How to Combat Today’s Workplace Culture Challenges
Workplace culture is in the throes of another shift. As technology has advanced the way we’re able to stay connected and do business on-the-go, we’ve seen an incredible rise in remote offices.
And while generally - as we will explore - this is a good thing for people and families and the workplace, it also causes complications for productivity and relations with colleagues. Those complications are issues that Proxfinity thinks a lot about, and can solve for.
Consider: Instead of confining people to physical spaces, employees can telework and largely do their job from anywhere, at any time. In fact, it’s estimated that 4.3 million people in the US work from home at least half of the time - a number that has increased by 140% since 2005.
There are benefits to be sure. The ability to have employees work from anywhere means it can greatly reduce costs - companies then spend less on physical spaces, equipment, utilities and more to house staff and ensure they are operational. In addition, it opens up the talent pool even further. With the ability to hire people from anywhere, businesses can choose the best candidates regardless of location.
This new type of work relationship benefits employees as well, eliminating commutes, saving both time and money, and allowing them to explore a healthier work/life balance. In effect, it removes stress - and that’s according to a staggering 86% of remote workers - making them more productive. In fact, 24% of people who work from home at least once a month say they are happier and get more done.
And it shows no signs of slowing down. Since 2018, 40% more US companies offered remote work as an option than five years ago. And employees responded - a staggering 76% would be inclined to stay with their current employer if they had that flexibility. And when companies offer it? They have a 25% lower turnover rate and collectively incur an annual cost savings of $44 billion.
Teleworking is here to stay, and become even more prevalent, but it isn’t without its challenges. What we lose in having people engaged remotely means the important relationship building that needs to happen between colleagues is at a disadvantage. It’s harder to create an inviting and friendly workplace culture because, well, there is no actual workplace.
This is especially evident when companies bring siloed staffers together for summits, annual meetings and other on-the-ground events. These gatherings ultimately breed hesitation and discomfort among attendees, as people try to navigate finding the right contacts they’ve known only through screens. Even people who operate on the same team may have never met in person and struggle to track down each other.
It’s a natural hurdle - bridging the right people together in a way that feels comfortable and organic - but it still can be even with the rise of teleworking.
Fortunately, even though technology helps us stay in touch when we’re geographically apart, it can also help bring us together. At Proxfinity, our CUE smart badge helps people identify one another quickly through prompts - eliminating the hesitation often found in approaching someone for conversation. We’ve also built in gamification features, making ice breakers easier and allowing people to bond over a sense of play when they finally come face-to-face. It’s something as small as easing in-person tension that can make or break the success of an event.
When people who normally don’t spend physical time together are grouped in the same place, it’s important to make them feel at ease so they can be as productive as possible. We can temper our natural inclination to shy away when it matters most - in-person - despite employees spending more of their time away.
This is just one exciting and valuable application of our CUE Badge, and we encourage you to stay tuned to hear about just how we do it with some of the biggest names in business.