How will work be different after Covid-19?

The world will get past the current Covid-19 crisis but just how much will our work environment and interactions have changed as a result? How will work change after covid-19? Will we revert to the way things were before? Should we or will we even be able to?

HRs should already be thinking ahead.  They’ve helped crisis manage the current situation and helped ensure that businesses are able to cope in the current situation, both in terms of coordinating the relevant resources and also ensuring that people are engaged and have all they need to manage right now.

Many businesses are now running and functioning with the majority, if not all, of their people working remotely.  This virtual way of working has been subtly increasing over the past few years but within a matter of weeks has been rolled out universally.  Do we truly have the infrastructure to work remotely?  How is the capacity of hardware coping?  Is it sustainable?

Remote working presents opportunities but pitfalls – reduced commute time, more focused working and use of one’s time means we can often see an increase in productivity; however, we shouldn’t underestimate the need for social and human interaction.  As good as telephone and video conferencing can be it’s often not a replacement for that personal contact, seeing the whites of someone’s eyes.

I suspect we will see a larger majority of organisations be more comfortable with people working remotely in the future.  In China, the notion of home working has been introduced for the first time, in many instances. We will also see a move to more flexible office space. Where organisations consciously move to smaller offices, increasing meeting space and shared desking. If an organisation employs 500 people, no longer will it need to provide working space for all 500 – remote and home working will mean office costs can be cut drastically. The flip side will be to ensure that those working remotely not only have the right equipment and technology but that it’s fit for purpose.  In the UK, we’ll need to see a significant investment in our broadband infrastructure and mobile networks to pick up the additional load.

For some, being on their own will be something they will appreciate and make the most of, while others much prefer to be with colleagues. Add to this the current restrictions, the tensions and stresses, individuals’ coping strategies and in some cases the requirement to provide homeschooling or care. If the future of work means more home working, organisations will have to get better at supporting their staff both in their mental well-being and also enabling them to truly balance their work and home lives.  For many, working from home poses a major problem – they find it difficult to delineate between work and home life and work becomes ever more pervasive.  I can foresee organisations introducing rules to support remote and home workers, such as no emails and no calls outside of hours (there are already technical solutions for this).  The right to disconnect will become more and more important.  ‘Always on’ technology can be insidious.

So, how will work change after Covid-19?

Overall, I envision many organisations becoming more relaxed about remote working, much the same as they have with dress codes. You do not need to be in the office to be productive – if you have the right technology, it matters not where the work gets done.

If you’d like to learn a bit more about our thoughts on how will work change after Covid-19, or if you want to learn more about our employee survey services, including pulse surveys, staff surveys and 360 feedback surveys,  drop me an email at info@surveyinitiative.co.uk and discover our powerful employee insights.