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EMBRACING THE NEW WORLD OF WORK
CONTENTS
4.0 HUMANISE WORK .................................................................... 20
Humanising the employee experience ................................... 21
Nurturing your people and culture ......................................... 23
Fostering diversity and inclusion .............................................. 24
1.0 NEW WORLD, NEW WAYS OF WORKING .............. 3 Supporting wellbeing and accessibility ................................. 24
Customer story: University of Nottingham:
2.0 A CHANGE IN THE AIR ..................................................... 6
Enriching the learning experience for all ............................... 26
Understanding your concerns .............................................. 7
Remote working ........................................................................ 8 5.0 FUTURE WORK ............................................................................ 27
Changing times, Changing attitudes ................................... 8 Embracing AI and automation .................................................. 28
Recognising the need for Making the most of knowledge management .................... 29
digital transformation ............................................................ 9 Enabling smart offices and meetings ...................................... 30
Maintaining and building profitability ............................ 10 Smart offices .................................................................................... 30
Fit for the future ...................................................................... 11 Smart meetings ............................................................................... 31
With every challenge comes opportunity ...................... 12 Customer story: Shakespeare Martineau:
Customer story: ARUP:
Preparing for the future today .................................................. 32
Digital transformation at speed ......................................... 13
6.0 BUILD RESILIENT TEAMS ...................................................... 33
3.0 PRODUCTIVITY IN A HYBRID WORKPLACE ........ 14 Creating a culture of continuous learning ............................ 34
iving people the freedom
G Managing your talent for success ............................................ 35
to be more productive .......................................................... 15
Moving forward with crucial workforce insights ................ 36
Digitising your business ........................................................ 16
Finding and nurturing skills for new roles ............................. 37
Making your digital workspace work ............................... 18
Customer story: University of Lincoln:
Cloud migration and boosting productivity ................. 18 Creating a resilient learning environment ............................ 38
ustomer story: CNTW: Transforming
C
the way healthcare teams work ......................................... 19 7.0 MAKING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION A REALITY ...... 39
Embracing the new world of work | 2
01
NEW WORLD,
NEW WAYS OF WORKING
For years, we’ve heard about the digital
transformation set to sweep through the
world of business and beyond.
Some were sceptical. But now it’s happening
– at speed. It took a global pandemic to spark
this acceleration, but it’s already touched
every level of society, including government,
industry and individual consumers.
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 3
While this remarkably rapid and exciting
shift is taking place, the shadow of
economic unpredictability looms large.
It’s radically reshaping infrastructures, practices, On top of COVID-19, there are other major On the ground, many businesses are taking a
relationships, even cultural attitudes, and some economic factors to take into account. With serious hit to productivity due to supply-chain
changes, such as the reliance on remote working, Britain and the EU locked in complex trade disruption and new workplace safety and hygiene
seem irreversible. negotiations, the true impact of Brexit is still practices. According to a CNN news report3, offices
unknown. This could influence future investment are going to have to make costly changes to be
However, while this remarkably rapid and exciting decisions. The UK has also seen record levels of virus-safe and ready for a full workforce return.
shift is taking place, the shadow of economic indebtedness. In May 2020, debt rose to 100.9
unpredictability looms large. percent, the first time it’s exceeded 100 percent Dig a little deeper and we see that during this time
of GDP since the early 1960s.2 of upheaval and hyper-accelerated change, many
A recent BBC report1 revealed that the IMF is organisations have simply sought to replicate
forecasting a growth rate of 5.9 percent for how they previously worked in the office in
the UK economy during 2021. However, given a virtual environment. But is this the optimal
the current economic climate, any predictions PROJECTED
GROWTH FOR way for organisations to operate in the
are more uncertain than usual.
2020
‘new normal’?
1.9 %
BELOW
FORECAST4
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2020
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 4
There’s also an increasing recognition that
new workplace policies may be here to stay.
Our research has found that while 83 percent of
UK managers expect to have more flexible work-
from-home policies post-pandemic, 72 percent
As a tentative recovery takes shape, we believe of UK employees and managers report a desire to
this crucial moment offers the workplace some continue working from home, at least part-time.
unique opportunities for innovation and
72%
creativity. Just a handful of statistics using Yet on the other side of the coin, increased
Microsoft internal data from the first half of remote working raises a particular concern.
2020 gives a sense of the direction of travel: Sixty-two percent felt less connected to their
of UK employees and team working from home.5
5 billion Microsoft Teams meeting managers report a In short, we’re seeing some remarkable shifts in
minutes in a single day desire to continue working patterns. So this e-book aims to explore
the ‘New World of Work’. It’s a huge subject and
Video used twice as much working from home we’ll tackle it by asking four key questions:
in Teams meetings
‘For remote working to be a success, How can organisations best drive
1 billion Windows 10 devices, the first thing we need to change is 1 productivity in a hybrid workplace?
how we think about it’ blog, 2020
up 30 percent year on year
How can we humanise our
2 employees’ experience of work?
What might tomorrow’s reimagined
3 workplace look like?
What’s the best way to go about
4 nurturing resilient teams?
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 5
02
A CHANGE IN
THE AIR
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 6
Understanding
your concerns
Dealing with the pandemic has been an
unprecedented challenge. And the crisis has
highlighted some crucial issues and pain-points.
Taking care Doing the right thing
The pandemic has demonstrated a pressing Organisations are also mindful that they need
need to look out for people. That can include to address issues of compliance, trust, identity,
everything from introducing flexible working safety of information and privacy, effectively
and best practices, to considering creative ways manage employee lifecycles, and implement
to maintain employee satisfaction and wellbeing. the correct health and safety measures.
