The Four Hallmarks of Post-Pandemic Working

Work away from the office has gradually been edging its way into the consciousness of businesses and their employees for a number of years now. The availability of home working has increasingly cropped up as a topic of conversation. Questions surrounding its viability were brought up in equal measure, with many organisations assuming that a worker would not be able to maintain the same level of productivity in the comfort of their own home. The last four months have answered these doubts affirmatively. There is not a one size fits all answer to this, but it is clear that time away from the office has generally been a success. There will be no going back to the normality of pre-2020. Here are four key changes that are here to stay.

1. Flexible Working

It is impossible to group home-working into a singular experience. Some of us live with families, others have housemates- not every environment is conducive to productive work. This is why I believe a key feature of the future is flexibility. In years to come, companies cannot assume that a one size fits all approach will work for them and their employees.

Environments aren’t the only factor that differs, so does experience. Every one of us is on a different career journey, and we’re all at different stages. A fair chunk of employees will still need and benefit from a significant period of their working week spent in the office. This will still be an unrivalled home for training and development for those with less experience. Those that are mature in their roles may benefit from more home working, and I expect companies to account for this. Businesses will need to offer bespoke approaches to their employees in the future - this will benefit both parties in the new normal.

2. Space Efficiency

Home working was often sold as a perk to the employee alone before 2020, but it also offers an opportunity for businesses that was previously often overlooked. The scale of home working we’re seeing now has illustrated the scale of savings available to businesses through reducing their real estate spend. The acceleration of technology has rendered physical desk space a prohibitive cost. Expect this to reduce dramatically in the future.

Shared systems such as clouds mean that employees have access to everything they need to carry out their job regardless of the location they’re in. Some simple maths shows the scale of the potential savings. It can be assumed that a business that employed 90 people needed 90 desks in the past. Suddenly it only needs 30 desks because two-thirds of its employees will work from home at any one time in the new normal. That is a 200% increase in the utilisation of space. Co-working companies are going to see a surge in demand.

Workers won’t lose their contact time with managers and peers either. Centralised booking systems for desks could account for the times where face-to-face contact is imperative. Meeting rooms will be easier to book for gatherings, allowing for internal and external relationships to be maintained.

3. Less Commuting

In the past, I have had employees that have been at least three hours into their day without having started a minute of work. The new normal eliminates this headache for employees, and undoubtedly increases productivity for the companies they work for. Cutting out the commute that many of us dread will have exponential win-win benefits. Uncomfortable, unpleasant and expensive for employees, it also means businesses will have employees that are less stressed at the start of the day.

The way I have worked with my new virtual PA over the past few months is a classic example of the new reality. She lives 350 miles away, but doesn’t need to commute to be there in person. She is able to spend more time with her children, and I am still getting the same quality of service that I did for 25 years with a PA sitting outside my office. The fact that we’re able to conduct business over the phone or through Zoom renders a PA in person unnecessary. This illustrates just how the new way of working can offer a much wider range of options for employers, employees and recruiters.

4. A new reality for recruitment

For my industry, the post-Coronavirus culture opens up a new dimension of opportunity. The new culture of flexibility insurmountably widens the catchment area for talent. Traditionally, we would place a 50 mile limit to an office as a filter in our search to fill a vacancy. The new flexible reality widens this radius significantly. Suddenly people that are 100 miles away are attracted to roles knowing that their commute is limited to a couple of journeys a week at most. We have been afforded a transformational opportunity to widen the pool of talent we source.

We will also save on costs. Consider the fact that hiring someone in Cheshire costs far less than in London. We have suddenly gained access to each other, and it's a win-win scenario. Rather than be limited to working for smaller companies, those that live far and wide suddenly have access to big corporations that base themselves in London and other major cities. The paradigm shift has made me more accessible to candidates and them more accessible to me.

My Own Business and investments

I am busy trying to create these conditions for my own business and employees. Having our own personalised desks with pictures of our families will be a thing of the past. More casual seating arrangements are to be put in their place. I am passionate about creating an environment that puts collaboration at the heart of its philosophy. There is absolutely no problem in three to four days a week being spent at home, with one office day dedicated to meetings and training. This day also offers the chance to maintain work bonds, culture and learning from peers.

I am so convinced of this new normal that I have invested in businesses that have adopted this model. Companies such as Regus have my financial backing because I believe they will do well out of this.

Conclusion

As a matter of fact, we are all going to see our lives at work improve - this new way of working creates several win-win situations and it is for that reason that I passionately believe these four factors will be key components in the future of the workplace. I am keen to hear about other ways in which you think working will change after this pandemic. Send me your suggestions in the comments, and I will endeavour to respond.