Adapting to work after Covid-19

Every industry has faced huge changes since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and many office workers have either been furloughed or had to adapt to working from home.

With many areas of lockdown gradually beginning to ease, employers have had to face their next challenge: preparing their premises, staff and procedures for the ‘new normal’.

Here we look at a few of the changes that are likely to be seen in many businesses and the impact they will have on the future of work.

A central role for technology

Over the last few months, the importance of technology in our lives has become more apparent than ever before. As people were forced to find new ways to work, socialise, shop and stay entertained, our reliance on technology grew.

For many businesses, technology has allowed them to continue operating, perhaps through an e-commerce store, a food delivery app or video call software that enables them to stay connected to their teams as they adapt to working remotely.

It is likely that organisations will keep at least some of these changes in places, particularly where they have spent time and money setting up new software, and have found it adds value to their staff and the way they work.

Embracing remote working

Another change many organisations have had to embrace is remote working. For those who have not had past experience with a remote team, the productivity levels their teams have shown may have come as a pleasant surprise.

Statistics from a recent Gartner poll showed that the proportion of employees who work remotely at least some of the time is likely to rise from 30% before the pandemic to 48%, signalling that, for employees and businesses alike, remote working has proven to have some benefits.

Allowing employees to work remotely, either from home or flexible office space like SO Fourteen, can help create a better work/life balance for employees, in turn boosting their morale and efficiency.

A wider field for recruitment

Another change we are likely to see will be within recruitment, as companies may feel more comfortable recruiting on a remote basis now that they have more experience with remote employees. This means that recruiters and job seekers will not be limited by their physical locations, and there will be a wider pool of talent and opportunities to choose from.

There may also be a shift in the type of recruitment being carried out, with more temporary or gig workers being employed to allow companies added flexibility.

For employees, this may mean more freelance opportunities and a totally new way of work that could offer more freedom and a better work/life balance; and for employers, a better chance of filling hard-to-recruit roles and more choice of high quality candidates.

An increase in flexible working

For employees that are required to be in the office, another change that may assist their work/life balance and help to facilitate a safe return to work is flexible working hours.

The introduction of flexible working hours can have many benefits, including staggered arrival and departure times and less people in the building at certain times, making social distancing easier.

As with remote working, the shift in work style is made easier through technologies that allow team mates to communicate more effectively and, when done right, can help increase efficiency as employees will find it easier to balance their lives.

A focus on business resilience

While previously businesses may have felt that improving efficiency or growth was at the top of their lists, it’s likely that many will now be looking at ways of making their business more resilient, should it face another major disruption like Covid-19.

Many businesses will have come out of this period shaken and with their resources diminished, and will now be looking for ways to rebuild their safety nets and strengthen their foundations before embarking on new plans.

If you foresee a change in the way you work that may mean you could benefit from a coworking space in the future, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with us via our website or by calling 023 8112 5014.