Protecting productivity Meeting customer needs
Leaders looking to maintain the commercial Customers and service-users including
vigour of their organisations are increasingly consumers, university students and hospital
seeking to harness the power of data and patients expect an ever-higher level of service.
workplace analytics, and improve cross- Harnessing digital tools can help organisations
organisational communication. satisfy that demand swiftly and safely.
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 7
Remote Changing times,
working Changing attitudes
Most UK managers expect to implement One of the more remarkable things to come out concern for front-line workers is a fear of catching
more flexible work-from-home policies, of the pandemic is a marked attitudinal shift on COVID-19, remote workers worry about the
even after the pandemic has passed. Many the part of employers and employees alike. Both breaking down of work/life boundaries and
employees are equally keen to embrace have expressed a desire to see greater emphasis the tendency to put in longer hours.6
remote working. This new mindset may on wellbeing, inclusiveness and a sense of
permanently reconfigure the workplace. community at work. The question is: how can we support this desire to
If so, new challenges will swiftly emerge. refigure the workplace, so that it boosts inclusivity,
This new attitude may have been driven, at least diversity and creativity, while enabling employees
Learn more about Productivity in in part, by some serious concerns that have to work in a fulfilling, productive and safe way?
a hybrid workplace surfaced during the pandemic. Thirty percent of
workers report increased burnout. While the key Discover how you can Humanise work
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 8
87%
of executives say
they have skills gaps
in their business
Recognising the Beyond hiring: How companies are
reskilling to address talent gaps,
need for digital McKinsey & Company, 2020
transformation
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a watershed So how can we help organisations and employees
moment for the digital transformation of business. gain the skills they need to achieve more in the
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says, “We’ve seen changing world of work?
two years’ worth of digital transformation in two
months.”7 Companies recognising the need for increased
agility are also looking to invest in resilience.
But research reveals an alarming UK digital skills Those that fortify their people, places of work
gap. While a recent Lloyds Banking Group report8 and processes with digital tech are likely to
states that 11.7 million people lack the digital skills recover faster and emerge stronger than others.
needed for everyday life, a 2020 McKinsey survey9
found that 87 percent of executives say they have See Build resilient teams
skills gaps in their business.
“ We’ve seen two years’ worth of
digital transformation in two months.
Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft, April 2020
”
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 9
Maintaining
and building Digital transformations build long-term
profitability resilience and increase profitability
In a recent Boston Consulting Group
survey, 65 percent of executives said
they anticipate increased investment
in digital transformation. And for
good reason. The report states that:
“
Companies that use digital
levers can expect their
profit margins to increase,
PERFORMANCE
12% to 20%
AGILITY
40% to 50%
ENABLEMENT
20% to 30%
STABILITY
Up to 60% less IT
on average, by 12 percent faster speed higher workforce error and rework4
additional EBIT1 to market2 productivity3
to 20 percent. They will (in 6 to 9 months)
generate as much as 50 (about half of it (in about 3 months) (about half of it
within 12 months)
percent of the additional within 6 months)
profits in the first year,
thereby generating the
Source: BCG analysis and case experience.
resources needed to 1
ccording to BCG’s Performance Improvement through Digitization 2019 study, based on analysis of 40 digital resilience levers.
A
fund the rest of the 2
Enabled by applying advanced analytics to economic indices and establishing a control tower for high-frequency demand forecasts.
transformation journey.10 Achieved with AI and smart working tools such as chatbots, workflow automation, and decision-support systems.
3
”
4
From BCG experience in the insurance sector, achieved by designing cybersecurity in a uniform way for all applications and platforms.
The Digital Path to Business Resilience,
BCG, 2020
ERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
AGILITY
PERFORMANCE
AGILITY AGILITY
ENABLEMENT
AGILITY
ENABLEMENT
ENABLEMENT
STABILITY
ENABLEMENT
STABIL
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12% to 20% 12% to 20%12% to 20%12% to 20%Exploiting the
latest technology
can make smart
Fit for meetings a reality
the future
Companies that embrace
innovation are likely to be far
better prepared to face future
challenges. That enlightened
approach can manifest itself
in many ways.
Weaving AI into your organisation
can transform the way people
work. Using a common platform
to store and share content can help
organisations extract more value
out of their knowledge. And
exploiting the latest technology
can make smart meetings a reality,
where participants can collaborate
and contribute effectively and
safely, wherever they’re working.
Look ahead to Future work
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 11With every
challenge comes
opportunity
As organisations recover, they have a precious Whichever direction organisations take, there’ll be This cultural change, supported by company
chance to reimagine the way they operate. an increasing need for tools that enable people to leaders and enabled by tech, has the potential
Those that do, stand a better chance of work wherever they are – at an office, remotely, or to give businesses both the resilience and
gaining and maintaining a competitive edge. on the move. Technology is key. A recent Forrester competitive muscle to thrive in a decidedly
Study11 reveals that, “86 percent of survey unpredictable world.
Some may embrace the flexibility of temporary respondents with Microsoft 365-powered Surface
spaces, such as remote-working environments devices deployed agreed that their organization When, where, and how we work is fundamentally
and hotels. Offices may become occasional is better able to support a remote workforce, changing. And Microsoft is in a position to track
drop-in venues for customer meetings, creative compared to 71 percent of respondents using the trends that are reshaping the future of work.
workshops and team-building opportunities. non-Surface devices.” In a recent keynote address12,
Jared Spataro, CVP of Microsoft shared the latest
But it’s not just about the physical workspace research. It reveals that while the global shift to
and hardware. Businesses also have the chance remote working has brought positives, such
to boost productivity with AI that can harness an as increased empathy between teammates,
organisation’s knowledge via the cloud. And with challenges like elongated working hours and
more remote working, there’s an opportunity to meeting fatigue need to be addressed.
draw on a deeper pool of talent drawn from a
wider geographic area.
