In the evolving space of digital workplaces, insights from a recent Worxwide Consulting’s roundtable highlighted the essential balance between productivity and employee well-being.
Industry leaders discussed the pressing issues of burnout and employee engagement, emphasizing how digital tools like Worxwide’s PSA platform, Squad, are enabling sustainable productivity.
As organizations pivot to hybrid models, understanding employee needs has become paramount, with recent research pointing to a range of critical digital workplace features that employees value.
Next-Generation Digital Workplace: What Employees Value Most
According to Worxwide Consulting’s research, employees identify four main features that would enhance digital workplaces:
- 36% prioritized greater flexibility and personalization– Signaling the demand for adaptable work environments that allow employees to tailor their schedules and workspaces to fit personal needs.
- 26% sought more wellness and mindfulness resources– reflecting the increasing importance of mental health support in preventing burnout.
- 23% desired enhanced collaboration and social features – highlighting the need for tools that facilitate team interaction and cohesion, even in a hybrid setup.
- 15% emphasized intelligent workload management – underscoring the need for systems that streamline tasks and reduce workflow inefficiencies, allowing employees to focus on impactful work.
These insights reveal that employee expectations are shifting towards a workplace that values personal well-being, connection, and efficiency.
Employee Engagement: The Foundation of Sustainable Growth
Seema Mehendiratta from Worxwide emphasized that employee engagement is critical to organizational success. Engaged employees not only drive business outcomes but also foster a culture of continuous learning and development, aligning personal and organizational growth. As the research suggests, a balance of flexibility, collaboration, wellness resources, and efficient workload management fosters an environment where employees feel supported and engaged.
Understanding Burnout: A Multi-Faceted Issue
Vivek Sapre, CHRO at Veranda Learning, addressed burnout, clarifying that it extends beyond “Monday blues” to a persistent state of stress from prolonged work pressures. As per Gallup, employees working over 50 hours a week or performing disengaging tasks are at higher risk. Burnout manifests in physical and emotional symptoms, ultimately diminishing customer satisfaction. According to WHO, burnout incurs a global economic loss of around a trillion dollars due to absenteeism and attrition.
Sapre advocates that organizations promote deep work, prioritize high-focus periods, and streamline task distribution to foster sustainable productivity. This approach allows employees to maximize output without overextending themselves.
Four Levers for Sustainable Productivity: Culture, Operations, Technology, and HR
The solution to sustainable productivity, as discussed in the webinar, lies in a balanced approach across four levers:
- Culture – Building a supportive culture where employees feel valued and appreciated.
- Operations – Rethinking workflows to be more efficient and focused on common-sense approaches.
- Technology – Using tools that automate repetitive tasks, freeing up time for creative work.
- HR Policies – Offering support through wellness programs, engagement activities, and promoting flexible work options.
Interestingly, multitasking—once heralded as a productivity booster—is now linked to up to a 40% decrease in efficiency. Many leaders now encourage employees to focus deeply for a few hours each day, aiming to accomplish essential tasks without the clutter of constant task-switching.
Flexibility and Socialization in Hybrid Work Models
Ashish Niranjan from CK Birla Group shared his insights on the transition from traditional offices to hybrid models, where flexibility has become a fundamental expectation. Remote work during the pandemic demonstrated the potential for high productivity outside the office, though some still feel pressure to be physically present for visibility. This shift necessitates that leaders redefine productivity metrics and incorporate socialization opportunities to maintain engagement and mental well-being.
Data-Driven Engagement and the Role of Automation
Manish Upadhyay, formerly of Yellow.ai, examined the role of automation and AI in reducing burnout. High-pressure roles like sales and project management are particularly vulnerable to burnout due to repetitive tasks. Using tools like employee engagement surveys and workload assessments provides valuable insights to tailor work strategies. Automation relieves employees from routine tasks, enhancing their focus on creative, high-impact work. However, Seema emphasized that adopting automation must be based on specific organizational goals to avoid misalignment and wasted resources.
Squad by Worxwide: Driving Sustainable Productivity
Worxwide’s Squad platform, introduced by Himashu Patel, Product Lead Worx Squad, mentioned squad offers a comprehensive solution to address these challenges. As a Professional Services Automation (PSA) tool, Squad delivers real-time insights into project management, collaboration, and employee engagement. It provides managers with data-driven insights into team dynamics, performance metrics, and potential pain points. For employees, squad streamlines project collaboration and includes an AI assistant, allowing them to manage workloads efficiently.
Squad’s focus on predictive analytics and a user-centric interface empowers organizations to address productivity bottlenecks while maintaining employee well-being.
To know more about Squad-Watch a Video!
Conclusion
This roundtable emphasized the need for a balanced approach that incorporates cultural, operational, and technological levers to achieve productivity without burnout. By embracing a workplace model that emphasizes flexibility, well-being, and collaboration, organizations can cultivate a resilient workforce. Tools like Squad exemplify how targeted technology solutions can support a sustainable digital workplace, fostering productivity that benefits both employees and employers.
Webinar Key takeaways:
- Research shows employees value flexibility, wellness resources, collaboration tools, and intelligent workload management to enhance digital workspaces.
- Engaged employees foster continuous learning and growth, aligning personal development with organizational goals.
- Burnout, caused by prolonged work pressure, leads to economic losses and must be addressed to maintain employee well-being and productivity.
- Remote and hybrid work demand new productivity metrics and integration of socialization to support employee engagement.
- Tools like Squad leverage automation and data insights to reduce burnout, optimize workload distribution, and enhance employee well-being.
Worx Squad is a part of About Worxwide, based out of US, UK, and India. Worxwide Consulting is a digital growth consulting firm offering bid consulting, sales transformation, user experience, and customer experience design services.
Worxwide Consulting, a leading digital growth consulting firm, enables businesses through innovative solutions and new-age thinking. Our core competencies lie in Bid Management, Sales Transformation, Customer Experience, and User Experience services. With our bases in the US, UK, and India, we serve a broad spectrum of industries including Manufacturing, EdTech, Healthcare, Tech & Telecom and Fintech. We are committed to being your trusted partner in navigating the complexities of the digital landscape, enabling you to secure more business opportunities.
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