Modernized offices will enhance employee efficiency and productivity.

It’s not easy to predict how the workplace will change in the future. However, I know that technology, globalization, and outsourcing will continue to shift the landscape. I often wonder, for instance, if technology in the long run is advantageous or a detriment to society. Every time you blink an eye, there’s a software upgrade on your laptop, a new app to download on your BlackBerry, or a product like the iPad you’re compelled to purchase. For me, 24/7 availability can be overwhelming, but we must embrace tech to stay ahead of the curve.

One way to do that is to use social media effectively. Over the next decade, companies will shift recruitment away from print ads and online job boards, according to a 2008 report from outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. Communicate your brand on social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Actively manage your profile, keeping it professional, and provide regular updates while establishing boundaries and joining relevant groups to expand your network.

Moreover, workers will be forced to think like entrepreneurs, according to FutureWork Institute, a consulting firm that evaluates workplace trends. The new standard will require innovative approaches, continuous skills development, and a global orientation. Against this backdrop, here are a few predictions to help you advance in the workplace of tomorrow.

Flexibility will be critical. More professionals will work from remote locations—such as home; temporary, satellite, or shared office space; or even another country—through teleconferencing. At the office, you’ll no longer be in an isolated cubicle. You will be part of communal, bull pen-like spaces designed to improve employee interaction and collaboration. Professionals will tote laptops, tablets, and/or other devices from space to space to maximize productivity and efficiency.

That flexibility extends to the type of worker as well. According to the Challenger report, free agents—temporary and contract workers, freelancers, and consultants—have become the nation’s fastest-growing worker segment. They are expected to make up more than a third of the workforce in just a few years, as companies seek the best talent for specific assignments and professionals take greater control of their careers. The report suggests mutual benefits from the arrangement: significant cost savings for companies and greater flexibility and marketability for workers.
With all that competition, you’ll need a broader skill set to distinguish yourself. As opportunities continue to expand in emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC), professionals must develop a wider range of skills. Fluency in foreign languages such as Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, or Portuguese will be a plus. Also, gain expertise in negotiation, crisis management assessment, or another mission-critical discipline.

There’s no doubt that our work environments will evolve. Effectively responding to these changing trends will enable you to build a career for a lifetime.

Annya M. Lott is the Careers Editor at Black Enterprise.

It’s a question that many small to midsized companies are asking themselves as they find ways to outsource more work to third parties. “Whether it’s your own company’s data, or that of a client or business partner, IT security should always be a top concern,” says Jim Farnsworth, founder and senior partner at Denver-based consulting and project management firm Virtualwirks. “It’s particularly important in the virtual work environment, where it can be more difficult to monitor and track activities.”

The good news is that the remote workers themselves also care about security threats. According to a recent survey from mobility vendor Fiberlink, 70% of remote workers would rather get their tasks done on a secure network connection, even if it meant their assignment or work would be late.

On the flip side, one in four of them have either altered security settings or purposefully delayed security updates, while about 50% have downloaded personal pictures and videos (43%) or software for their own use (31%) on their company-issued laptops.

To keep your remote employees on the right track, the best approach involves a combination of employee education and technology tools such as firewalls with passwords that are changed regularly, anti-malware and defenseware, upgrades and patches, home network security and data backup systems.

“Start with your people first, instead of just looking for a quick technology fix,” advises Farnsworth, who tells firms to present all rules and regulations governing IT use before hiring the home-based workers. If you don’t want your employees’ children using company-supplied equipment, be sure to state it in your IT policy manual.

“Screen everyone thoroughly, train them on the proper use of and policies governing technology usage at your firm,” says Farnsworth, “and utilize performance management techniques to control how everyone is accessing and using your company’s data.”

On the technology side, all laptops that are being used from “outside” the corporate firewall and network should be outfitted with antivirus software (from a vendor like Symantec or McAfee) that’s update regularly and properly configured. This software will filter both incoming and outgoing data and “block” messages and information as instructed.

Companies with multiple home-based employees should also consider setting up a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which creates a secure conduit through which data can travel back and forth from the corporate network to the user.

Data encryption (to keep unauthorized users from seeing sensitive files) is also important, as is vigilance over the equipment itself (the locking out of unauthorized laptop users or thieves via a password-protected system, for example). Home-based computers should be equipped with malware, spyware and intrusion detectors, auto-update settings should be enabled to ensure that virus definitions and patches are current (and stay that way), and employees should be backing up their data every night to a secure location.

Ignore these steps, says Farnsworth, and you open up your network to threats like computer viruses, phishing attacks and hackers, all of which are waiting to pounce on unsecured IT systems. You could also risk isolating clients and business partners that share data with your firm. “The concept of securing home-based workers is both doable and controllable, but it requires a different model, and an approach that encompasses both the employee and the network itself,” ” says Farnsworth.

Home-Based Computer Tips

–Screen all remote workers carefully
–Train workers on company security policies and rules
–Use tools like antivirus software and VPNs to protect your network
–Don’t be afraid to put policies in place to protect your company

Web Resources

10 Tips for Home-Based Employee Security

Understanding Remote Worker Security

An internal IT team can be useful for companies that are operating in low-tech industries but require in-house technology expertise to run their day-to-day operations. Without a computer guru standing nearby and ready to drop his or her regular workload to solve an annoying computer glitch, those companies are forced to outsource even the most minor IT projects to outside firms.

“When a company gets to a certain growth level and is looking to continue on that path, it really needs to assess whether it needs an IT department, and what it would look like,” says Andy Steinem, CEO at Reston, Virginia-based Dahl-Morrow International, an executive IT and communications search firm.

Other good indicators include the cost of outsourcing IT projects. If, for example, your firm shelled out $250,000 last year for such services, consider the fact that a full-time IT professional could have handled that and more for a salary of $100,000 or less.

Also consider the time it takes to get the job done, Steinem says. Where an outside vendor would typically schedule the work for a future date, an in-house professional may be able to tackle it the same day. That may mean less downtime for the IT systems in question.

Companies that are considering the move from outsourcing to establishing an in-house IT team should start with one person who can serve as chief technology officer (CTO) or director of IT. Identify someone inside the company who is already helping to “put out fires” for other workers who need help using new software programs, troubleshooting printer issues, or connecting to the company’s intranet.

“Look at your current staff and find someone who has a sound technology base, and who can multi-task effectively,” suggests Mark Jackson, director of sales at Sindel, an IT consultancy in Tempe, Arizona. Other skill sets for building an IT team include the ability to learn quickly, solve problems (from the mundane to the very complex,) and deal well with others.

“It’s no longer about finding a tech guru to stick in the back room to play with the computers,” Jackson says. “These folks will have to deal with employees, managers and clients in an effective manner.” For companies who lack such individuals on staff, Jackson says the best approach is to find someone (via an online search, the local newspaper, or by networking with other firms in your area) who has the technology expertise, and then train him or her on the fine points of your business operations and customer service strategies.

Business complexity also plays a role in what type of employees round out the IT team. An online retail operation with data centers, an inventory management system, and billing systems, for example, would likely require a larger, more experienced team than a midsized manufacturer of hard goods that serves a small geographic location. Also consider whether your internal technology systems and equipment are generic or proprietary, requiring specialized training of employees for maintenance and troubleshooting.

“It’s always nice to find someone who already knows your industry, but that’s not always possible,” Steinem says. “At minimum, find someone who has the technical knowledge, and who is willing and able to learn your business, its systems and goals.”