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 12Customer Story
ARUP: DIGITAL “
The first challenge was keeping people
connected and able to work with their
TRANSFORMATION clients. Luckily, we had already made
”
the decision to shift to Teams.
AT SPEED Rob Greig, Group CIO, Arup, September 2020
For over seven decades Setting a new direction Arup also needed to facilitate access Arup is now running 45 percent of
to the high-performance specialist all workloads in the cloud. And for
Arup has been at the Initially, Greig met with pockets of applications critical to its work, and Greig, there are fewer barriers to
forefront of design resistance, but pressing on his team relieve pressure from its traditional cloud adoption and innovation.
and engineering. mapped out 3,000 servers and 400 infrastructure. Shifting to Microsoft As he puts it, “Once you have that
applications that could either be 365, Teams, SharePoint and culture of rolling forward, you start
When COVID-19 struck, lifted and shifted to the cloud or Dynamics 365 achieved just that. to get that momentum and the
its existing cloud transformed. By the end of 2019, business starts to think of the ways
they were moving 10 workloads Windows Virtual Desktop was
transformation journey another asset. Greig was initially
it can benefit from being digital
to the cloud per month. And then by default.”
was vastly accelerated. COVID-19 hit. reluctant, but one of the engineers
did a demo for him and said, ‘this Explore the full Arup story.
Rob Greig, Group Responding fast is as fast, if not better, than the
CIO thinks cloud As Greig remembers, “The first
workstation I have on my desk
in my office’.
transformation is the challenge was keeping people
foundation for digital connected and able to work with
their clients. Luckily, we had
transformation and his already made the decision to
team were challenged shift to Teams.”
with the task.
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 1303
PRODUCTIVITY IN A
HYBRID WORKPLACE
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 14Giving people Rapid advances in cloud-based technology
make it easier than ever for employees to
The crucial role that hardware has to play
shouldn’t be underestimated either. A recent
the freedom to be stay connected and productive. Forrester Study14 states that, “88 percent of
survey respondents indicated that Microsoft
more productive While Microsoft Office apps on Microsoft 365
allow remote workers to access resources, share
365-powered Surface devices had helped
their employees become more collaborative,
and work together with others, Microsoft Teams compared to 79 percent of respondents without
acts as a vital virtual central hub that enables all Surface devices.”
workers to collaborate. It’s underpinned by
Microsoft Sharepoint, a secure content store. Many organisations, such as Lloyds Banking
Group, have taken strategic control of their
Using cloud-based technology can also help to modernisation journey by exploiting the
address those clear and rising concerns about potential of Microsoft Managed Desktop.
isolation. For instance, collaboration tools within Delivering end-to-end device management and
Microsoft 365 such as Outlook, Teams and security monitoring, it helps you focus on your
Stream actively encourage communication digital transformation while keeping everyone
and meaningful interactions.13 productive, secure, and up-to-date. As John
Chambers, Chief Information Officer says, “As
part of our digital transformation we’re creating
“
a modern digital workplace and I am really
excited about the impact of this new technology.”15
As part of our digital transformation we’re
creating a modern digital workplace and I
am really excited about the impact of this
”
new technology.
John Chambers, Chief Information Officer, Lloyds Banking Group, 2020
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 15Microsoft Power Platform, including products
such as Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft Power
Automate, Microsoft Power Apps and Microsoft
Virtual Agents can give you the ability to analyse
Digitising your data, build solutions, and place innovation at the
heart of your organisation’s DNA.
business A single-view dashboard shows owner, usage
level, connections, licensing and more. And you
Forward-thinking businesses are rapidly adapting and can easily automate essential processes using no
automating to: or low code apps.
SharePoint Syntex also uses advanced AI and
Cope with the pressures of remote working
machine teaching to capture, classify and manage
Overcome disruption, for example when information, helping you turn content into
knowledge, improve security and compliance,
people have to use new and unfamiliar tools and cut down on time consuming manual tasks.
Simplify laborious paper-based processes While digitising your business can also help
streamline and protect your operations, customer
Plug gaps in systems with additional service is another area that can be significantly
functionality improved. With Microsoft Dynamics 365 you can
learn from every transaction and respond with
Ensure that vital collaboration continues meaningful interactions.
Swiftly addressing these issues is crucial, and fortunately When the health crisis hit, many organisations, like
there are solutions out there that can simplify the whole the Care Quality Commission (CQC), had to move
digitisation process. fast. It needed to support the NHS, other health
and social care providers, and patients. So it used
Dynamics 365 Customer Voice to quickly deliver
an emergency response that was highly secure,
robust, scalable, and accessible.
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 16“
We plan to use machine
learning and AI in
It allowed them to survey more than 10,000
home care providers. They then processed
the data using Dynamics 365.
Of course, while many of us are working from
home, countless others are out in the field.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Remote Assist empowers
Dynamics 365 to provide CQC is already looking ahead. As Mark Sutton,
technicians to collaborate more efficiently by
working together from different locations.
insights about where to Chief Digital Officer says, “We plan to use machine Available on HoloLens, Android or iOS devices,
learning and AI in Dynamics 365 to provide
focus our attention, and insights about where to focus our attention,
it allows them to share their real-time view with
experts, and access critical information whenever
to share meaningful and to share meaningful analytics with providers it’s needed.
and the public”. See the full CQC story.
analytics with providers
”
It may be a cliché, but at times of rapid change,
and the public. With periods of disruption likely to continue,
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain
knowledge can be powerful. While interrogating
data can help you gain crucial business insights,
Management is another useful tool. It gives analytics and AI can help people understand what
Mark Sutton, Chief Digital Officer, CQC, 2020
total visibility of your supply chain. So you they need to focus on, access the information they
can keep it resilient and capable of dealing need, and measure their use of time to improve
with rapid fluctuations in supply and demand. their effectiveness and personal wellbeing.
