The digital world of work in the age of Corona

Corona has led to a paradigm shift in the world of work. Whether it's a large industrial company, a medium-sized business or a solo self-employed person - in recent months, many organizations have gone digital in a rush, businesses have transformed their production and turned the crisis into an opportunity. We spoke to our two experts who are intensively involved with change processes in organizations: Johanna Lison is responsible for organizational development and corporate culture at Bayern Innovativ. Dr. Imme Witzel heads the theme platform Arbeitswelt 4.0.

"New Work" is on everyone's lips, but what is meant by "Work 4.0"?

Dr. Imme Witzel: The term "Arbeitswelt 4.0" borrows from the term "Industry 4.0" , but does not only refer to industrial jobs. In recent years, a great deal has happened here, especially as a result of digitization - forms of work are changing, ever greater volumes of data are being exchanged. The changes in the world of work are in full swing - and tomorrow's world of work will be even more networked, digital and flexible than it is today.

Johanna Lison: I would like to add that, from my point of view, the term "Arbeitswelt 4.0" is synonymous with "New Work". While in Europe these changes in the world of work are subsumed under the term "Arbeitswelt 4.0," outside of Europe we speak of "New Work." This is a collective term for aspects which, starting from the requirements of digitization, have an influence on the topics of corporate culture, leadership and the attitude of employees with regard to the meaning of work and the way in which they work together. Because modern employees increasingly have the desire to shape their work according to their own needs.

Is "New Work" already influencing your personal work?

Johanna Lison: I am allowed to shape and accompany these aspects from within our organization, Bayern Innovativ GmbH. I do this concretely through various formats such as workshops, dialogue rounds or Barcamps to promote a learning culture, a culture of experimentation, which supports to reduce fears and increases the courage to try new things. In this way, I would like to initiate a dialog and enable participatory involvement in the workforce

Dr. Imme Witzel: The impact of my work, on the other hand, is aimed outward. The "Arbeitswelt 4.0" (Working World 4.0) thematic platform was set up within the Zentrum Digitalisierung.Bayern (Center for Digitalization.Bavaria) by the Bavarian Ministry of Labor to shape and promote dialog about the working world of tomorrow. Here, I bring the relevant players to the table - i.e., companies of all sizes, employees, the solo self-employed, platform workers, start-ups , associations, trade unions and other stakeholders.

And what does the term "Arbeitswelt 4.0" mean in concrete terms?

Dr. Imme Witzel: This refers to the "fourth industrial revolution." Here I have to elaborate a little further:
The "first industrial revolution" and thus also the time of the "working world 1.0" occurred with the invention of the steam engine and with the industrialized mining and processing of raw materials. It was also at this time that the organization of employee representation began.
The time of "Arbeitswelt 2.0" began with the introduction of assembly line work, and Henry Ford and the automobile industry can certainly be named as pioneers here. In particular, the increasing use of workers for specific, clearly definable individual steps in production and the introduction of the first automated manufacturing processes were formative.
Often overlooked is the phase of "Working World 3.0," in which electronics, automation, and the mass application of computers have played an important role.
Since about the end of the 20th century, there has been talk of "Working World 4.0," which is heavily influenced by the introduction of the Internet, robotics, and the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence . Machines are supporting and replacing human activities, and rigid workplace regulations are actually dissolving. This phase is ongoing and today we cannot yet foresee where the journey will take us in concrete terms.

Johanna Lison: In brief, then, the following points play an important role:

• digital and automated business models
• time- and location-independent working
• human-machine interaction
• new forms of work and structures
• agile organization and changed leadership styles
• collaboration and engagement with digital responsibility (ethical aspects of digitization)
• lifelong learning

Corona seems to be a catalyst for these changes - many things have become commonplace that were previously the exception rather than the rule. How do you, Imme, perceive the changes in companies?

Dr. Imme Witzel: The digital transformation of the working world is not a new topic, we have been observing it for decades. This influences in particular topics such as individual work organization, the interaction between actors in the work environment and also topics such as human-machine interaction. The changing division of labor between humans and computers is also making them increasingly superior to us in routine activities through AI. At the same time, the need for knowledge work and skills such as creativity and communication skills is increasing - problem-solving skills are becoming more and more important.

I see the current situation as a kind of "burning glass" and driver for digitalization. I have hope that its positive aspects will remain. However, I also see that many companies still have a long way to go - in the past, order books were often so full that the topic of digitization was put on the back burner. Often, there simply wasn't enough time to train employees and change business models. Therefore, it is even more important now to take advantage of this opportunity, especially since the pressure to innovate has also increased.

Unfortunately, I perceive a certain reduction of the topic to the area of home office - in my view, this is too short-sighted, since, for example, employees in production and system-relevant professions can hardly work from home. We are currently seeing that some companies are also sending their employees to home offices on a long-term basis. In my view, home office and face-to-face work should not be played off against each other. Both have their advantages and disadvantages and their justification. For example, a lot of interpersonal contact and communication is lost through pure home office work.

Johanna, you are pushing the issue at Bayern Innovativ. How well were we prepared for working in "lockdown"?

Johanna Lison: Bayern Innovativ has been facing digitalization for many years. We were particularly affected by the lockdown at the beginning, as all presence events had to be canceled from March to summer 2020. Our employees are on the road a lot anyway, so we are fortunately very well equipped in terms of infrastructure, both in terms of software and hardware. This meant that all employees could be sent to the home office without any problems, which the management also decided and communicated quickly - a very important step from my point of view. The lockdown was a catalyst, so to speak.

