The alignment of individual aspirations with organisational goals is critical in the hybrid work ecosystem. However, a large section of Indian leaders feel unsure about the future of work, a recent survey said. About 4,000 business and HR leaders across 26 territories participated in the survey.

Share Market Live

NSE

Among the inhibiting factors faced by these leaders in creating a more fit-for-future workplace are cost pressures, competing investments or priorities, lack of systems and data, and organisational culture.

Also read: View: Unlocking innovation and making positive impact through diversity

According to the findings of the PwC India’s ‘People and Culture First: Transformation Journey in the Future of Work’ report, about 50 percent of Indian leaders feel the need to plan for multiple possible futures around the workplace and workforce but cost pressure and the fear of setting a precedent is holding them back.

About 48 percent feel it is important to identify the potential risks that come along with replacing human work with technology. However, the survey found that they are reluctant to create a culture of transparency.

Also read: 100% Work From Office may well be history even as COVID ebbs

Fifty four percent of leaders realise the importance of identifying the skills but they are reluctant to take action due to competing priorities.

The report highlights six no-regret moves identified by Indian leaders and PwC presents six imperatives to eliminate the blockers to workforce challenges and future-proof organisations.

These no-regret moves, and imperatives are:

Anticipate and plan for the future: Recognise ‘prioritising and sense making’ as an organisational capability that is critical to drive investment decisions.

Build trust in the organisation: Democratise the workplace concept to focus on a ‘workplace of the people’ as against a ‘workplace for the people.’

Optimise workforce productivity and performance: Use technology to enable productivity and performance, while management enables culture.

Enable the skills of the future: Prioritise culture as a competitive advantage.

Prepare for and deploy technology with humans in mind: Focus on human-led, tech-enabled ways of working.

Build ability to rapidly access and deploy talent: View the organisation in the ‘skills and capability age.’

Chaitali Mukherjee, Partner and Leader, PwC India said, “Earlier workforce challenges centred around broader areas of organisational design and capabilities woven in with organisational culture. But with the changing nature of the workplace, the challenges seem to be more employee driven, both globally and locally. At this juncture, it is important for all organisations across the world to prioritise leadership capabilities in order to orchestrate changes and move the needle in business.”

Also read: How employers can expand mental health benefits to employees

The report shows that there is a need for leaders to proactively act on workforce initiatives and build capability. They also need to work towards making their work culture more resilient and future ready.

Mukherjee said, “Now is the time for leaders to undergo a mindset change and understand that employees should not be fitted into a single frame or viewed through a homogeneous lens.”

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)