By leveraging technology you can implement
processes that increase efficiency, reduce costs,
and drive scale and customer reach. Documenting
internal processes, measuring key performance
indicators, and incorporating automation enables
you to plan, learn from, and make more informed
decisions.16
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 17Cloud migration
Making your digital and boosting
workspace work productivity
Cloud migration can help your organisation
act faster, innovate, and focus IT operations
An effective digital workplace thrives on innovative on what matters most. Key to enabling and
and proven technology. Tech that employees love encouraging the ’work anywhere’ approach,
it allows you to:
using, because it lets them communicate, collaborate,
and create with agility.17 Scale workloads, applications and
networking capacity on demand
Empower your employees to drive business goals, Digital workplace, Microsoft to meet business needs
Stay secure and resilient across
Microsoft 365 is an integrated cloud platform Another milestone in the evolution of hybrid work environments
that encourages productivity, engagement, computing is Windows Virtual Desktop, a
and collaboration through a smart, efficient desktop and application virtualisation service Optimise costs at a time of
operating system, mission-critical enterprise- running in Azure. It enables secure remote constrained IT budgets
grade security tools, and seamlessly integrated working by allowing users to access their
workplace-productivity apps such as Teams, desktop and apps from anywhere via a Migrate data with confidence to
Word, Excel and PowerPoint.18 virtualised Windows 10 experience optimised leverage cloud analytics services
for Office 365 ProPlus. With Windows 10 multi- and gain business insights
session, you can run multiple concurrent user
interactive sessions easily with the same Migrating to the cloud also gives your
deployment for more cost efficiency. And employees constant, secure access to vital
many customers are already licensed to use productivity tools such as those available
Windows Virtual Desktop via their Windows through Microsoft 365: Teams, Outlook,
10 Enterprise licenses. Word, OneDrive and more.
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 18Customer Story
CNTW: TRANSFORMING “We knew the technology could help
keep staff working, even if they were
THE WAY HEALTHCARE having to isolate or shield themselves.
TEAMS WORK
Darren McKenna, Director of Informatics, Cumbria,
Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, 2020
”
Cumbria, Delivering services, Keeping
Northumberland, maintaining standards connected
Tyne and Wear NHS Initially, the Trust invested in To help communities stay in contact Revell Cornell, Infrastructure
Foundation Trust is one Microsoft Teams to explore how with frontline services, the Trust also Manager has the last word: “The
much staff travel time and expense installed Surface Hub 2S as all-in- main impact of the Teams, Surface
of the largest mental could be saved each year. But when one digital whiteboards in a number Hub collaboration during COVID-19
health and disability COVID-19 struck, Teams had the of locations. Remote workers used is the ability for staff to carry on
Trusts in England, potential to play a greater role. Surface Go 2 as a lightweight laptop providing amazing care to patients.”
with tablet functionality, and
providing services to The priority was to ensure people Surface Pen capabilities for easy See the full CNTW story.
1.7 million people. remained safe while delivering data capture.
services to the same high standard.
Like many healthcare Kirsty Charlton, Clinical Manager of With staff using Teams to
the Trust’s Autism Services says that communicate with patients and
providers, it’s faced Teams offered a rapid solution: “We each other, the Trust has been
huge disruption in the knew the technology could help conducting around 1,100 Teams
wake of the pandemic. keep staff working, even if they meetings per day since the
were having to isolate or shield pandemic began.
themselves.”
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 1904 HUMANISE
WORK
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 20Humanising the
employee experience
The experience of the past few Maintaining a connected experience Most recently, we’ve introduced a new
feature called Teams Together. It uses an AI
months has revealed some Sometimes, it can be all too easy to focus on segmentation model to place participants
positive benefits of working organisational efficiency and productivity. together on a shared background and shows
remotely, including less But this is a human challenge with a simple face and body movements to enhance
question: how can you support your interaction. It’s designed to make it easier to
commuting, increased employee employees so that working remotely isn’t manage sessions, and reduce the cognitive load
productivity and improvements a lonely experience? when engaging for long periods onscreen.
in performance. And numerous One answer is to set up a cloud-based home
reports suggest that a growing office with Microsoft 365. Features like Office
number of employees will want apps, Teams and OneDrive give people the
power to stay connected with colleagues
to continue working remotely in through chats, calls and meetings,
a post-pandemic world. access emails, calendars and files,
and securely save their files.
To some extent, remote working has
connected people on a more personal level.
The occasional glimpses into other people’s
lives may have made us more empathetic
and understanding. But there are growing
concerns about isolation and a sense of
disconnect. Counteracting this and protecting
the wellbeing of employees is a challenge
we are keen to recognise.
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 21Other new features include custom layouts, Having the right hardware is crucial too. The
which allows people to make presentations Forrester Study19 mentioned earlier reveals that,
more engaging, even gaining the ability
“
to include a presenter’s video feed
transposed onto the foreground of the
slide they’re showing. With breakout
rooms, organisations can easily split 86% of survey respondents with Microsoft 365-powered
participants into smaller brainstorming Surface devices agreed that their organizations successfully
or workshop sessions. And then there’s
recap, giving participants instant access improved employee experience, compared to 76% of
”
to transcripts, recordings and any files respondents using non-Surface devices.
shared during a meeting.
