Embracing an Ever-Changing New Work World
August is traditionally the month of going back to school. But sitting at my desk as a recruiter the past several months, I have found myself needing to go back to school, so to speak, for a refresh on the many changes upon us in the New Work World. What if we focused on embracing a mix of the tried-and-true along with the trendy-and-new to make a better contribution to the workplace and the world at large? Although the past several months have posed extreme challenges for so many, it’s important to recognize the many positive happenings in how we work. New developments allow us to grow, expanding our positive work experience. After all, we are all in this together.
A famous quote I’ve always liked by Albert Einstein comes to mind when I think of change:
“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”
This is so important any time we evolve. We so often resist change because it’s not in our comfort zone. As the third step of the Faremouth Method® purports, you often need to embrace change and “Step Out of Your Comfort Zone.”
After the havoc of the past few years on the workplace, many leaders are looking at how they can embrace the many burgeoning trends and technologies to make the work experience of the future a better, more meaningful one for customers, employers, and employees. It seems that every week companies are being challenged to incorporate these new ideas that rapidly impact how they conduct business.
Just this week I attended the Summer Workshop for NAPCA (National Association of Pipe Coating Applicators), a professional organization I have the highest regard for that provides conferences, educational training and seminars for its members. I am proud to have been a member of this organization since 1985, and my business and professional relationships have grown because of it.
Let’s take a look at some of the tips and information I gleaned from this workshop and other recent events I have participated in to be more successful going forward in the New Work World and beyond:
1. The Human Element
Although technology has become an enhanced mainstay of the New Work World, there is a growing demand that builds on human skills. Though technology such as AI for repetitive tasks is becoming the preference, the customer still needs to have trust in doing business with a company. A human on the other end of the phone with understanding of the customer’s needs and specific challenges is really one of the best methods to facilitate that trust – and keep that loyal customer in an ever-changing, more competitive market. Also, assisting our clients with information that could possibly enhance a presentation they give, even if it takes valuable time out of our day, could be an investment worth making. One of the presenters at this recent conference I attended had come to my office to visit with me on New Work World trends that could benefit employers. He ended up giving me a big shout-out at the conference, which exposed my practice to prospective employers/customers. No technology can replace that; I’m a firm believer that utilizing the Human Element of helping each other always proves to be a win-win!
2. Doing More Research
Before a candidate actually conducts an interview, usually online these days, with company’s human resources representative, the candidate needs to do their homework. Taking the time to investigate the web presence of the company, learning how its social media presentation could be enhanced, etc., is an area of discussion that might produce much interest from the prospective company representative. A good interviewer will recognize the value in an outsider’s impression of its front-facing online “display window,” if you will. Any experience or knowledge that could improve the company’s bottom line will always be seen as a positive and might allow you to stand out from others in contention for a particular opportunity. The candidate needs to find areas where they can offer a level of experience or expertise of benefit to that company. It is becoming more and more imperative that each employee become integral to an organization to ensure customer response.
3. Ongoing Training
With so much of the digital world becoming front and center in the workplace, a candidate who demonstrates ongoing training of particular software or systems might be viewed as a valuable asset. For example, the Cloud is a technology trend that more and more customers have been using. If the candidate can express familiarity with this and/or any other technology system that may be beneficial to the client in improving efficiency and operational systems, the more valuable the candidate will appear. The client or employee needs to seek out and stay ahead of the game with any type of technology that might interest the company. This will get you farther inside that doorstep.
4. Creating Community
With remote and hybrid working becoming more of a norm than an exception, the prospective or current employee could suggest ways to interface with teams to be able to create more of a sense of community in the company. Any suggestions that can demonstrate more positive influence and team orientation to the work process will be viewed as a positive. Also, becoming a member of networking events, like those held by NAPCA, can create a valuable sense of community, expand business platforms allow workers to feel connected and that they are receivers of valuable industry insights that allow their knowledge base to expand.
The future of the New Work World can be filled with much positive momentum but only if we embrace the positives of change. As the powerful philosopher Henry David Thoreau said:
“Things do not change; we change.”
This month and beyond, let’s go back to school – let’s commit to changing our mindsets to make the New Work World an even more enjoyable experience not only for the employees, but also for the leaders of companies who are trying to bring about more positive results. It takes a positive attitude for us all to get through this together. This has to be our best game plan.
