But what is behind this term? What challenges and opportunities do companies and HR departments face? Especially when they partially let go of the traditional understanding of work and embrace the “new work” concept.
What is New Work?
New Work is a new understanding of work: instead of seeing work merely as a way of securing their livelihood, employees want to see a purpose in it and have the opportunity to help shape it and develop as individuals. This concept therefore refers to a work culture that takes into account the individual needs, interests and values of employees. This also includes a good work-life balance with flexible working arrangements and working from home in order to achieve a better work-life balance.
The birth of New Work
The term New Work is not as new as you might think. In fact, it was formulated back in the 1980s by the social philosopher Frithjof Bergmann. He understood this to refer to “the work that a person really wants to do”. As early as 1984, in his book “New Work, New Culture”, Bergmann demanded a radical change in the world of work in which, in contrast to wage labor, the focus is on people and their needs.
Challenges for HR departments
This understanding of work largely contradicts the traditional concept of work with a clear hierarchy, control and authority as well as fixed working hours and locations. By offering New Work and giving their employees autonomy, co-determination and flexibility, companies are giving up a small amount of the control they are used to, which may seem daunting at first. But this is not the only challenge that companies and HR departments are confronted with as a result of this kind of work.
Whitepaper: A paperless office with digital documents
A document management system (DMS) enables the electronic management of all types of documents. This makes the DMS the central platform for optimizing all document-based activities and seamless collaboration within the company – paper-free, of course, and ideal for new working models.
Technological requirements and digital infrastructure
The successful implementation of New Work requires a powerful technological infrastructure. Providing tools for hybrid working models is one of the challenges for companies. Employee self-services are an essential option. It is not enough to provide basic communication tools such as email and video calls for daily digital collaboration – companies need to implement platforms and HR software solutions that enable seamless exchange and international collaboration around the clock, regardless of whether employees are working in the office or remotely. Without the right technology, flexibility quickly becomes an obstacle.