The Total Economic Impact™, Forrester Consulting, 2020
But what about the fact that remote working
can sometimes lead to longer working
hours? Microsoft MyAnalytics gives people Surface devices were also described as:
the opportunity to view work patterns and
“
manage their time to enhance their sense
of wellbeing.
Within Microsoft 365 Dynamics Human more flexible to the changing nature of the ‘workplace,’
Resources, we also have a range of specific
HR solutions to strengthen links with your
allowing employees to remain productive whether
employees and maintain a nurturing working from their office, a communal space,
”
environment. a coffee shop, or their couch.
The Total Economic Impact™, Forrester Consulting, 2020
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 22Nurturing your
people and culture
With endorsement from the board, organisations have the
power to make the hybrid workplace a success. But to get
there, teams need to embrace new technology through
adoption and change management methodology. That
won’t happen overnight. It calls for proactive management.
Senior management can help by speaking with one voice
and focusing on three key areas: leadership, culture
and technology.
Leadership Culture Technology
It’s important to devise a strategy that helps People are the beating heart of any Having the right technology platform can
people work effectively regardless of location, organisation. An effective culture gives them nourish a strong community culture.
enables collaboration, encourages creativity the means to be productive, and the power to
and maintains a sense of cohesion and shared innovate, adapt and progress.
purpose. Regular and clear communications
from leaders can help keep people feel valued,
‘in the loop’ and an important part of an
organisation’s mission and culture.
When these three areas work in concert, it encourages
the sort of improved co-operation that’s possible
through Teams – a single, safe space in which
employees can chat, call, meet and generate ideas.
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 23Fostering Supporting
diversity and wellbeing and
inclusion accessibility
In April 2020, the IDC produced an influential Inequality and reduced social mobility are Work-related stress has a negative effect on
survey – The Impact of Employer and often driven by lack of quality education wellbeing. And it has economic repercussions
Employee Engagement.20 It reveals that and work opportunities. But the increasingly too, with many working days lost to illness.
focusing on diversity and inclusion has a digital workplace, with its need for different
profound impact on creating a ‘people-first’ skill sets and flexible working, can contribute Leaders can support the mental health of their
culture in which employees feel part of one to overcoming some of these problems. employees by promoting a culture of sharing
team shaping business outcomes. and learning, and by empowering employees
to manage their work-life balance.
Establishing a standardised approach to
employee engagement increases employee During the pandemic, this issue has become even
commitment and productivity, lowers costs,
Whatever the post-COVID-19 more urgent, with workers reporting increased
and generates higher profits. And an digital workspace looks like, burnout, and many experiencing a rise in work
chats between 5pm and midnight.22
increasing amount of research on the inclusion and accessibility can
effects of overall Environment, Social, and
Governance (ESG) measures, emphasises
be driven by a simple mantra: Support can take many forms. Line managers
can monitor workloads and take action if needed.
the positive financial implications of ‘doing ‘leave no one behind’. They can also stress the importance of regular
good’ as a company.21 breaks and holidays, screen downtime and
ignoring work emails out of hours.
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 24Perhaps paradoxically, tech has a role in A culture that promotes individual wellbeing Microsoft 365 comes with accessibility
supporting wellbeing. Within Microsoft 365, and accessibility is naturally going to be more built-in to give people with different abilities
employees can access the MyAnalytics diverse and inclusive. Tech has a role to play the freedom to create, communicate and
dashboard, while individual users can use it to see here too. Microsoft products and services are collaborate. For instance, Office 365
their own activity levels and get automated help designed to empower people with vision, applications work seamlessly with screen
to improve their focus and wellbeing. hearing, neurodiversity, learning, mobility readers and keyboards on most devices, Tell
Managers can detect broad themes and trends or mental health disabilities. Me lets you quickly access commands without
across their organisations. At all times, data navigating the command ribbon, and Office
privacy is paramount. Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 apps have Lens helps you transform text on a printed page
built-in and third-party accessibility features, into digital content that can be read aloud.
Remote workers have also lost some of those which let users choose how to interact with
breaks in the day that allowed them to recharge. their screen and work effectively, whether And in a world increasingly being shaped by
they have a disability, personal preference, AI, it too is being harnessed to amplify human
So next year we’ll be adding a feature to Teams or simply a unique work style. capabilities and support people with disabilities.
that lets people schedule a ‘virtual commute’, For instance, the University of Texas is working
to give them a productive start in the morning with Microsoft Research on an Ability Initiative
and a chance to disconnect in the evening. to improve the accuracy of automatic image
And because 70 percent of people feel that descriptions of photos captured by
meditation could help them reduce their stress people with no or poor vision.
levels, we’ve partnered with Headspace to bring
users a curated set of mindfulness experiences
and science-backed meditations.23
And in a world increasingly being shaped by
AI, it too is being harnessed to amplify human
capabilities and support people with disabilities.
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 25“
Customer Story
UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM: To say we are at the beginning of
this journey is an understatement.
