COVID-19 has forced many companies to send employees home to protect their safety. Regardless of the source, numerous studies and surveys have all reported that working from home (WFH) is here to stay.
For years, companies have dabbled in WFH policies, but have never taken the full plunge. COVID-19 has ushered in a new era of business that will forever change the way professional and administrative employees work. OMNIPOTECH also conducted its own survey, asking clients how their customers are working differently or how their behavior is being changed. Here are some of the top aggregated responses:
- Companies that were looking for office space pre-COVID-19 are now reducing their original needs by up to 69 percent.
- Companies are changing existing lease structures to reduce space while increasing lease terms.
- Companies are adding distance between workspaces or staggering work schedules, allowing employees to use the same workspaces.
- There's far less global travel, especially for sales teams, and more virtual meetings.
- Firms are forcing their employees to run IT-approved security on their home computers or are purchasing computers for employees to use at home.
- The geographic scope for employment searches is now being expanded to include candidates anywhere in the U.S., especially for positions in fields like accounting, HR, customer service and inside sales.
- Companies are experiencing decreased capital purchases and shrinking operating budgets due to economic uncertainty until at least the second quarter of 2021.
- Companies are relying more on internal messaging platforms like Microsoft Teams or Slack to replace the quick communication of "popping" into someone's office.
- Companies are increasing their spending on IT security, including zero-trust, email filtering, geo-IP filtering, virtual private networks combined with terminal services, and two-factor authentication to ensure identity.
- Existing phone systems are being changed to allow true Voice over Internet Protocol communication so calls can be transferred back and forth for WFH users.
- Greater data classification controls are being used to ensure company data is not copied to home computers.
- Companies are suspending shareholder distributions, reducing or eliminating bonuses and salary increases, or freezing pay for at least one year.
- These changes are not without their own problems and challenges. Here are the top struggles for firms implementing WFH:
- "Management by walking around" cannot occur, creating a lack of accountability because the company cannot "see" the work being done.
- Management is not getting the informal feedback that occurs naturally in an office setting.
- Remote meetings require greater controls than in-person meetings to decrease interruptions and background chatter while increasing overall participation so the flow of ideas and feedback is not impaired.
- Performance measures need to be revisited, redefined or recalculated due to a lower output per employee.
- Companies are discovering that some employees are not as self-motivated as their resumes state.
- Workspaces at home are not set up to optimize productivity, causing distractions, interruptions, background noise or simply an overall lack of privacy.
- Trying to meet company expectations for WFH, combined with taking precautions related to COVID-19, is causing high levels of stress and reduced productivity for some employees.
- Employees with young children or children with special needs cannot be fully engaged during business hours due to parental responsibilities and lack of child care.
It is often said that people don't like change. I believe that statement is far too generalized to have any value. I think people want change that they initiate and will lead them to a better tomorrow. However, this pandemic has forced every organization and person into "change mode," causing stress that compromises mental clarity. No person or firm is immune from difficulty or struggles, so the firms that can adapt to the WFH landscape will always outperform and survive their peers. Look for the wisdom within your current struggle that will lead you to a better tomorrow.
For more information, visit www.omnipotech.com or call (281) 768-4308.
