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HR Chat Room

The HR Chat Room provides our listeners with our thoughts on a range of people management topics. The podcast is designed to be informal and easy to listen to and we hope that our listeners will go away with some useful tips and "food for thought" in relation to people management. The podcast is brought to you by Jen Brown of J7 Evolve and Alison Bell of Bell HR. In each episode we aim to bring you practical and helpful information for people managers, business owners and people who are managed! We hope that you find these podcasts interesting in the context of your work.We would encourage you to connect with us via Linked-in and if you have feedback on our podcasts or if you would like us to cover any specific topics in the future please let us know.

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HR Chat Room

Workplace evolution: How technology has changed the way we humans work

July 12, 2024 • Alison Bell & Jen Brown • Season 2 • Episode 5

Alison and Jen discuss the dramatic changes in the workplace brought about by technological advancements over the years. They reflect on how technology has transformed daily tasks, communication, and job structures, and ponder the impact on human interaction and work-life balance.

Alison and Jen provide a nostalgic yet insightful look at how far the workplace has come, the pros and cons of these changes, and what it means for the future of work.

Key Points:
1. Technological Advancements:
Past vs. Present Tools: Transition from maps to sat navs, and paper memos to emails.
Introduction of Apps and Meeting Platforms: Regular use of apps, Teams, Zoom, and LinkedIn.
Artificial Intelligence: Integration of AI in various work processes.

2. Work Environment Evolution:
Early Workplaces: Desks with phones and papers, limited computer use.
Paper-Based Tasks: Filing, photocopying, and handling internal mail were routine tasks.

3. Job Design Transformation:
Manual to Automated Tasks: Physical tasks like opening mail and filing are now automated.
Time and Motion Studies: Measuring efficiency and setting productivity standards.

4. Impact of Technology on Communication:
Speed and Efficiency: Faster communication through emails and messaging.
Loss of Personal Interaction: Reduced face-to-face conversations and relationship-building.

5. Pandemic Reflections:
Remote Work Capability: Technology enabled work from home, maintaining productivity.
Increased Workload: Expectations for higher productivity due to technological efficiencies.

6. Changing Job Market:
New Professions: Emergence of roles like influencers and YouTubers.
Entrepreneurship: Easier and cheaper to start businesses with digital marketing and online presence.

7. Challenges with Modern Technology:
Work-Life Balance: The blur between work and personal time due to constant connectivity.
Right to Disconnect: Discussion on legislation to protect employees' personal time.

Link to Harvard Business Review (HBR) article:
4 Forces That Are Fundamentally Changing How We Work (hbr.org)

Future Topics:
Artificial Intelligence: The next episode will delve into the impact of AI on job design

Contact Information:

Alison Bell of Bell HR: https://www.bellhrconsulting.co.uk or on linked in https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-bell-a726a824/

Jen Brown: J7 Evolve Limited, Home - J7 Evolve and connect on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/j7evolve.