”
ENRICHING THE LEARNING Dr. Luis Neves, Faculty of Engineering and Digital
EXPERIENCE FOR ALL
Learning Director, University of Nottingham
Limited by ageing The university began its cloud Reinforcing access and Cloud Solution Specialist points out,
migration traditionally, but had to equality “With Azure, we can now spin up a
hardware, the University swiftly adapt when COVID-19 struck. 64-core virtual machine to help
of Nottingham needed Nick Mount, Digital Learning Another challenge the university them advance their work.”
a scalable, long-term Director for the Faculty of Social faced was unequal access for
Researchers can also benefit from
Sciences says, “It was clear from students with inferior computers.
computing solution the get-go that Microsoft Teams So the university turned to Windows Azure Cognitive Services. It offers
that could empower and the rest of our Microsoft Virtual Desktop – a desktop and speech-to-text capabilities that
enable them to transcribe audio
new ways of learning, infrastructure were going to app virtualisation service running
to text in more than 30 languages.
be absolutely central.” on Azure.
researching, and
It’s clear that the university has
teaching. Innovating in the era of Dr. Luis Neves, Faculty of
already found the move to Azure
remote learning Engineering and Digital Learning
advantageous. But the best is yet
It soon focused on Director says, “Windows Virtual
to come. “To say we are at the
“In terms of delivering real-time Desktop is an equaliser, because it
Microsoft Azure and remote learning sessions, Teams grants every student access to the beginning of this journey is an
Microsoft 365, with really showed its mettle,” says Dr. Neil same computing power.” understatement,” says Dr. Neves.
particular emphasis Hughes, Digital Learning Director Learn more about the University of
and Director of Modern Language Delivering scalability
on Microsoft Teams. Teaching, Faculty of Arts. “I’ve been
Nottingham’s journey.
Researchers at the university used to
able to move to a more interactive
be limited by the processing power
lecture format, with some students
of their computers. But as Ross
more engaged than they were
Shonfeld, Technical Manager and
during normal face-to-face sessions.”
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 2605
FUTURE
WORK
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 27Embracing AI In the current crisis, selling to customers has
become a digital rather than a face-to-face skill.
and automation Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales empowers
organisations to provide an end-to-end digital
buying experience across every stage of the
How can incorporating innovation and AI into customer journey, from demand response to
your organisation enhance its value and enable transaction. Businesses can adjust to fluctuations
everyone to use technology in a meaningful way? in demand by scaling their sales resources, arming
Exploiting the potential of AI can:24 digital sellers with training/skilling and next best
action enablement resources. In addition, with
Help optimise business processes unified relationship data across the full customer
to improve efficiency, cut costs lifecycle, organisations can utilise artificial
intelligence to generate actionable insights to
and generate new revenue
create more meaningful customer connections.
Empower employees and increase In times of uncertainty, front-line workers,
productivity by reducing time spent customers, and citizens reach out in higher
on repetitive tasks, as well as volumes seeking guidance, reassurance, and
facilitating machine teaching and clarity. Microsoft Dynamics for Customer Service
reinforcement learning provides built-in intelligence, automation, and
mixed reality to ensure teams are properly
Improve customer service with end- resourced to provide real-time support.
to-end customer management, and Collectively, these technologies empower your
service teams to act as the trusted front line of
real-time behaviour prediction and your company – by providing meaningful insights
data monitoring and connected experiences from anywhere,
at any time.
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 28Making the most The most effective way to create, share, use
and manage your organisation’s knowledge
Another day-to-day way to share knowledge
is through Teams. As millions of us discovered
of knowledge is through a multi-disciplinary approach. That
means using a common platform to store and
during lockdown, you can use it to easily share
files and store them by Chat or Team group.
management share your content – from HR handbooks to
data-security policies. And there’s another knowledge management
tool that lets you integrate your entire
Microsoft SharePoint is a globally popular knowledge network: Project Cortex.
solution. You can use it simply as a medium
for intranet sites. But organisations can also It uses AI to deliver ‘just-in-time’ knowledge
adapt and build useful things with it – from within the apps you use every day. It scans
basic content repositories for teams to and analyses content across teams and systems,
large-scale systems that track sophisticated extracting important information, and auto-
business processes.25 organising content into shared topics like
projects, products, processes and customers.
So you can access knowledge topics from
Teams, Outlook and Sharepoint, anywhere,
anytime, within a consistent Microsoft 365
user experience.
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 29Enabling Smart offices
smart offices Azure Digital Twin allows you to model your physical
and meetings space digitally. You can then add the real-time location
of people in that physical space, and what devices
they’re using. Hooked up to Microsoft Internet of
Things (IoT) devices through the cloud, it creates a
Physical meeting totally joined-up experience:
spaces aren’t going
to disappear. But with Employees admitted from lobby to office
people working across areas via facial recognition – no ID cards
multiple locations, Visitors auto-checked-in on arrival and
connected to wireless network
not just a single room,
they’ll need to be Kiosks on each floor use IoT sensors to
show visitors room availability in real time
more carefully
Wayfinding app shows visitors how to get
managed, responsive to their room
to user needs, and
Employees book a room with a single click
conducive to
collaboration.
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 30Smart meetings
“
IoT sensors linked to Azure Digital Twin
allow facilities managers to auto-control
office temperatures, lighting and ventilation
– enhancing personal comfort, simplifying To help create workspaces where people The ability for our teams
management and cutting costs. See how can collaborate effectively and safely, to seamlessly connect to
Microsoft is turning its HQ into a smart campus. both remotely and from the work site,
it’s important to enable an experience meetings, share content,
As the pandemic fades, and organisations where every attendee is a first-class work through issues in
gain the confidence to return to the participant. As organisations continue
workplace, Azure IoT can help safeguard the transition back to the office, shared whiteboarding sessions
the work environment, by reducing the risk space devices like Microsoft Teams regardless of location
of transmission with contactless interfaces, Rooms and Surface Hub will be critical
proximity monitoring and thermal screening. tools in delivering the ultimate hybrid through Microsoft Teams
And with Power Platform, you can use a set
workplace experience. and on Surface Hub ensures
of apps and dashboards to determine the You can deploy Microsoft Teams Rooms we can keep cargo moving
readiness of workplace locations, identify into spaces of any size, from very small
COVID-19 hotspots, and keep employees huddle areas to extra-large conference at all times, regardless
of circumstances.
