How new tech can solve Britain's productivity puzzle

In a nation grappling with a productivity crisis, the UK government has been relentless in its pursuit of solutions. However, recent corporate mandates like Amazon's return-to-office policy have sparked concerns about their potential impact on employee morale and productivity.

As the UK's productivity growth has lagged behind other developed nations, the consequences have been far-reaching: lower wages, job losses, and reduced economic growth, all of which have placed a strain on individuals and communities alike. And with the country reaching a ‘Victorian-level era of productivity’, solving this particular puzzle is essential. The root of this problem, however, is unlikely to be exclusively a matter of employee effort.

The key to unlocking a business’ productivity potential might lie in an unexpected place: innovative, inclusive office technology that inspires engagement and boosts morale.

In the room where it happens

Despite some return-to-office mandates, the workplace landscape is far from returning to pre-pandemic norms. Hybrid work continues to be a reality for many workers, so businesses need solutions that enable everyone to feel equally involved, whether they're working remotely or in-person. Technology can play a crucial role in achieving this.

With 93% of communication being nonverbal, body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice play a vital role in conveying messages. In-person interactions allow for richer, more nuanced communication, which can be essential for building relationships, encouraging collaboration, and improving overall productivity.

However, with 91% of businesses having hybrid working employees, technology can help bridge the gap by providing tools that create effective virtual communication. Video conferencing solutions that allow all team members to be equally seen and heard can help build a sense of connection and collaboration, even when team members are physically separated.

The AI technology making the difference

Consider your meetings nowadays and the frequency of your hybrid meetings. Remote participants often find themselves disconnected, neglected, and relegated to a small handful of pixels on a screen, along with not being able to clearly see others joining as a group from a crowded meeting space.

AI-powered framing tech solves this by automatically framing everyone in the space individually, bringing them up close so that remote participants can see and understand everything that’s going on. It’s a small change, but one that can massively improve morale and engagement among workers, remove the feeling of disconnect, and ultimately lead to more productive behaviour.

But it’s not just what you see that counts, it’s how you hear as well. Advanced audio technology is essential for creating a focused and productive meeting environment. Background noise is a remote working demon, hindering communication and causing distraction from others. By filtering out unwanted sounds, AI-powered noise cancellation enhances audio quality, improving audience participation, contribution and, of course, productivity.

Additionally, audio technology that eliminates ‘double talk’ issues, allowing people talking at the same time to be clearly heard and understood during lively meetings, is critical to support the productivity of hybrid meetings.

How the future of work will impact productivity levels

Fitting this into the future (and, admittedly, current state) of work can be the real difference between a productive and unproductive team.

Traditional office spaces are often not conducive to a modern workforce, hindering productivity in a hybrid working world. Philip Ross, the author of Unworking: The Reinvention of the Modern Office, believes that we need to rethink the way modern offices are set up to accommodate for a future where everyone can feel included and productive.

He describes the related term unworking as: “To unravel how we work, unbundle assumptions about the modern office, and unlearn the habits and rituals that have traditionally defined behaviour at work.” Unfortunately, many organisations are still stuck in old ways and habits, and don’t have either the space, design or technology to inhabit a future of work where productivity can be maximised.

With the right technology in place, the future of work may seem paradoxical; it is characterised by not only increased use of AI, automation, and technology, but also by better human connection, collaboration, and wellbeing. These are not mutually exclusive. Organisations can fuel productivity by taking advantage of advanced collaboration technology, thus supporting employee engagement and connection.

Building a competitive edge

It is this connection that is sorely missing from too much of the workforce. People need to feel connected in order to do their best work. They like to feel confident in meetings and want authentic ways of communicating with each other. They want to add value; to be seen and heard.

This feeling of connection – boosted by technology that is inclusive of everyone in hybrid and office settings – will inspire a new age of productivity in businesses. And who knows, with the right investment in people through technology, we might be able to solve this productivity puzzle once and for all.

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