Tech is transforming work. We just need to learn how to switch off

Karl McDermott, head of ICT and 3IOT at Three Ireland, reckons that 20 years in tech is the equivalent of 200 years in other areas. He cites recent advancements in video technologies as being among those that have had most impact, initially enabling services such as Zoom and Teams but now being used for the generation of new virtual and augmented-reality applications for both play – that is, gaming – and industry – for example, in remote field diagnostics.

“Other key advancements include unified communications, allowing people to work collaboratively from wherever they are and with a wide range of devices,” says McDermott. “The pandemic accelerated the adoption of these technologies. We now cannot imagine a world without the ability to host a video meeting where we collaborate on a document in real time from any device and any location.”

Mark Greville, vice-president of architecture at Workhuman, agrees: now everything, he says, is connected.

“Many years ago, I worked in live sports broadcasting in the UK and we did a broadcast of a live boxing event and at the time, people thought we were crazy. But fast forward to today and if my friends can’t get hold of a video of a goal scored in the premiership within seconds, they go crazy,” says Greville. “Connectivity is the backbone of this change, with everything available immediately, 24/7.”

It’s chocs away, with a magical escape from the ordinary on the westernmost side of Dingle’s Slea Head

---

The Irish-owned vehicle leasing company beating global giants

---

Why recognition of prior learning works for business

---

In an era of hybrid working, how do businesses unify communications securely?

---

However, there are downsides to this always-on connectivity, as Greville points out.

“With no off button, people receive electronic messages on their phones last thing at night and first thing in the morning. This needs to be managed by the culture of the organisation so that people can switch off,” he says.

There is no doubt that the invention of smartphones has fundamentally affected people’s lives, with powerful communication and information technology delivered directly in hand-held devices. In the past 10 years smartphones have become faster, more powerful and more capable. Smartphone cameras have become incredibly robust, with dual and triple-lens cameras being standard. Processor speeds have increased exponentially. The new 5G networks allow these devices to be fully functional work tools.

McDermott points to the advent of wireless technologies as being important for remote working too. 5G Wireless low-power networks, 5G/6G cellular, wifi 6 and 7, low-Earth-orbit satellites, and other technologies support a host of digital solutions that can drive growth and productivity across industries today and tomorrow.

“For example, the newly released 5G networking enables immersive-reality technologies that use sensing technologies and spatial computing to help users ‘see the world differently’ through mixed or augmented reality, or ‘see a different world’ through virtual reality,” he says.

McDermott also points to the impact of the internet of things (IOT) on the workplace.

“Using lower-cost, low-power devices and advanced wireless technologies, the whole world is becoming connected,” he says. “For example, IOT has brought large changes to manufacturing, speeding up processes and predicting machinery failures. This means that factories can fix issues before they ever happen, while smart meters being rolled out in the millions will enable us to all become more energy efficient.

“In many jobs – although not all – we now have the ability to work from wherever we happen to be on whatever device we happen to have. We can also collaborate on a project or document in real time, leading to higher performance. In that way our working life is easier. However, the risk is that you never turn off.”

Greville agrees that remote working has many benefits but he also cautions that the technology that helps people can also isolate them. Organisations thrive, he says, when they cultivate grateful, human-centric cultures that meet employees’ core needs of recognition, connection and celebration.

A recent study Workhuman co-authored with Gallup found that workers are 68 per cent less likely to feel burned out at work when they feel connected to their culture and employees who receive great recognition are 20 times as likely to be engaged as employees who receive poor recognition.

“These modern devices are hugely powerful but it is important to remember that workers who feel more connected to their culture are 55 per cent less likely to be looking for a new job,” says Greville.