”
safe with self-service tools and screening. rooms. And with new Surface Hub 2S,
you can make the most of an all-in-one
digital whiteboard, meetings platform,
and collaborative computing device that
brings people together, no matter where Fabio Catassi, Chief Technology Officer at MSC
Mediterranean Shipping Company
they’re working.
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 31“
Customer Story
SHAKESPEARE MARTINEAU: Without those devices, much of the
firm wouldn’t have been able to
”
PREPARING FOR THE work from home securely.
FUTURE TODAY
Dal Virdi, IT Director, Shakespeare Martineau
The experience of top “It was really important to facilitate deployment, users were given A COVID-19-secure
agility across the firm,” says IT permissions to securely log on to environment for the future
UK law firm, Shakespeare Director, Dal Virdi. “Microsoft the firm’s Azure tenancy to access
Martineau, reveals how Surface gives our staff the freedom and download scripts they could Almost everyone in the firm now
innovation, exploiting to work in a way that suits their lives then run to automate the new has their own Surface laptop, Arc
whilst maximising productivity.” upgraded build on their Surface mouse and personal headset, and
the latest technology and laptops. offices are being reconfigured to be
creating a collaborative When COVID-19 hit, fee earners pure hot-desking environments that
working environment used their new Surface laptops to Better Teams working are clinically clean.
operate at home. “Without those
can strengthen an devices, much of the firm wouldn’t Another challenge for all law firms is Shakespeare Martineau’s roll-out
organisation’s ability have been able to work from home client confidentiality. So enabling of Surface devices has delivered
securely,” continues Virdi. internal users to access key improved morale, increased
to overcome future Microsoft apps had unexpected productivity, reduced downtime,
challenges. The new Surface laptops also benefits. As Virdi explains, “Because an increase in billable hours and
enabled the team to optimise the of the security concerns around enhanced client satisfaction.
Seeking to provide user experience, by deploying other video conferencing platforms,
Microsoft 365 apps, including many clients will only use Microsoft See the full Shakespeare Martineau
people with the right Teams and OneDrive. To support customer story.
Teams for calls and collaboration.”
working tools, the
company started to
identify the technologies
it needed.
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 3206
BUILD RESILIENT
TEAMS
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 33Creating a culture of
continuous learning
“
An effective culture not
only gives people what they
need to work in the here
People drive your business, and it’s important to support them in as many ways as
possible. Beyond facilitating remote work and new safety processes, that includes
helping to re- and upskill your employees.
“
and now, but also the power
to innovate, adapt and
The most successful organisations will be the ones that
progress for the future.
”
transform both technically and culturally, equipping
their people with the skills and knowledge to become
Nick Hedderman, Modern Work the best competitive asset they have.
”
and Security Lead, Microsoft UK
Simon Lambert, Chief Learning Officer for Microsoft UK
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 341. Assess current
workforce skills
Managing your
talent for success
2. Determine 3. Create a plan to From the way people job hunt to staff
future needs bridge the gaps management, huge shifts were taking
place in the world of work long before the
pandemic struck.
The key is to create a culture that embraces Creating a learning environment can arm your Technology now gives organisations new
continuous learning. Perhaps the most employees with the skills they need to thrive ways of working, hiring, and interacting with
effective first step towards that goal is to within the hybrid workplace. And taking an employees. Advanced HR management
identify your organisation’s skills gaps and inclusive approach can pay dividends too. systems can help seek out the best potential
then create a roadmap to get your business In many instances, that can be achieved by recruits. And once someone’s part of the
where it needs to be. simply asking people what they want to learn, team, those same systems can energise their
listening to feedback, and then responding to it. personal development.
With this approach, technology can be seen
as a feature that optimises employees’ For employees who aren’t office-based, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Human Resources
experiences, enhancing everything from Dynamics 365 Guides is a smart way to support is an HR management platform that delivers
individual productivity to job satisfaction and encourage learning. It delivers timely everything you need to optimise human
and peer-to-peer learning.24 on-the-job guidance, sharing step-by-step resource management and care for your
holographic instructions, photos, videos and people. It works seamlessly with other
3D models that can help reduce errors, Microsoft Dynamics 365 apps, Microsoft
reinforce skills, and close knowledge gaps. 365 services like Outlook – and LinkedIn.
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 35Moving forward with You can use the insights to promote skills, nurture
new leaders, or break down silos and develop
crucial workforce insights powerful cross-disciplinary networks. Microsoft
Dynamics 365 Human Resources has a role to play
here too. It lets you manage:
Many organisations are eager to Using data from everyday work in
adapt. And they know where they Microsoft 365, it gives you a dynamic
want to be. But getting there can view of how people are interacting, Admin details – comprehensive
be difficult if you don’t understand allowing you to respond swiftly to worker info from hire to retire
where you are right now. improve employee experiences,
and sharpen customer focus. Performance vs. salary information
That’s why having a clear picture of
– implement and track profile-based
how an organisation is functioning That can help foster productivity,
is crucial to enhancing employee but it can also protect wellbeing. time management and generate pay
productivity and their working With Workplace Analytics and information to export to a payroll system
experience. Microsoft Workplace MyAnalytics now integrated
Analytics can help you delve deep within Teams, you can assess Upskilling – review performance,
to understand and reshape your how your workforce is faring implement worker goals, and set up,
workplace culture. in these challenging times, deliver and analyse training courses
and act fast to take action
if needed.
