In conversation with #dtecosystem Thought Leader Jayakumar Mohanachandran : Group CIO – Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, Dubai, UAE

 In conversation with #dtecosystem Thought Leader Jayakumar Mohanachandran : Group CIO – Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, Dubai, UAE

The Digital Talent Ecosystem Dialogue is all set to welcome you back for the second edition in Dubai on the 2nd & 3rd Feb’2023. We had the opportunity to interview Mr. Jayakumar Mohanachandran and understand his thoughts about the “future of work & workplace” in this new digital era. Enjoy excerpts from the interview:

  1. How is technology revolutionizing “Future of Work” and what are your views on how tech leaders are preparing and leading their workforce for digital acceleration and future disruptions?

The pandemic and other worldwide shifts over the past few years have posed fundamentally new challenges to our established work practices. For instance, when the pandemic struck, businesses were forced to accept remote labour extremely immediately, digitalizing corporate operations at the rate of necessity to support a dispersed workforce. The workforce also spread out, with many companies allowing workers to choose their own working arrangement, whether it be entirely remote, entirely on-site, or a hybrid model that alternates between the two. People who can adapt to ongoing reshaping and reskilling in a changing economic environment will be needed for all of this. Companies are starting to move away from the conventional skill-based hiring model in favour of creating multidisciplinary, multi-talented teams with a balanced mix of technical and soft abilities.

  1. The role of tech leaders has evolved in this dynamic post-pandemic era. What are the new approaches to strategic decision-making when it comes to bridging the digital talent gap, digital workplace, and digital experience?

Digital skills are now a necessary ability for the modern workforce due to the rapid and widespread digitization that has altered the nature of employment. Soft skills are becoming more and more appreciated by firms and are also necessary to help people adjust to changing work situations. The use of developing technologies and digitalization are accelerating the demand for digital skills. Workers must quickly modify their skill sets to keep up with technological advancements since they need a variety of new skills to succeed in the modern workplace. To connect talent with business skill demand in the future, executives will need to employ a common skills framework along with initiatives and programs that can support digital inclusion, upskilling and reskilling initiatives that can play a critical role in developing resilient workforces.

  1. Tech leaders are now actively reviewing and exploring new digital business models and ecosystem partnerships. What are your views on how tech leaders can ensure they are effectively leveraging technology for organizational advancement and competitive advantage?

Well-Conceived Plan – It is crucial to create a business strategy that details the business drivers and challenges, the process problems, and the current IT setup to successfully integrate new technology. This will assist you in comprehending what needs to be done and put into practice in order to accomplish targeted business goals.

The Right tools – Almost half of firms claim that using the cloud has increased their agility, allowing them to respond more rapidly to shifting business requirements. Cloud delivers mobility and scalability to help you anticipate, manage, and react swiftly to the dynamic market needs, whether you’re extending the infrastructure that runs your company applications or introducing new devices and apps that help your people work more productively.

Embrace Change – You’re probably going to view change and new technology with a healthy dose of scepticism. Depending on the project, it may take many months of preparation to create an effective and forward-looking IT strategy that aligns with your company’s overall strategy. Nevertheless, it’s critical to accept the speed of that change. Keep in mind that if you resist, your company can fall behind the competition.

  1. When it comes to aligning customer experience and employee experience, why do you need a total experience strategy to drive CX and EX to transform business models?

Delivering a pleasant client experience depends on the employee experience. How well people are empowered to accomplish their jobs and respond to customer needs while also feeling fulfilled by their jobs directly impacts how well customers experience is delivered. Organizations stand a much better chance of achieving the desired business outcomes by thinking about and enabling experiences holistically, whether those outcomes are boosting customer satisfaction, fostering a positive and productive work environment, enhancing product and service quality, or boosting brand loyalty. The focus on entire experience management from both a customer and employee standpoint are relatively new, amplified these past couple of years by market upheavals and employment trends prompted by the pandemic. While improving customer experience has been in the works at organizations for some time, it’s commonly known that consumers want more simplified and personalized digital connections, similar to those they have with Netflix and Amazon, for anything from everyday retail and hospitality contacts to interactions with healthcare and other service providers.

  1. What are you most looking forward to at Digital Talent Ecosystem Dialogue 2023?

Looking forward to meeting peer leaders and learn from each other. Interesting times ahead for all of us.