With news of another lockdown on the horizon, remote working is becoming even more normal in our daily lives. You only have to browse through LinkedIn to see a real division of opinions. Some people are looking forward to getting back to normal and seeing their colleagues, whilst others are enjoying the flexibility that remote working brings.
There has been lots of talk about the post-pandemic workplace (although this seems a long way off given recent changes), and our industry is focusing on the short-term recovery methods for now. That isn’t to say that these measures may well become permanent as time progresses though. How will the corporate workplace model respond to these changes though? Let’s have a look in more detail.
Employees may want to continue working from home
Companies really are having to consider the option that many of their employees may want to work from a location as opposed to a primary office. In extreme cases, this may result in companies abandoning their bricks-and-mortar offices entirely, and opting for an occasional co-working solution when staff are required to come together.
Of course the feasibility of a fully remote workforce all depends on the industry that the company is within. Before any decisions are made, it is important that there is a thorough understanding of team structure, dynamics and workflows. This will help to distinguish which members of staff have to work on site, no matter what.
Large proportions of the workforce remain off-site on a given day
Isolation has unfortunately been a huge reason behind many employees wanting to return to the office. Even little things like the informal chats whilst making a coffee, or the overheard conversations in the corridor have just disappeared overnight. As everyone is now working remotely these ideas that used to get bounced around just aren’t being aired.
When staff do eventually return to the office, of course these little things will start happening right away again. In the interim, those who are working on-site need to make sure these little snippets are shared with the remote workforce. If a team is split, so half are working on-site and half are working remotely, companies need to redefine their policies even further to allow for easy collaboration between both teams.
Adapting to technology to help workplace productivity
As businesses have been forced into this world of remote working, it has become a lot more feasible than initially thought. Having a robust technological infrastructure has been key – using cloud computing and ensuring all staff members have access to high-quality WiFi. It is the less obvious things that have been more challenging, such as replicating the office chat virtually, and how to integrate the in-office whiteboard which contains the quarterly goals.
Productivity is very important, and with lockdown 2 on the horizon, businesses will need to start upgrading their toolkit. This means making use of co-working facilities in order to bring their teams together (when we come out the other side again), and being able to edit documents in real-time. It is all about collaborative working and ensuring staff have all the necessary equipment in order to carry out their roles in a different environment.
Conclusion
Here at McCue House we are extremely focused on delivering the best post-COVID workplace for our clients. Areas of focus for us include touch-free systems, online meeting room bookings using our portal, high-speed internet connections and high-quality ventilation to allow the circulation of fresh air.
If you are considering moving your team to a fully remote working environment in the New Year, why not get in touch with us today to see how we can help your business. Not only do we have meeting and conference rooms for hire, but we also have a COVID-friendly co-working space. Contact us today to register your interest.