From software to work locations, employees are increasingly choosing their own tools to complete work. Sean Nolan, CEO at Blink discusses why companies need to prepare, as personalization becomes a larger trend in the workplace

When you think about the future of the employee experienceOpens a new window , what do you envision? Perhaps you imagine an AR workspace that allows you to “meet” with colleagues from anywhere in the world. Maybe you think of an AI assistant that takes care of mundane tasks for you. Or maybe you imagine software that knows what you want to do next, before you​      ​ even do.

There’s no doubt that all of these things are possible and will enter the workplace within the next decade. But one aspect of the workplace of the future is already taking place: personalization.

Personalization in the workplace

We see personalization in the workplace as more employees choose to bring their own devices and software to work. We also see personalization as more people demand the ability to work remotely, which allows them to get their heads down on a project by working from a distraction-free location. 

However, I envision personalization to become more than just an afterthought. I see it becoming the new norm in the workplace. There is no “one size fits all” approach when it comes to workplace productivity, and allowing employees to choose the software, processes, and devices that work for their unique needs is crucial in fostering a high-performing culture.

How exactly will personalization take hold of the future of the employee experience? I predict that it will manifest in how companies change the way they buy and choose software. We like to call this BYOS, or “bring your own software.” Let’s break down what this prediction means, and examine its implications for the future.

BYOS, intelligent software, and a new cohesive ecosystem

Employees are already demanding the liberty to choose which enterprise apps work best for them. We’ve grown accustomed to choosing apps that fulfill the needs of our personal lives—why should it be any different for our work lives? Employers are realising that their best workers are demanding this choice, and that the gains in productivity will benefit everyone.

Secondly, we’ll see software itself trend towards intelligently personalized experiences. Picture a centralized application that uses augmented intelligence to serve you a personalized feed tailored to your specific needs. You’ll only see useful company updates, relevant messages from your colleagues, and pertinent information from the apps you’ve chosen to use for work. 

Lastly, we’ll see personalization as it relates to the software ecosystem as a whole. **As employees become increasingly able to pick and choose the applications they use for work, software companies need to ensure that their applications play nice with others.**

Say goodbye to opening up four different apps to find that file a colleague sent you. **The future of work requires an open system where software can easily integrate, communicate, and work with each other.** Information will be able to flow across applications seamlessly, eliminating strict software silos and creating a more cohesive work experience overall. 

The implications of personalization

So what are the implications of personalization taking a foothold on the future of the employee experience? As software becomes more open and customizable, there are two big issues that the industry must solve: security and compliance. 

When employees have the liberty to choose their own software, how do you keep things secure? How do you monitor whether employees are being compliant with non-disclosure agreements? How do you keep data safe? These advances in technology pose a new set of challenges, and we don’t yet have the answers to these questions.

While this new set of compliance issues may seem overwhelming, the benefits of BYOS greatly outweigh the risks. Imagine a future where employees can choose the software, devices, and applications that work best for their unique workflow. Imagine a future where each of those apps integrate and communicate with each other seamlessly—and where you can open up a single piece of software and see exactly what you need.

I’m very excited to say that this future is almost here. Personalization is going to open up doors for new levels of engagement in the employee experience—and companies invested in building a better employee experience will be the winners.