Hybrid Work and AI Mean Reshaping Marketing & Communications Talent Strategies

Successful hybrid work requires clear communication and trust that enables high performance

Three years into the widespread adoption of hybrid and remote work, companies and teams are seeking innovative solutions to obtain the right balance between in-office and remote work, while supporting their teams’ ability to collaborate and generate ideas efficiently.

Specify clear work responsibilities, and set expectations for communications and availability. Clear communication and guidelines about business goals, productivity, and core hours can address some of the challenges around employee performance and accountability in a remote work environment. But communications must go both ways: remote workers also need to keep their team updated. Trust and reliability are key, and leaders should offer flexibility when specific tasks can be done just as well in a remote work environment. “When is good enough good enough?”

Be deliberate about fostering relationships and providing opportunities, especially with remote workers. Interactions in a remote setting can be limited to scheduled meetings, which limits impromptu in-person conversations that can be invaluable to collaboration, mentoring, and building company culture. Creativity is enhanced by psychological safety and efforts to engage those who may not be able or comfortable contributing in typical ways. For instance, for a brainstorming session, those who contribute better with advance preparation may find it beneficial to be sent information ahead of time and be asked for feedback later.

Personality quizzes and profiles are a popular tool for understanding employees quickly. They can be great tools for getting to know what motivates individuals and how co-workers can effectively communicate with each other. It is important to not put a label on someone with these tests—they should only be used to help team members get a better understanding of individual styles and facilitate more effective collaboration. Such tests include the Color Code Test, Bane and Company Worker Archetype, Insights Discovery, and DISC.

Companies are experimenting with how AI can be adopted to accelerate and enhance work

With the recent advancements in AI capabilities, companies are exploring where and how to leverage AI tools, testing use cases to figure out which may be worth investing in, as well as creating frameworks to mitigate associated risks.

Marketing and communications teams are figuring out how to integrate AI into their daily work. Some leaders are encouraging employees to play with AI’s capabilities and asking for their input on potential use cases that may be worth investing in. By experimenting with AI in playful ways, employees can also discover professional opportunities for leveraging AI for creative work.

Let AI do the legwork so humans can do the artwork. Using AI to help cut down on time-consuming or trivial tasks such as managing calendars, coordinating travel arrangements, and note-taking can free up time for collaboration and creativity. In other words, it can enable human talent. For example, AI can pull customer data and perform analyses, allowing marketers to focus on drawing insights and exploring the implications.

Guardrails and governing principles for AI usage are more important than ever. A core strategy for decreasing the risks associated with AI is to always have a human at the helm. Copywriting issues are a big concern for generative AI, and content creators need to use generative AI only to ideate faster and create their finished product. AI should not be a replacement for humans, but simply enhance their abilities.

Talent strategies should be adapted to cater to changing marketing and communications roles

As hybrid work and the integration of AI become the norm, the skillsets needed for specific roles is changing and companies will have to rethink their talent strategy.

Remote and hybrid work can be a great opportunity for reaching younger generations. Gen Z and younger millennials are entering the workforce already accustomed to collaborative technology and might not place the same emphasis on in-person time as their senior colleagues. Understanding and adapting the shifting sentiments and preferences of younger generations regarding in-person work and collaborative technology can help companies market themselves to the evolving workforce.

The automation of simpler tasks could pose a challenge for developing talent, as these tasks are important, especially for junior talent that needs to acquire essential skills and gradually learn the intricacies of the role and the business. Roles currently supported by AI tend to center around more stimulating and innovative responsibilities with fewer tedious or routine tasks, which can make these positions more appealing to talent. Companies can also focus on reaching the right talent through the lens of being purpose driven, with opportunities for sustainable career growth.

Marketers’ and communicators’ skills need to evolve with AI to better serve the business. Business savviness, customer understanding, strategic thinking, judgment, critical thinking, planning, and storytelling will be important core competencies for leveraging AI effectively. It is important to provide training to employees for such skills. Investment should be made in upskilling employees to help them leverage these tools and the company’s talent strategy should be updated to keep up with these changes.