The global pandemic accelerated the trend toward a work-from-anywhere, distributed workforce. As we approach a post-pandemic world, companies—and employees—expect this trend to become the norm. While IT departments are rapidly configuring and deploying devices, infrastructure, and software to support the shift in a secure and productive way, employees are likewise having to reset priorities and learn new ways to engage with their coworkers and managers, and to navigate their career goals. This shift requires not only changes in technology and IT approaches, but also culture changes for companies and employees alike.

Jenn Saavedra, Dell Technologies' chief human resources officer, distills the required cultural shift through the lens of Dell’s mission to be people centered. “Our people philosophy,” explains Saavedra, “is ultimately about how to inspire people to be their best and do their best work.” To achieve this goal, Dell focuses on four core areas: (A) achievement, (B) balance, (C) connection, and (D) diversity and inclusion. “We want to enable people to achieve their career goals, to be successful, and continue to grow,     learn, and perform,” she says.

None of this was easy—companies across the globe struggled to mitigate the technological and cultural changes required to meet a work-from-anywhere business environment. “Like every other IT organization, we really rallied and made that happen,” says Jen Felch, chief digital officer and chief information officer at Dell Technologies. “You need to keep up so that you are ready for anything, she says. “Companies that were prepared with remote access, with having modern equipment, etc., were more prepared for the rapid work from home.”

Looking to the future, Saavedra says companies need to continue to work with—and for—employees. “Because of the degree to which people’s lives and routines were disrupted over the past 18 months, we’ve challenged and redefined the long-held assumptions about the world of work, where we work, how we spend our time.”

It’s important, Saavedra says, to get past the common mantra that we can’t wait for things to go back to normal and to get back to doing things the way we were. “It's really important that we move forward into the future, not look backwards— that's not ever a strategy for success.”

Show notes and references

·      Study: The Data Paradox

·      Study: “Work from anywhere: Empowering the future of work” 

·      Perspectives on workforce and culture trends

·      Dell Digital - Learn more about Dell Technologies’ own digital transformation