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 36Finding and nurturing
skills for new roles
Arming your people with the right skills can ensure While Microsoft Envision UK has recently
that everyone moves forward together, and that all launched ‘Get on 2021’, a five-year
are capable of making a meaningful contribution. campaign to help 1.5 million people build
careers in technology, our digital skills
Those organisations that build talent streams and website is a powerful learning hub that
make informed use of AI and automation can make reinforces our commitment to helping
it easier for employees to optimise the knowledge people achieve more.
at their disposal. It’s becoming clear that actively
embracing a culture of ongoing learning can And both Microsoft Learn and LinkedIn
lead to more resilience, adaptability, and Learning represent a huge reservoir of
ultimately, improved performance. professional courses that people can
easily access, as and when they need to.
Moving forward, the transformed digital
workspace is going to see an increased
demand for new skills. Indeed, over the AN ESTIMATED
next five years, estimates suggest there will
149
be approximately 149 million new tech jobs.
So it’s crucial that businesses start thinking today
about the skills they might need tomorrow.27
MILLION
NEW TECH JOBS
OVER THE NEXT
5 YEARS
10 roles and skilling resources for job seekers in the
new normal, Microsoft blog, 2020
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 37“
Customer Story
UNIVERSITY OF LINCOLN: Remote learning is going to remain
as one of the toolsets we’ll use to
CREATING A RESILIENT enhance the student experience.
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Dr. Derek Foster, Computer Science Programme Leader,
University of Lincoln
”
The University of Lincoln Continuing learning Digital delivery into
has an international through COVID-19 the future
reputation for the Usually, Computer Science learning Microsoft Teams helped teachers Given this success, the university
quality of its teaching takes place at the university’s and students to adapt. Dr. Derek plans to integrate Microsoft Teams
impressive new Isaac Newton Foster, Computer Science into its ongoing operations. Dr.
and research. Building. But in March 2020, that Programme Leader says, Foster says, “Remote learning is
changed suddenly. “Microsoft Teams had a really going to remain as one of the
Cloud computing plays important role to play in terms toolsets we’ll use to enhance the
an important role in the Like many higher education of one-to-one support, smaller student experience.”
institutions, the university had to
university’s highly quickly adapt its teaching and
group meetings, as well as larger
Read the full University of Lincoln
group meetings. Students picked
ranked Computer learning approach to ensure that it up very, very quickly.” customer story.
Science programme. students and staff could continue to
enjoy a safe and positive The close integration of Microsoft
But when COVID-19 experience. Deputy Vice Chancellor Teams with other essential
struck, Microsoft cloud Professor Liz Mossop says, “We learning tools, such as Microsoft
solutions began to play moved very quickly to move all our Word, as well as the security and
teaching and learning online within integrity of the Microsoft 365
an even more important 24 hours.” platform, are highly valued by
role for all students. staff and students alike.
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 3807
MAKING DIGITAL
TRANSFORMATION
A REALITY
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 39Learn more
Productivity in a hybrid workplace:
Take a walk through the once bustling commercial Teams
centres of our cities and you soon realise that a Remote Assist
Windows Virtual Desktop
new world of work has arrived. Microsoft Dynamics 365
Humanise work:
Microsoft 365
The hybrid workplace is here. So organisations We are here to help make your digital Teams
are having to rapidly rethink how they manage transformation a reality. As a result, you Accessibility features
their people and processes. Being successful can create a more agile and competitive
Future work:
is all down to focusing on clear leadership, organisation, develop a culture that fosters
Surface
a willingness to embrace new cultures and continuous learning, and deliver an
Power Automate
the informed use of technology. improved bottom line.
Dynamics 365 Customer Insights
The new workplace can be reimagined with Above all, you’ll be setting your people free Teams Hardware
cloud computing that can boost productivity, from an outmoded workplace culture and
Build resilient teams:
harness the power of knowledge and protect ready to achieve their potential in a more
Digital Skills
what matters most. It can also be enlivened by intelligent, technology-enabled world.
Workplace Analytics
enabling employees with devices that empower
Microsoft Learn
and engage them.
AI Business School
Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 40REFERENCES
1
IMF upgrades 2020 economic forecast but 11 Maximizing Your ROI From Microsoft 365 18 Building a modern workplace with Microsoft
warns of a slower 2021, BBC, 13 October 2020 Enterprise With Microsoft Surface, a 365, Microsoft corporate website, accessed
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2
Creating a blueprint for UK competitiveness conducted by Forrester Consulting, July 2020
e-book, Microsoft, 2020 19 Maximizing Your ROI From Microsoft 365
12 The Future of Work, Microsoft keynote, 22 Enterprise With Microsoft Surface, a
3
The pandemic is turning into a super- September 2020 commissioned Total Economic Impact™ study
expensive business quagmire, CNN, 20 conducted by Forrester Consulting, July 2020
August, 2020 13 Four ways to enable the Anywhere Office,
Microsoft e-book, 2020 20 The Impact of Employer and Employee
4
IMF World Economic Outlook, June 2020 Engagement, IDC survey, April 2020
14 Maximizing Your ROI From Microsoft 365
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about it, Microsoft, 8 September 2020 conducted by Forrester Consulting, July 2020 by Microsoft, August 2020
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Microsoft Work Trend Index 15 Lloyds Banking Group and Microsoft form 22 Microsoft Work Trend Index
7 2 years of digital transformation in 2 months, partnership to accelerate bank’s digital
transformation strategy, Microsoft, 16 January 23 Microsoft Work Trend Index
Microsoft, 30 April 2020
2020 24 Put AI into action and empower everyone in
8 Locked out before lockdown: 9 million your organization, Microsoft blog, 23 June 2020
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Banking Group, 21 May 2020 Part 4: Optimizing Operations, IDC e-book, 25 Microsoft SharePoint and Knowledge
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survey, 12 February 2020 goals, Microsoft corporate website, accessed the new normal, Microsoft blog, 19 August 2020
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Go To Home | Embracing the new world of work | 41You can also read
