The sudden changes due to Covid have caused a paradigm shift and pushed decision-makers to reorganize working arrangements. However, it took a few hours to reinvent themselves and start operating out of the employee’s home. It promotes an immense transformation for the individuals to experiment in Work From Home(WFH).
- More than 50% of the executive prefer WFH, which will probably continue throughout the post-COVID period.
- One out of three respondents would be happy to receive a wage reduction if allowed to WFH permanently.
- In the future, with various repercussions on many sectors, hybrid working models such as rotational workdays are being viewed.
In this pandemic, the advantages are apparent, and WFH will become a permanent practice. A new study shows that 20% of full-time work will be carried out at home in the future – compared to only 5% before the outbreak.
More than 50% of city workers in India prefer WFH, 34% are willing to cut wages, and 83% want WFH for at least two days if they lift the restrictions.
According to the NBER survey of more than 30,000 people in the US, it demonstrates that respondents reported higher than expected performance in WFH and higher productivity.
Relative to their expectations of WFH before COVID-19, 20.6% of voters said their product was much better than anticipated, 21.9% said it was substantially better, and 17% said it was only better. Another 26.7% said it was almost the same, whereas just 13.9% said it was worse than that.
Every individual has been experiencing the pandemic differently – remote working, reduced hours, balancing childcare responsibilities with work commitments, etc.
Here are a few other perspectives of covid that is leading towards the future:
- Parenting: Due to covid and sudden closure of offices, working women are getting quality time to spend with their children. Children’s psychology is dependent on the raising process of their parents. Parenting helps the child to develop good habits in the community. Healthy parental involvement and intervention in the children’s daily life lay the foundation for better social, educational skills and motivational growth. However, For some, it made possible the choice of greater flexibility and control.
- Continuance of work from home: Since the pandemic forced the organizations to declare WFH, it will always be an option. There is an expectation that the proportion of full-time domestic workers will double by 2021, according to a survey conducted by Enterprise Technology Research (ETR). “Manufacturing metrics prove that faraway control works,” stated Erik Bradley, ETR’s lead technology officer. Twitter, primarily based in San Francisco, advised workers that they have been operating entirely at home. The square, led through Jack Dorsey of Twitter, has adopted a comparable policy simultaneously and will enable employees to make a whole living at home, even after the workplace reopens.
- Management of performances: The current crisis has affected the goals and performance plans. However, one of the tactical areas that play a crucial role for all organizations to succeed in any working model is effective Performance Management. Organizations are reluctant to abandon conventional performance management, but remote work has changed it. Organizations have realized that the only way to measure employees is to purely depend on their results and impact on the business. The current scenario pushed them to design processes that focus on metrics that drive business impact.
- Cybersecurity in remote work: The digital response to the COVID-19 crisis has also opened up new security vulnerabilities. According to CISCO’s Future of Secure Remote Work Report, 44% of the respondents consider it extremely important, 56% believe it is important, and only 1% do not. The genuine concern is how to access and safeguard data. It will be imperative to have cybersecurity policies in place to ensure business success, as people will continue to WFH in “the future of work.” Companies should focus on updating policies to safeguard their remote employees who pose a threat to their organizations.
- Leverage Artificial Intelligence in the workplace: Organizations have been using AI to help employees get better and grow in their careers. It, in turn, assists organizations to understand their businesses and employees, such as making useful predictions to maintain productivity, restoring stability—primarily in times like these—and building long-term resiliency. Nevertheless, the Covid-19 pandemic has nudged the organizations to accelerate progress towards the future of work in a way that has tested their capacity to integrate people and technology into the most vigorous activities. In a survey conducted by Mercer, HR, and companies who offer work-related benefits, 94% of employers say a product is identical to or better than before the outbreak, even though their employees work remotely. Many companies have to undergo extensive renewal processes and policies. The choice between the better version of yesterday or building one that is sustainable is a question of tomorrow.