Is Remote Work the New Normal?
Is Remote Work the New Normal?
During the pandemic, remote work has grown exponentially. Given lock downs and isolation guidelines to avoid contamination, many companies have temporarily instituted work-from-home policies for their non essential workers. While there have been struggles to adjust and certainly some still miss face-to-face meetings, technology has made it easier to adapt to the new work format.
PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR A BETTER WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Flexjobs conducted research regarding pandemic-induced work arrangements, and most people indicated they prefer to either keep their remote work arrangements or work in a hybrid way. Fifty-eight percent of those interviewed said they would leave their jobs if they could not continue working remotely, citing fear of Covid-19 exposure, unfavorable work-life balance, and reduced work flexibility.
In addition, most believed their remote work arrangement had positively impacted their work: 55% said they increased their productivity and 33% reported it did not change.
Another survey published by McKinsey investigated increasingly high turnover rates in the U.S., which reports parents are more likely to quit their jobs and seek options with additional flexibility. In many cases, these are parents struggling to return to the office - even in a hybrid format - as they find it difficult to source inconsistent childcare and are rethinking their work-life balance.
As a result, this trend is likely to continue, since survey data shows there are still a significant number of employees, from frontline workers to executives, planning to leave their companies in the near future.
THE NEW NORMAL
Some companies have pivoted to full remote work, leaving behind expensive real estate costs and taking advantage of new technologies. Others have started a hybrid model and maintained an office for people to visit a few days of the week. And, of course, there are those companies that have returned to full-time, in-office arrangements.
HYBRID WORK
The idea behind hybrid work is to permit flexibility. Workers can work either from home or from the office as they see fit. In this model, there are face-to-face meetings and impromptu chats over coffee, but there are also days where people can be fully at home and avoid the commute.
While there are myriad benefits to hybrid work, the model is new for some companies and therefore not without its challenges. For example, how do you determine employees’ schedules? Some companies designate days the workers must be in the office in person. Others leave this decision to their employees. And still others assign some employees as “hybrid” and others as “fully remote.”
In other words, the flexibility of a hybrid work model may appeal, as it accommodates both those employees who prefer a home office as well as those who enjoy regular, in-person office hours. Forcing employees into one arrangement over the other may cause frustration and increase the risk of losing them to other companies.
Either way, for companies that embrace a hybrid work model, experts recommend adopting a “remote first” mindset. Clay Kellog suggests in his Forbes article that hybrid work can cause a de facto class system, where employees who choose not to go to the office may feel like second class citizens, as they are unable to jump into impromptu meetings, visit with colleagues over lunch, etc. In order to include everyone equally, Kellog advises that all communication should be written and shared with the entire team. In addition, he suggests that all meetings be held virtually and everyone be required to log in separately from their own computers.
THE FUTURE OF WORK IS REMOTE
Many specialists agree that hybridization is a bridge between the old normal (full-time, in-person office hours) and the real future of work: remote. Most companies that have adopted a fully remote model see positive impacts of the new model on productivity as well as in employee well-being.
Certainly companies that have gone fully remote can hire anywhere in the world. Their talent pool has significantly expanded beyond people located near headquarters, and access to this larger pool increases diversity while decreasing overhead expenses. Companies that do not adjust will struggle to keep turnover rates low and may overlook business opportunities.