A look at our action areas – Future of Work

The world of work is changing rapidly, and the pace of that change continues to increase. Every industry is affected. Chatbots support customer service, video conferencing replaces travel, and artificial intelligence helps analyze data. Naturally, this also changes the skills employees need. The half-life of knowledge is steadily decreasing, while adaptability and a willingness to learn are becoming core competencies.

At the same time, expectations of employers are changing - in terms of personal freedom, flexibility, and greater independence from a specific location. This is creating a new balance between trust and responsibility. Meticulous monitoring and rigid on-site schedules will increasingly become a thing of the past. Skilled, committed employees who think and act entrepreneurially are taking more responsibility for their work than before - and for themselves as well.

Digital responsibility at Deutsche Telekom therefore means considering the future of work as part of its dynamic process of change, while ensuring that people remain at the center of every decision - even as things evolve. 

The future of work at Telekom

As we move toward becoming a Leading Digital Telco, the way we work together is changing. We call this New Work at Telekom. It is about much more than working from home or in an office. It is about what defines our work, whether it is meaningful and benefits society, and how it helps us succeed together as a company.

We set out toward a new world of work - one that is more flexible, smarter, and more individual - over a decade ago. It is less about structures than about mindsets, relationships - with one another and with our customers - and a new understanding of leadership. These issues are also central to our corporate culture, which we continue to shape together as our Living Culture. It supports a transformation process that calls on employees to embrace change and develop new skills. We meet this challenge through comprehensive Skill Management and tailored professional development opportunities.

Today, and in light of the pandemic, five guiding principles provide the framework for how we work together. Employees can - and should - help shape how these principles take concrete form within their teams. This brings together the best of the physical and virtual worlds, and of the analog and digital worlds. Together with the Group Works Council, we developed a manifesto on the new Way of Working. It provides the foundation for working together with trust and respect.

Our Digital@Work program helps employees collaborate more easily - with the right tools and technologies. Human-machine interaction is also becoming increasingly important: chatbots support customer service, video conferencing reduces the need to travel, and artificial intelligence helps analyze data. We naturally make sure employees are not left on their own during this change process - or any other. Another example of digital responsibility in practice at Telekom. 

The future of work for our customers

Digitalization is moving quickly across every industry, and many companies are rethinking their internal processes. They are introducing mobile work, offering greater flexibility in when and where people work, or creating hybrid work environments and models.

As a partner and guide on the path to digitalization, our expertise is also in demand when it comes to the future of work. This includes the technological infrastructure - our core business. But our own experience with changing work environments also matters.

When much of the workforce works from home, organizations need a different space concept, different office equipment, and properties that meet their respective needs. Here, too, we invite our partners to benefit from our expertise.

We see employee acceptance of new technologies as an essential success factor. In line with our understanding of Digital Responsibility, we recommend that our partners consider this when designing and implementing New Work strategies.