The line between our personal and professional lives is less distinct than ever before. We want to feel like we’re part of a community at work and we expect transparency from our colleagues. As work seeps into our social lives and vice versa, it makes sense that human connection plays an integral role in career success and productivity.
At Workplace by Facebook we see firsthand how the way we do business is changing. Traditional top-down management is going by the wayside and employees at every level expect their voices to not only be heard, but to help dictate the strategic direction of the company.
Lots of organizations seem to be uneasy about what this future of work means for the way they do business. How do you make sure dispersed employees are still committed to the vision of the company? Will lots of different generations working together pose a problem or an opportunity?
Here at Workplace, this change excites us because we’ve already seen what’s possible when a company chooses to embrace the future of work, rather than resist the impending change.
The realities
We worked with Deloitte to talk to 245 C-level executives to figure out what they think the future of work will look like and the obstacles these changes could present. Among our findings is the fact that by 2020, almost half of the workforce is going to be made up of millennials. And we know that these workers value transparency, an easy exchange of ideas, and the ability to make real impact within their teams and organizations.
We also found that over 65% of executives predict that their company will use email less and other tools more. Executives and managers know that they need to embrace new platforms, but usually don’t know how to deploy them in a way that meets employee expectations and doesn’t disrupt the entire culture. The future of work is rapidly taking shape and most executives are scrambling to prioritize how to foster an environment that drives business results but also accepts a new mobile and opinionated workforce.
The opportunity
We know a major pain point for companies is onboarding teams to new platforms, especially when more employees are remote. At Workplace we’re in a unique position because two billion people already use Facebook in their everyday lives. Which also means 2 billion people are already trained on Workplace. The same features like News Feed, Messenger, and Live video that people use to stay connected to families and friends can now help them collaborate with coworkers or interact directly with the CEO. If they are the CEO, Workplace is a direct line of communication to every employee that is more organic and authentic than blasting out a company-wide email.
In the past year, we’ve rolled out Workplace to more than 30,000 organizations worldwide and witnessed firsthand how the platform can transform company culture, open new doors for collaboration, and give a voice to the previously voiceless. High-profile companies that span the spectrum of size and industry are benefitting from using Workplace. The same product that works for Spotify, also works for Danone, Booking.com, and Starbucks.
We know that culture is paramount, and that the risk of introducing new tools is that they’ll disrupt the status quo and potentially unsettle the organization. We see this challenge of boosting employee sentiment, increasing retention, and improving productivity as a software opportunity. And introducing a new collaboration platform is also one of the easiest ways to boost employees’ attitudes about their company. When you focus on increasing collaboration the business results are tangible.
At Workplace we’re witnessing a new generation of leaders who want to give everyone in the company a voice by reducing the distance between the frontline and the corner office. And it boils down to this: A more connected company is a more productive one. When it comes to communication, collaboration, connection, and autonomy, it’s high time for companies to give their employees the freedom of expression they crave—and the tools they need to make their voices heard.
This article was produced on behalf of Workplace by Facebook by Quartz Creative and not by the Quartz editorial staff.