In Careers this week, we looked at what the future of work might hold for us and how we can start to prepare.
Although it might seem like we’ve only just gotten used to working remotely, the conversation about what comes next is already starting. With the Government’s plan to open the country back up over the coming weeks and months, many businesses are beginning to prepare for a post-Covid working world. What does that have in store for us?
It could be that employers will adopt a new hybrid working model. In a survey from the Institute of Directors in Ireland this week, 40pc of business leaders said they expect an equal mix of remote and in-office workers after Covid-19. Only one in eight respondents said they believe all staff will be back in the office after restrictions are lifted.
Managing hybrid teams will require plenty of learning, however, as outlined by Hays’ Nick Deligiannis. He gave us 11 tips for leaders to consider if they’re managing teams that are spread between the office and remote locations.
Whatever companies decide to do, 3Sixty’s Frieda Murphy believes we should lock in everything we have learned over the past few weeks now. As an executive leadership coach and HR expert, she spoke to me about how companies should take this time to reflect if they want to figure out where to go next.
If remote working is here to stay, there are some things we’ll need to consider for the long term. This week, I looked at the concept of ‘Zoom fatigue’, which is a problem that could be affecting some of us. Spending hours on video calls – whether it’s with colleagues or friends – can be damaging to our mental health, and we need to find ways to communicate without affecting our work-life balance.
Another important aspect will be how our work is monitored. In this piece, University of Bristol’s Stephan Lewandowsky and George Mason University’s John Cook explore whether bosses should be able to “spy” on their remote staff members using technology.
Networking remotely will see us become even more familiar with using technology to form connections, according to Hays’ Barney Ely. And a lot of companies will likely need to navigate the world of remote hiring and onboarding, said Greenhouse’s Colm O’Cuinneain.
Finally, there may be companies that will allow their employees to work remotely indefinitely. Twitter has said that staff can work from home “forever” if their role allows them to, while Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke said that the days of “office centricity” are over.
With this in mind, I spoke to Greg Zweig of Ribbon Communications about some of the tools that will help us work remotely, now and in the future.
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