The era of WFH and Zoom Rooms!

The Pandemic has well and truly altered and impacted the way we conduct our personal and professional lives. Never before has this generation witnessed a forced lifestyle change of this degree which has left them to reconsider how they operate on a day to day basis.

The effect of the pandemic on our professional lives can be analyzed on two levels- individual and collective. The individual considerations include a new take on work-life balance while the collective consideration is towards how systems adapt. What’s common? the possibility that the future of work is remote.

The pandemic changed what work means to us. That’s especially true for business leaders grappling with the monumental task of moving companies and workforces forward by keeping things running strictly for business continuity.

The offshoots of this change birthed two thoughts -

1. Increased focus on work-life balance
2. Rise in innovation and focus on growth

The shock of the pandemic led to many people reconsidering their priorities in life. Perhaps this is the reason why many people chose to quit their jobs rather than revert to work from the office after the unlocking began. Lavish WFH perks and the growing independence from the 24-hour work cycle has enabled people to put their families and individual growth first.

According to KPMG’s survey: “wholesale moves toward remote working remain the exception rather than the rule”. A huge section of these people are open to the hybrid model which allows them to retain bits of their newfound freedom while also experiencing the old ‘normal.’ It found that 30% of business leaders were committed to a hybrid model of working patterns, while just 21% were looking to hire talent to work predominantly remotely, down from 73% in last year’s survey.

Companies with a traditional office space have seen a weight shifted onto their balance sheets. This is an incentive to downsize and experiment with remote workers - those for whom WFO does not make the cut anymore.

Forbes did a good job of compiling statistics that help us look at the larger picture more objectively. They found that 74% of professionals expect remote work to become the norm and 97% of employees don’t want to return to the office full-time. For top ranking employees looking for new jobs or changing careers, having the option to work remotely has become a priority along with paying attention to the benefits they receive.?

One of the things I think is really exciting about all this, and perhaps a little bit frightening, is nobody actually knows how to transition to a remote or hybrid model overnight and it is not something that anyone has ever done before.

People, process, place, and technology transformation are the foundation upon which successful digital workplace ecosystems are created - and most Indian enterprises have a long way to go before they can optimize this. To transition to hybrid or remote working, businesses need to work with partners to help select the most appropriate IT architecture and technologies, understand the impact of digitalization on their industry, and help align business and hiring strategies - a shift that will further offset a company’s balance sheet. An ‘anywhere workforce’ is reliant on a diverse set of capabilities, and this new normal is presenting challenges to create productive, safe and empowering environments for their employees.

So what really is the future of the remote workforce?

My verdict is that remote work is not for everyone. It risks accentuating inequalities at a social level. Some jobs require collaborating with others or using specialized machinery like conducting CT scans for instance, must be done on location only. And some, such as making deliveries, are performed while out and about. Many such jobs are low wage and impossible to be done remotely.

There is also the question of creative industries - like advertising or design firms where peer-to-peer brainstorming is a bulk of the job. The remote and face to face work adoption will also depend on the industry and more importantly on the functional aspect of the job.?

However, the scope for hybrid work is huge. MNCs and Mammoth staffing organizations actually have a lot to gain on a collective level. The shift to flexible work arrangements will create a full-day work cycle where you can employ people from different time zones to work the second and third shift, while traditional workers will stay on first and second shifts. And, because everyone is able to work at preferred times, a company can reasonably expect some form of operation at all hours—without the cost of keeping a physical office open in many locations.

By allowing their employees to have more flexibility and a life-work balance, organizations can impact them on an individual level by allocating more time for family, friends, and outside hobbies. This could make workers happier in their lives, and thus happier and more productive while performing their work duties.?

Remote work is not only changing where and how people work, but also changing their relationship with work, and that is a good thing. And what’s more -? it gives us a glimpse into the new world of work and a preview of the workplace changes still to come.