We all learned a lot quickly during this time. For example, our colleagues were very quick to adopt the Office 365 tool with all its possibilities. In the meantime, we see it as a matter of course to communicate via "Teams and Co.". So in terms of learning and knowledge culture, it's been wonderful.

The home office arrangements were also adjusted quickly. During the lockdown, 90% of our colleagues were in the home office except for a core team. However, it was also possible to work on site voluntarily, subject to compliance with distance and hygiene regulations. The way of working was naturally a bit bumpy at the beginning; we were all "run over" by the new situation. Our managers had to quickly learn to keep in touch with their teams digitally and were also given a lot of freedom in this regard.

Naturally, everyone used video conferencing tools and either held 15-minute dailies or digitized the weekly jour fixes. People met for digital lunches or coffee to keep in touch. A team from innovation management collected their experiences and shared them as hacks ( read the free whitepaper here ). We have also offered company-wide formats to reduce "social distancing" to improve health in the workplace and also in the home office. We introduced Digital Coffee Brakes, management recorded video messages, we digitized our "WissensHUNGER" format, but also offerings like yoga and meditation are now available digitally from home.

And we set up a great online seminar series "Digitales Arbeiten in Zeiten von Corona" for our external customers and offered it to our employees as a learning format within HR development. Particularly challenging was the integration of new colleagues, whom we had to get to know online and could not meet in person.

Imme, how does the Work World 4.0 theme platform support companies and their employees?

Dr. Imme Witzel: The online seminar series is a very nice example of our own digital development in the theme platform. We have previously published small video clips on our website. Just in time for Lockdown, we put on an entire online seminar series because we saw acute need. At the beginning, it was primarily about the topic of home office, then we expanded the topics to include basic aspects of digital working, i.e. "how do I moderate a video conference", "how do I ensure ergonomics in the home office", and now it's also about topics such as "what actually is a digital mindset", "how do I implement agility in the company" and much more.

I think it's particularly good that we have reached a wide range of stakeholders with our online seminars. We had participants from companies, but also from the administration, from ministries, associations, many now even beyond Bavaria. The online seminars are free of charge and have a length of about 45 minutes, so they are "doable" for everyone. Overall, the response has been very positive.

For me, the online seminar series is a fine example of our theme platform activities, which aim to raise awareness of these issues and support stakeholders. Not only in terms of the technical aspects, but also in terms of "socio-technical topics," i.e., things like lifelong learning, continuing education, flexibilization, new corporate structures, digitization strategies, and also ethical issues.

The activities of the topic platform also deal with issues of AI and data protection, with the topic of the "transparent employee" and issues of involvement, for example, of the works council - these are typical issues that we deal with in the context of corporate digital responsibility. In the past, we did this in particular through face-to-face events, but now we offer a broad spectrum with online events, videos on New Work topics, publications, etc.

I can imagine that the situation is very challenging for many who have not worked in a home office before, or hardly at all. How do you perceive it, Johanna?

Johanna Lison: It's a real exceptional situation - it's actually not a "real home office", but working from home in crisis mode. Many parents have to balance childcare, homeschooling, etc. with their jobs. The isolation of single people and the frequent existential fears of job loss and short-time work are a burden that not everyone can immediately resiliently handle . At the same time, Remote Work can be overwhelming with all the virtual conferencing. You acquire tunnel vision of the monitor and miss the nonverbal communication, resonance and presence of others. Concentration increases, the personal is missing - in the long run this is exhausting. The demarcation between private and professional life is also difficult, here everyone must pay attention to themselves.

And what can you do in this situation?

Johanna Lison: I can gladly report what colleagues from our Innovation Management team have gathered: It is helpful in virtual conferences to use gestures and facial expressions, and not just to show a "poker face" to bring in a personal touch. Alternating the use of traditional channels - such as telephoning - can also be useful, thereby eliminating the rigid focus on the monitor.

Equally important is a clear regulation on work organization and a clear distribution of roles in virtual conferences, i.e. moderation, taking minutes, etc. - visualization using whiteboards or PowerPoint presentations is also useful.I recommend cultivating small rituals at home to clarify the distinction between work and private life. Personally, I change my clothes when I enter and leave the "workplace" and create clear caesuras by taking regular walks. And I maintain the "positive shower" ritual - reflecting on the benefits and gains of the new situation. All of this can help a lot with coping.

Imme, what skills do you think are the most important for employees to deal with the new situation?

Dr. Imme Witzel: The Corona crisis places high demands on how we deal with and communicate with each other; you need certain rules and prerequisites. Many things that were important in the "old world", i.e. the working world before Corona and before the digital working world as a whole, are now no longer opportune at all. In the home office, the importance of working in a self-empowered and networked manner is evident. The so-called "social hard skills" in dealing between man and machine, process competencies and the ability to work out solutions and new ideas are also important, especially in the economic crisis.

In general, it is good if employees bring a so-called "entrepreneurial mindset" with them, i.e. have ideas, and know and focus on their markets and customer needs. Aspects of leadership are also particularly important at present - trust is an important keyword here. Unfortunately, there have been some particularly bad negative examples, such as the installation of spycams or mass dismissals via video conferencing. This raises the question for an organization of what image of humanity it actually represents - do I trust my employees, or do I rely on control? Dealing with feedback is also important - when working at a distance, this is an important question in order to be able to work well together.


The interview was conducted by Dr. Kord Pannkoke, Head of Business Development at Bayern Innovativ GmbH.

Listen to the full interview as a podcast: