID-19. The uncertainty caused by global and European political and economic upheaval meant we had seen the UK’s lowest productivity level since the 1800s. This is not surprising when you consider 80% of office workers in the UK felt they didn’t have the technology to do their jobs properly. Studies showed that 56% of UK workers believed productivity was stalling their company’s growth because of outdated tech.

The transition to remote working due to lockdown kick-started a revolution in the way we work. Businesses and sectors famed for their legacy processes.  Systems had to play catchup and lead on digital transformation projects overnight. Suddenly the projects that IT teams across the UK had been trying to instigate despite opposition, were given the green light and thrown into hyper speed.

Engaging your employees

While we champion technology at Ricoh, we know that it alone won’t solve all your problems. Instead, it’s balancing technology with people that will help tip productivity levels back up. Being forced to work from home may have been a catalyst for a vast digital revolution, but people drove the solution.

Employee experience has long been rated as an important issue among workers. In some cases, employers denied flexible/remote working requests out of concern or fear that employees were unable to do their job efficiently.

Today, many employees feel an improvement in their work and life balance. But for some, the isolation associated with working from home had led to crippling loneliness. While there is no ‘one size fit’s all’, there is an organisational need to communicate effectively with employees, engage and listen to their needs. While enabling a better and more productive way of working.

The evolution

Like everything else in existence, the office will keep evolving. Over time, your employees’ wants, values and needs will change and so too will what your business has to provide.

The workplace environment must continue to evolve. With the right blend of working, we can create environments that are productive and sustainable in the long-term. Technology and the changing needs of people in the conscious workplace will be critical to ensuring long term productivity.

Register to attend our events

If you’d like to hear more insight into why behavioural science should now be the central to your workplace strategy, you can register for the webinar here

Register for the webinar on the 19th November: ‘Why behavioural science should now be the central to your workplace strategy

Get in touch today and we’ll discuss how we can provide the perfect solution for you.

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