Businesses adapt to the new remote working era
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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it a staggering paradigm shift in the corporate world. Some businesses have had to update and refurbish their existing work-from-home policies, while others have had to scramble to adapt to the new era of remote work. Years ago, modifying a business to acclimatize to remote-work culture would have been near impossible. It has only been about ten to fifteen years since the advent of widespread broadband internet, which is what makes it possible for companies to continue to thrive on technology for crucial virtual work tools such as video conferencing.
With today’s technological landscape, more and more businesses find that restructuring their remote workforce is not only doable but also essential for their survival. A common worry for business leaders who are reluctant to adopt long-term strategies for remote working is that employees will be less productive when they work from home.
Recent studies have, however, shown evidence to the contrary. One study reported that remote teams have productivity of 7.7 out of 10 compared to those that work in open-plan offices and have productivity ratings of 6.5 out of 10. This does not come as much of a surprise since remote workers are known to spend less time and money on commuting to and from work.
Research has shown that long work commutes have a significant impact on subjective well-being, which in turn is linked to worker productivity. Businesses have begun to turn to performance management tools to help employers track and manage the efficiency of their remote workforce. This allows companies to define employee goals better and use data-driven analysis of their performance to implement strategies that can improve their work.
Other valid concerns that have been raised during this time of virtual workspaces are the need for more in-depth online security changes and the problem of blurred lines between the work and home lives of employees. Cybercrime has risen dramatically in the UK during the coronavirus pandemic, with a loss of over £2 million for COVID-19-related reports alone. This means that more companies have had to invest in cybersecurity reinforcement in order to protect valuable information such as consumer data and company finances.
With regard to employees being able to balance their work and home lives, it is important for businesses to have structured and clearly defined remote work policies in order to set acceptable work boundaries for their employees. Companies risk overworking employees and causing burnout and mental health issues when lines between work and personal time are blurred.
Finally, working relationships are a crucial and often overlooked area to tackle when it comes to working from home. Companies have found creative ways to keep their teams connected by encouraging bonding activities such as group chats, virtual lunches, and coffee breaks. These go a long way to foster and stimulate cooperation amongst co-workers and therefore improve their overall productivity and efficiency.
The global pandemic has necessitated the evolution of traditional work environments into what is likely to be a new normal. Businesses that hope to survive these trying times have found that adapting to this change is perhaps the only way forward.
