Info

What is New Work?

New Work refers to the change in the world of work that is taking place primarily as a result of digitization and globalization. The needs of employees are changing, and with them their working environment.

New Work offers employees flexibility, personal responsibility and development opportunities.

1. Why New Work?

Digitalization, globalization and the development of artificial intelligence are opening up completely new opportunities and possibilities in the execution and organization of work and have fundamentally changed the world of work. Many processes now run automatically, employees work together across locations and knowledge is becoming increasingly important. As a result, the requirements and needs of working people have also changed, as has the way work is designed in companies.

The shortage of skilled workers and the demands of Generation Y, which is no longer motivated solely by money and status, make it clear that good employees are worth their weight in gold. Finding and retaining them is becoming an increasingly important task, but also more and more a major challenge for companies.

Many people today are looking for a work environment in which they can develop and constantly evolve, where they are valued and feel part of a community. Employers who don’t offer this are struggling with rising employee turnover, which costs the company dearly and reduces productivity and innovation.

On the other hand, companies that live New Work are much more attractive to employees. In other words, when implemented correctly, New Work is a win-win situation for employers and employees.

2. What does New Work include?

New Work includes new forms of work such as:

agile working: Decisions are, made by the employees and not by the management level, this allows high flexibility, fast action and productivity.
Work-life blending: the merging of work and private life and the elimination of clearly defined boundaries between the two areas.
Crowdworking (crowdsourcing): the outsourcing of work to an unspecified number of people
Knowledge Worker: earning a living by developing or using knowledge
Remote work (telecommuting): the employee can work from anywhere

3. How does New Work succeed?

There is no standard solution. Every company has its own specific needs and challenges, which are defined by its customers, the competition, its products or services, its employees, work processes and its own path to the future.

Implementation does not happen from one moment to the next, but is associated with a profound change in the company and mindset. New workplaces, agile project management and new technologies are a good start, but they alone do not constitute New Work. Change takes time and most importantly, enthusiasm from everyone involved.

Involvement of all stakeholders:
Involvement of all employees represents the key to success. Only by involving all stakeholders can thought and behavior patterns be broken and new processes implemented.
Joint brainstorming:
In a workshop, employees should jointly develop wishes, ideas as well as possible approaches to solutions. How do they want to work in the future? Should there be more automation, cross-hierarchical teamwork and short decision-making paths? This requires, for example, more flexible working environments where everyone can develop and give free rein to their creativity.
Strategy development & implementation
After brainstorming, the individual proposals are reviewed for feasibility and projects are defined and prioritized. During the step-by-step implementation, it is necessary to communicate the changes openly and transparently to all employees at all times. The commitment and dedication of managers also plays a particularly important role. Managers must set an example of the new way of working. In addition, training for new tools and technologies, for example, should be offered.
Continuous optimization
As already mentioned, the implementation of New Work is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring. Have the goals set been achieved? Can something be optimized? New things should always be tried out together with the employees.

4. What will the workplaces of the future look like?

Companies that live New Work are also rethinking office design. For example, modern employers not only offer places that enable concentrated work and thus promote flow, but also creative spaces for trying things out and experimenting. In particular, the office form mix meets the needs of the new working world. Such a multispace offers various room options that can be used flexibly by all employees. This supports self-determination as well as creativity and teamwork.

5. Advantages

Employees
Work-life blending allows for a better work-life balance. For example, it is much easier to keep doctor's appointments or take your children to daycare.
Remote work in the home office saves a lot of time. Delayed trains or traffic jams during rush hour are a thing of the past.
There are fewer distractions and work interruptions in the home office than in the office. New Work therefore favors focused deep work.
The self-selected work environment can be better adapted to individual needs than the workplace at the employer. This can have a positive effect on productivity.
New Work also allows longer periods of time off for self-discovery and personal development within the framework of a fixed employment relationship.

Company (Employer)
Employer branding and recruiting benefit from the introduction of new working models
Companies make themselves more attractive to their competitors through the use of New Work components, and at the same time this also strengthens the bond with the employees
Higher productivity
Agile working methods accelerate the implementation of projects and promote the development of innovative ideas
The focus is on the work and the tasks to be done, not on the time spent in the office
In the event of illness or termination, hardly any knowledge is lost, the upcoming work is better absorbed

Conclusion: see New Work as a great opportunity

New Work offers a variety of alternative work models that can lead to greater personal and professional development for employees. At the same time, New Work also opens up opportunities for companies to act faster and more agile.

Get started now and book your compact and mobile office – smartboxx®!