Gone are the days where a job is best described as sitting on the same desk from 8 am to 5 pm, running a number of assigned tasks as scheduled and talking to our colleagues over a cup of coffee. Or having a boss keeping an eye on employees, making sure they are doing their work during their working hours. That era won’t return in the new normal which is bound to set in once COVID-19 is over.
Having an office space is no longer a must, nor having long-term expensive rental agreements. We are now ushering in an era, where employees are demanding flexibility and remote access wherever they are. A phase where working hours are becoming flexible and inevitably, something which we have been preaching about for so long, a decent work-life balance where we have an opportunity to spend more time with our family.
How will businesses get to accommodate this without impinging on the performance of their employees and ultimately the profitability of their operations? Are we expecting a sheer drop in the profits even post-COVID?
We are anticipating new work practices, initially hard to accept but will ultimately lead to a more equitable future. Employees will enjoy better flexibility and businesses start to improve its returns. The how and why is another topic but what’s important now is to have to correct mindset of having a work platform.
Where to start from?
Can my employees access their information wherever they are?
Can I collaborate and work together with my colleagues on the same document?
Can I see the progress of tasks assigned to my colleagues without asking them?