[Jjinbit] 'N ga-ui Samusil', Three Values Changing the Workplace [Office Shift] (40)

Recognizing Changes in the Values of Diversity, Flexibility, and Creativity
Why the Same Work Methods No Longer Work

Editor's Note[Jjinbeat] is both 'Hyunjin Jung's Business Trend' and a shortened term for 'the true business trend', serving as a section highlighting the trends in the changing world of work. Within Jjinbeat, the 'Office Shift' corner takes a close look at how offices have changed since the pandemic, laying the foundation for finding new models of work through various experiments we've been part of. You can find us every Saturday or Sunday. After 40 serialized episodes, the series will also be published as a book.

'One-Size-Fits-All.' The image of salaried office workers, all clocking in at 9 a.m. and out at 6 p.m. on weekdays, sitting at fixed desks inside towering buildings. This static idea of the office has been ingrained in our minds for a long time. But the era in which these cookie-cutter work styles prevailed is now over—individuality is elusive in such a uniform system.

Now, some people adjust their working hours flexibly and select their desks through a system upon arriving at the office. Others have started working from home, a cafe, or a nearby shared office rather than a corporate headquarters. Some companies have introduced a four-day or four-and-a-half-day workweek, instead of the five-day workweek that was implemented about 20 years ago. The optimal time and place to boost productivity and efficiency have become more diverse concepts.

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"Work is no longer one-size-fits-all," "The COVID-19 era taught us that remote work doesn’t fit everyone," "We should be cautious about universally applying changes to the meaning of office spaces across all fields." These are observations shared by many experts during interviews, all of whom emphasized the growing diversity in work arrangements. There are countless factors—industry, role, societal attitudes, even new technologies—that are shaping how people work now.

These changes began even before the COVID-19 crisis. IBM in the United States introduced flexible work hours as early as 1980, over 30 years ago. SAMSUNG Electronics began implementing flexible start and end times in 2009. The pandemic simply acted as a catalyst, accelerating changes that were already underway. How we work will keep evolving rapidly going forward.

The breakdown of cookie-cutter work systems is due to changing values in the workplace. To survive, both companies and employees need to understand these values and adapt by finding the best work format. That's why it’s crucial to fully grasp the three main values that are now transforming our workplaces.

‘Diversity’...Adapting Work Models to Suit a Variety of Employees

It’s the era of 'Diversity.' There’s increasing emphasis on respecting differences instead of discriminating against them. Welcoming and enabling employees from a range of backgrounds—race, gender, culture, and more—to fully contribute is seen as a competitive advantage for companies. This is why, according to Fortune, 53% of the Fortune 500 companies reported that they had a Chief Diversity Officer last year.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who has pushed for flexible work structures since before the pandemic, also highlighted this point during February’s "2023 Dialogue with New Executives." He said, "Organizations that embrace diversity see productivity and efficiency rise by around 20–30%. Newly appointed executives should not only forge relationships as company representatives, but also be champions of organizational diversity." He added, "Adopting diversity and discarding old preconceptions to pursue new business opportunities is necessary."

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Prioritizing diversity is now the prevailing trend. According to the "2023 Jobs Report" released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in May, a ManpowerGroup survey found that 7 out of 10 Gen Z respondents said they could not be satisfied at a company without a diverse and equitable work environment. Furthermore, 56% said that they would have trouble accepting a management team that lacked diversity.

With Generation Z—soon to dominate workplaces—demanding an organizational culture that values a mix of backgrounds, diversity has become a business imperative that companies cannot ignore.

As employee backgrounds become more varied, naturally so do their lifestyles and their ways of working. From working mothers and fathers balancing parenthood, to digital nomads roaming the globe without a permanent address, today’s talent comes in many forms. For businesses, rethinking one-size-fits-all work arrangements and instead adapting to diverse modes of working is becoming not just desirable, but expected.

'Flexibility'...The Power Struggle Over Autonomy and Choice

The most talked-about value in work since the COVID-19 pandemic is "Flexibility." Traditional notions of the office were upended, especially for employees who needed to juggle tasks like childcare, and many gained the ability to choose when to work.

Embracing flexible work schedules starts with acknowledging employee diversity. While some may need to care for children or sick relatives, other employees are at their best early in the morning, while some do their most productive work late at night. Certain work is best done solo, while other tasks are more effective in collaboration.

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By respecting these differences and granting workers autonomy and choice, individuals can seek out the times and places that best foster productivity, efficiency, well-being, and work-life balance.

Kyoko Yamamoto, Head of General Affairs at Japanese telecommunications firm NTT—which has widely adopted remote work—said in an April interview, "We believe that employees from diverse backgrounds can work to their fullest, feel growth through their jobs, and increase their life satisfaction, thus realizing well-being." Catherine Powell, Airbnb’s Global Head of Hosting, said in a May interview that Airbnb’s ‘work-from-anywhere’ policy allows the company to attract global talent seeking flexibility and choice.

Both sides agree: When flexibility, autonomy, and choice are honored, both employees and the business experience positive results.

However, in discussions about the future of work, flexibility is expected to remain at the heart of these power struggles. David Sax, author of the book "The Future Is Analog," remarked in a June interview that "when employees began working from home during the COVID-19 era, they gained enormous control over their time and bodies," and are reluctant to give that up. This 'power struggle' between labor and management continues to play out even now.

'Creativity'...Why Rest Matters More Than Long Hours

Nobody would claim that creativity isn’t important. Microsoft stated in a report published in May, "Creativity is the new productivity." The top priority for every business leader is to create an environment that enables their employees to be creative.

It is precisely for the sake of creativity that the four-day workweek, fueled by the pandemic, has attracted the attention of business leaders. As knowledge industries have developed, producing creative ideas is now considered a better route to productivity than simply logging long hours at a desk. That’s why more leaders are embracing the four-day workweek, despite the idea of doing ‘less work.’ One UK company involved in the world’s largest four-day workweek pilot (led by the nonprofit 4 Day Week Global) said, "Creativity requires rest. You can’t always be creative just by sitting at a computer."

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This year, with the global boom in generative AI, the belief that companies and people must secure creativity to remain competitive has grown even stronger. As generative AI technology is integrated into work, repetitive tasks can be handled by machines, freeing up people to focus on more creative and enjoyable responsibilities. As a result, there's growing anticipation that unnecessary work will decrease, paving the way for a four-day workweek.

Can creativity really emerge in a rigid system where everyone works the same way? What working conditions are needed for creative ideas to constantly surface? These are questions businesses and workers worldwide are expected to grapple with going forward.

In 2023—hailed as the first year of endemic transition—our workplaces are still changing. Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Zoom are still in conflict with staff as they order them back to the office. Naver, which has fully adopted remote work; Woowa Brothers, which allows employees to choose their workspace; SAMSUNG Electronics, which has introduced a four-day workweek for some roles; and Hyundai Motor Group, which provides ‘workation’ benefits, show that even Korea’s largest companies are evolving. The question of ‘How should we work?’ may seem resolved with the end of COVID-19, but it is far from over. The world will continue to fiercely debate these issues—diversity, flexibility, and creativity—as foundational values.

Today, I find myself wondering if there might exist ‘N different offices’ where N employees each bring their best and work happily—somewhere out there.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.