New ways of working today

The years 2020 and 2021 have not been and are not being easy for anyone. Firstly, obviously, at a health level, and secondly, for both workers and companies, who have seen their routines, their way of working and their expectations changed from one day to the next. The confinement to our homes to which we have been forced to confine ourselves has conditioned many people to having to to develop their professional activity from home by relying on new technological trends. All these changes, to which we have been forced to adapt from one day to the next and without any prior training, have also resulted in the the need to change the old ways of working.

A a new way of understanding work which has meant that we have had to learn and manage new technological solutions so that businesses can continue to operate. A new professional model that is here to stay, The result has been that many companies have definitively adopted the hybrid working models, combining face-to-face and teleworking.

The new ways of working are a transformative approach to the system of work we have known up to now with the support of digitalisation. New technological tools have allowed us to experience a change in the concept of many work activities, as well as in the relationships between employees and companies. At the same time, the trend is towards flexible working hours and more horizontal organisations that break away from hierarchical structures.

The new ways of working have become the epicentre of a wide range of work activities. Let's take a look at the following what these new forms of work are and what features they offer.

Basic characteristics of new forms of work

Remote or teleworking and flexible working is an unstoppable reality that is already in our lives and will continue to improve and improve over time, but it will not go away.  The new forms of work offer three basic characteristics:

• Relocation of the job. In a large number of activities, especially those related to services, we have realised that it is no longer necessary to travel to an office to carry them out. In this way they can be carried out from anywhere, not only from the location of the office or company, but from any corner of the planet. All of this without the worker losing most of the social benefits such as, for example, the restaurant tickets.
• Flexible working hours. Nowadays, companies focus more on the achievement of objectives than on the fulfilment of a timetable. The aim is to achieve greater efficiency and performance, giving employees more free time.
• Use of technology and digital devices. In order for these two characteristics to be realised, it is necessary to use technology, which has exponentially increased our capacity to carry out a wide variety of tasks, from any place and at any time. At the same time, it is possible to access the necessary documentation in real time to carry out our work.

Digitisation of companies, the great help for a new way of working

As mentioned above, thehe digitisation of companies has been the essential factor in the in order to be able to generate new, much more productive and flexible ways of working. Technology optimally integrates human capabilities with the functionality of new digital tools.

As a result of all this, the global business environment is changing and evolving at a rapid pace, a unique opportunity for companies to improve their processes while saving costs. In addition, digital technologies change what workers do and how they do it, and workers must adapt to new methods, organisational processes and tools.

Nowadays, new forms of employment, such as teleworking or freelancing, are gaining momentum due to the fact that technology makes it easier to hire employees remotely, at the same time as ensures that all the duties of the post are fulfilled.

What are the new ways of working?

Until 2019, before the pandemic, offices were seen as a necessary element to improve productivity, to cultivate corporate culture and thus attract and retain the best talent. But with the arrival of the pandemic, it has been demonstrated that all this was not so necessary and that the new ways of working that companies have sought to survive have been a success.

Some of the most important new forms of work that have emerged during this process of change are:

• Freelance. They are workers who use their skills, training and experience to work with several clients and take on various tasks without committing themselves to a single employer.
• Smart working. These are working practices in which the use of technological and communicative tools help to improve human activity. In this modality, companies provide employees with the necessary technologies that help them to be more productive and efficient. 
• Crowdfunding. It leverages small amounts of capital from a large number of people to fund the creation of a new business. It relies on social media and funding websites to bring together investors to help launch a start-up business.
• Flexible working. It includes any kind of flexible working arrangements that give people control and freedom over when and where they work.
• Teleworking. It is a flexible way of working that allows you to work from any location and that provides multiple advantages. Teleworking can be done on a regular full-time basis or on certain days of the week or on special occasions.

Changes brought about by the new ways of working

But what are the most significant changes brought about by the new ways of working in the business world? Here are some of the most important ones:

• Abandonment of the vertical hierarchy. Delegating responsibilities to team members is much more effective than just assigning tasks. A worker, feeling responsible for a certain activity, will be much more motivated, thus increasing his or her productivity.
• Time flexibility. Employees who are allowed to reconcile their personal lives with their work are much more productive. For this reason, there is a growing trend in companies towards a flexible working model in which work is more goal-driven rather than rigidly timetabled.
• Reward for results. Nowadays, work is geared towards achieving certain results that will be rewarded by the company.
• Increased confidence in employees. New ways of working have brought to the fore the importance of building trust between workers and team members, so that there is communication that allows them to be more productive and creative.

As we have seen, the technological development and globalisation have completely changed the way we work. In the aftermath of the pandemic from which we have not yet managed to emerge, there has been a radical change in the workplace and we have been forced to generate new ways of working which, little by little, have been displacing the traditional ones. Discover all the possibilities that Edenred offers companies and workers in their new ways of working. Ask for information without obligation.