At a time when governments were grappling with a global health crisis, businesses were struggling to make a digital shift to work from home as organizations around the world shut down their offices. This abrupt change in business operations enabled employees to be more hands on with technology than they ever had been. Within a matter of a few months, teams who were previously restricted to their offices had grown accustomed to working from home, zoom meetings and a productivity schedule to optimize work hours.
While most office goers lauded the benefits of remote work, many employers had concerns about data safety and the risks of remote hiring. Yet we see many major companies like Facebook and Twitter announcing policies for employees to work from home full time, and still others planning on shifting to flexible workspaces.
Studies show that 30% of workers intend to look for jobs that offer greater flexibility in the event that their company forces them to revert to pre-pandemic working conditions. Another stated that a majority of employees would rather take a pay cut than work from office. These findings clearly indicate that people are willing to adapt to remote work by choice and want to create new experiences revolving around it.
So what does it say about the future of work Post Covid 19? Does this mean that workers will move to exotic destinations without risking job security?
The answer is Yes and No. On one end of the spectrum, there will be various emerging companies working fully remotely, making it possible for a small chunk of the workforce to finish their projects from their dream locations. The other end will include a large portion of companies taking on a hybrid format as the pandemic subsides.
Many companies are planning on doling out a hybrid model where they call the employees for meetings and brainstorming and allocate remote work for days when work has to be performed individually. Even though there is no set standard to measure the exact split between home and office, the research from Gallup recommends that the right mix entails spending 60 -70% remote.
In order to function seamlessly and create business continuity, it is critical that organizations provide user friendly systems that facilitate productivity and collaboration. Proper IT and HR infrastructure is vital to enable a more efficient mode of working. Any cyber security lapses should be countered and the virtual perimeter be secured. Human resources department should make use of management tools to keep a check on the work rate of the employees and maximize their potential.
In conclusion, the future for work Post Covid 19 holds ubiquitous, agile environments working across disciplines and locations. This new era of workplaces will be powered by technology, a result oriented approach to work and will unquestionably have remote work as an integral part.