As a result of a two-year pandemic, many businesses have had to transition to hybrid working. The use of communication tech has somewhat allowed organisations and employees to conduct their day-to-day activities smoothly. Workers have been able to adapt to a hybrid schedule (depening on company practices) with a mixture of working at home and working in the office.
Being able to work remotely has brought flexibility to employees. This has offered them a better work/life balance; especially for those with additional responsibilities. Some workers have felt more productive working away from the office, whilst others have preferred to operate in the office environment.
According to the Office Of National Statistics, Women were slightly more likely to do some work at home than men, 47.5% and 45.7% respectively. Statistics from HRNews also found that 86% of UK employees preferred to work from home at lease once a week.
In a bid to get back to “normal” and get the economy moving in the right direction, businesses will be hoping to get their employees back in working environments. The question is: What will the workplace look like post pandemic?
As things slowly begin to get back to 'normal', workers are being encouraged back to the office slowly and safely. The issue that some businesses will face is that employees may feel more comfortable with working at home than working in the office. Working from home may remain popular with businesses as it offers employees more flexibility. A virtual workforce has allowed this to be possible.
According to HRNews, (79%) believe a major benefits for employees working from home, is a lack of commute.
One of the biggest challenges for some workers that operated from home was finding the right space, as well as internet connection. More than four-fifths of those that work from home (84%) revealed they have suffered from an unreliable internet connection. ComputerWeekly.com
For those that prefer or will be working from home, going forward, we could see more ‘work-ready homes’ emerge. Businesses will be looking to ensure that their employees have suitable internet in order to work productively from home. Technology will be developed to create an environment that more closely resembles a WeWork office.
Online learning has become an important part in a digital professional’s career. Many organisations will identify that upskilling is important for innovation and a strategic advantage. As more businesses have adopted workshops and seminars to further-skill their employees, we won’t see e-learning slow down post Covid-19. Businesses that increase their e-learning will ensure their employees are building important skills and developing professionally.
Not travelling to work each day relaxed the dress code employees had to abide by. Even though you still had to present appropriate attire for virtual meetings, we suppose that it became easier to get comfortable at home, without a suit or heels. Perhaps the days of strict suit and tie have become relaxed in recent years, with most workplaces adopting a dress-down day.
We could see more firms going for a more relaxed work approach, however, that will solely depend on the business and the service in which they provide. For those who work for digital and tech firms, casual Fridays are…every day!
The use of video has been a huge advantage for businesses. Not only have regular work meetings taken place on the likes of Zoom and Microsoft Teams, but for those that have clients overseas, you are able to connect with the click of a button. Some workers feel that there is no need to commute long distances, if they can communicate clearly and safely from a distance.
From a business perspective, the social media platform TikTok has proved a valuable marketing tool to engage customers. We could see more workplaces going for a slightly relaxed and ‘fun’ working environment by adopting weekly videos! Video will remain a hot trend in the years ahead!
Nobody could have foreseen the challenges and damaging effects we would have to deal with at the start of the year, but technology has helped us deal with transition better. Corporate and traditional ways of working are certainly not dead; but will Covid-19 see them fade into the distance post pandemic?