It’s hard to believe how different the business world looks today. Communication and collaboration technologies continue to advance and work styles continue to evolve. With the rise of hybrid work, the definition of the traditional workspace has expanded — while it used to exclusively refer to the office, the conference room, or the desk – a workspace is now wherever an employee can focus and get their work done, whether it’s at home, in the office, or somewhere in between. A hybrid work model, which includes employees at the office, at home, remotely, and everywhere in between, is at the heart of the modern workforce.
According to a recent survey, 85% of UAE companies saw an increase in productivity after the shift to hybrid work amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, nearly 7 in 10 UAE-based organizations believe that they will lose staff and will be unable to attract new talent if they don’t address their hybrid work processes and plans.
What was once considered work-life balance has become work-life integration, as the “anywhere” workforce demands businesses adapt and offer communications solutions that support remote work and collaboration from multiple devices and locations. Brands must have a deeper grasp of how to adapt to work in this new era to obtain a competitive advantage. Expectations have changed, and stakeholders now expect modern, flexible solutions that reflect how we communicate.
To deliver a premium experience to the organization’s most important stakeholders, here are some of the key areas that leaders must focus on, in the short term.
Happy employees = happy customers
According to LinkedIn, 70% of professionals in the UAE and Saudi Arabia have considered leaving or quitting their positions due to a lack of flexibility, amid a growing divide between companies and employees regarding returning to work after the Covid-19 outbreak.
Employee satisfaction is one of the most critical factors in customer retention. Consulting firm Gallup states that companies with the happiest employees grow their earnings per share four times faster than their competitors. However, rather than antiquated perks masquerading as benefits, building this pleasant environment relies on an adaptive culture and flexible, new technology.
Leaders should consider giving employees the freedom to work where and how they feel most comfortable. The ability to choose their work style reflects the type of flexibility employees need to feel supported in a post-pandemic workforce.
Regardless of location, employees – especially remote – crave inclusion in a team meeting, at an event, or while presenting to a customer. To achieve this, employers must leverage modern, video-first communications solutions. Giving employees access to modern collaboration tools yields a greater chance for increased productivity, improved company morale, and ultimately, positive customer relationships.
Meeting customers where they are
Customers today, like employees, want to feel appreciated by the companies they trust rather than treated as a transaction. This long-term relationship requires that organizations have empathetic conversations to give customers a sense of being understood.
Along those lines, customers seek freedom in contacting and interacting with customer service. The capacity to communicate and conduct business from anywhere, at any time, has led to the expectation that customer support should extend beyond the traditional call center hours.
To meet customers where they are, businesses should provide convenient, multi-channel support to establish a sincere interaction. Contact centers are evolving to offer omnichannel tools such as chat, SMS, video, and phone to connect customers and brands through their preferred digital channel. These flexible options consolidate customer interactions and decrease call abandonment rates to generate a more positive customer experience all around.
Customer service is undeniably crucial in the whole customer experience, but in the coming years, customer success is expected to become another distinction. When customers can use an organization’s products and services to get ahead, it’s a win-win for them and the organization in question.
Delivering the total experience through flexibility
The workforce no longer accepts pre-pandemic workplace antiques, and they demand more freedom and autonomy in how they spend their time and where they work. They’re requesting a hand at the wheel, ushering in a new era of work defined by employees’ capacity to do their best job from anywhere.
Now is the time for brands to transform their internal and external stakeholders’ experiences. Flexibility is essential for building a brand that people remember and want to interact with. It’s critical to look for scalable solutions that adapt to the organization’s employees’, partners’, and customers’ changing needs.
This will allow organizations to deliver a meaningful, memorable brand experience within this new hybrid landscape.
