Predicting the future is problematic and ends up usually only being a vague shot in the dark. But that's because most predictors are waving a proverbial magic wand in the air and hoping for the best.
In our experience working with interesting, innovative customers, we have the vantage point of seeing what works well, and what they are planning to be successful in the future. Based on what we have learned about their conduct and they improve, we have compiled an informed list of five predictions for 2017 about how successful organizations will approach their workforce and technology:
Simplify, simplify, simplify
We already know that modern workers have a ton of technology at their fingertips. That's not necessarily good, nor bad, but the reality is that all these options for applications, tools, processes and devices can become stressful and difficult to manage. We see that in 2017, companies will take measures to eliminate technology options and instead, find ways to centralize employee activity around single-source applications and solutions. Business managers will look for applications that provide an inherent ability to scale as their organizations grow and shift focus. We suspect this will alleviate anxiety on the part of workers who are already overburdened with an abundance of technology options.
The shrinking IT department
As more applications run in the cloud and use consumer interfaces, there becomes less reliance on an IT department to deploy, maintain and manage the apps and support users. While IT is, and will always be, a critical element of any enterprise, the same infrastructure that was used in companies in the 90's is much different from what we see today. Because of this, we will see less hiring specifically in the IT department, but more hiring among LOB managers who have an understanding of IT basics. The key will be to ensure that employees can handle most of their own issues using highly usable and simple tools.
Pay as you go
Enterprises love the cloud; this has become evident with the massive success of cloud applications and emphasis among technology influencers who encourage cloud adoption. One of the appealing elements that some cloud app providers use is the fee structure - it is predicated on the idea that you pay only for the people who actually use the apps. The "pay as you go model" ensures that a company's technology spending is in line with their needs and that they can grow, shrink, scale and adapt as needed, and without having to worry about technology that isn't being used. In 2017, we will see more companies seek out this type of fee structure and allocate spending accordingly.
The value of collaboration
Mobile has clearly changed the nature of work, and this has given employers who offer remote working situations a huge advantage. With technology providing a foundation for productivity and communication, companies can identify and utilize the best talent irrespective of where they choose to live and work. Yet, remote workers have not always been able to take advantage of real-time interfacing, and this has been considered a hole in the strategy. In the future, we will see companies implement collaboration capabilities to keep employees engaged with one another in an effort to increase teamwork. These capabilities will come in the form of tools that encourage workers to distribute, share and create together in an effort to provide something more valuable than can be done individually.
A different kind of workforce
The job market is hot right now, and all indicators suggest it will remain so in 2017. Yet, as with any cycle, we will have a huge segment of new hires go to millennials. In fact, for the first time in a while, the Gen X generation will become a secondary group, surpassed in numbers by millennials. This population of workers is dedicated and passionate, but they have grown up with technology and expect there to be very little difference between the technology they use for social purposes and that of their work environment. Employers who will win the war for talent will do so partly by providing a recognizable and simple technology infrastructure for these millennials.
