Almost four-fifths of organisations in Hong Kong agree that home-working during the pandemic has been challenging for employees according to the the Intelligent Workplace Report 2020 ‘Shaping Employee Experiences for a World Transformed’, by NTT Ltd. Connectivity and workspace issues such as bandwidth, a feeling of isolation and a lack of dedicated workspace have all contributed to their concerns. Organisations have to look at every aspect of workplace strategy to optimize employee experience, these include; culture, technology and location.
The report which surveyed 1,350 participants across 19 markets, found that 85% of the Hong Kong respondents believe employee needs will be at the heart of the future workplace design. Our findings show that 70% of local organisations agree employees would prefer to have the choice and flexibility to work in an office when it is safe to do so, and 92.5% agreed that face-to-face meeting time is essential to build a sense of teamwork and/or when meeting clients.
As the world continues to adapt to the challenges of COVID-19, organisations must develop a more robust strategy to permanently provide for their distributed workforce with 92.5% of local organisations recognize the value of employee experience as a crucial strategic differentiator. John Lombard, CEO, NTT Ltd, Asia Pacific comments, “The connected employee – their wellness and employee experience – must be at the heart of the future workplace strategy. Helping people stay connected and keeping their data secure is key to looking after the workforce and maintaining productivity and effectiveness. Yet this must be underpinned by a long-term strategy for digital transformation, with the roll out of new technologies, policies and of course training so employees feel comfortable with new platforms.”
According to the report findings, only over a quarter of local businesses are already reviewing the general office design and how best to align with employees’ new needs.
Respondents are somewhat polarised on what to do with office space in general, with over a third (34.4%) of global C-suite execs saying they are looking to reduce office space, yet almost a quarter (24.0%) plan to increase it. Moreover, most Hong Kong execs agree that the physical space will have a more defined, flexible use to provide for a more collaborative environment enabling:
- Connecting the distributed workforce: 57.5% will install video conferencing/video collaboration spaces to bring remote and office employees together.
- Facilitate creativity and collaboration: 40% will implement creative/thinking spaces.
- Drive activity-based work initiatives: 20% will reduce individual office desk space with 17.5% increasing meeting spaces
We now have access to a vast range of digital platforms and applications, but the rapid adoption of these new technologies has not always been supported with adequate training. To motivate employees to use new technology, it is important to clearly articulate the benefit to them as individuals, especially if they are working remotely.
Just 37.5% of Hong Kong businesses, have access to workplace analytics to help them understand and assess new pain points introduced by remote working. By reviewing which applications and features people are using through workplace analytics, businesses can learn how to prioritise, tailor and measure the impact of training to positively impact on adoption, usage and productivity–all of which contributes to the employee experience. Having adapted to the pandemic in recent months, over half of the global C-suite strongly agree that now is the time to create the workplace of the future.
Pranay Anand, Senior Director of Intelligent Workplace, NTT Ltd, Asia Pacific agrees with the need for businesses to act now, stating: “How businesses combat the challenges posed by COVID-19 and re-shape their workplace strategy, will lay the foundation for an entire generation’s future of working. Businesses must react with agility and purpose. We’re seeing companies driving change in real-time compared to months if not years previously. Those who were already ahead of the game in employee experience – making brave, data-driven, human-led decisions are now in a much stronger position in creating a supportive culture. Empowering people and helping them find greater fulfilment in their work is delivering value to these organisations.”
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
