To a visitor from just a few decades ago, the modern workplace is utterly unrecognisable. If the harnessing of electricity was a big deal, then computerisation was even bigger. The personal computer, once considered a gimmick, has transformed our professional lives in ways that might once have been inconceivable.
Let’s take a look at a few more recent technological developments, and the way that they’ve impacted the modern workplace.
Remote Working
The economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic would have been considerably greater had we not had the ability to easily communicate and work from home. The circumstances demonstrated that workers can still be productive when they’re sitting in their living rooms, and this was largely a consequence of advances in wireless technology and videoconferencing software.
As 5G is rolled out, and the broadband infrastructure in the UK is incrementally upgraded, we should expect video software of this kind to become more accessible, and working-from-home practices to be gain even greater traction.
Accessible Communication
The ability to work from home also rests on the power of e-mail, and other collaboration tools. The ability to send a message that arrives instantly, and whose receipt is automatically acknowledged, can make a huge difference, especially when you’re trying to coordinate a team of dozens, or even hundreds, of people.
Freelancing
The internet has given rise to an entirely new type of freelance worker, who is able to work for multiple clients. The modern ‘gig’ economy is largely a product of our newfound ability to go from one client to the next with the click of a mouse. There are certainly downsides to this kind of work – a lack of job security and perks spring to mind – but these are mostly outweighed by the benefits. Which explains why so many are choosing this kind of work.
Fewer Security Breaches
With so many modern businesses being driven by data, digital security is more important than ever. If clients and staff are entrusting a given company with their personal information, then that company has a duty to prevent that information from falling into the wrong hands.
Cybersecurity is an ongoing arms race between attackers and security organisations. To protect data, businesses have to bring in the right software tools. For example, a payroll system, which contains lots of sensitive data, will need to be properly encrypted, so that malicious third parties cannot make sense of any data they intercept.
But as well as the tools, businesses should also make themselves aware of the precise nature and shape of the threats, and educate their workforce accordingly. For example, you might provide training on how to spot a potential phishing attack, and thereby reduce the likelihood of a leak.
