Due to current situations, the desk, sofa or even the dining table has become our office. Now, working from home is a very common affair for people like us who work for a technology company. This pandemic has made us realize that we can work from anywhere as long as we want to.
Even after dealing with two waves of the pandemic, companies are still looking for and coming up with new ways to make working conditions more accessible for their employees to give their best.
When the pandemic ends are uncertain. Keeping this in mind, we have put together a list of ways organizations are practising to ensure smooth operations even in this changing world. Furthermore, at times like this, it is essential to remember that “Change is the only constant.”
Srividya Srinivasan, General Manager, Human Resources, Doyensys working from Home
People’s choice
After initially being shocked by the sudden and rapid change from regular day-to-day work to online modes, almost all organizations are now comfortably utilizing the work from home mode. But this also came with some hindrances. For some people, it was the space constraints at home; for others, it was difficult to distinguish between work life and personal lives owing to their constant availability at work.
After some deep thinking, we have come up with some solutions for these problems. We call it the “People’s Choice.” This is a great way to help people who face difficulties juggling work and home responsibilities. In addition, organizations should be prepared to navigate through all types of work dynamics.
This model of working allows our employees to choose where they want to work from. This hybrid work environment is a blessing for all professionals because it lets them be present for their professional and personal commitments.
This concept of a “Hybrid Work Model” has been popularized and adapted by many organizations due to the covid situation. This is an effective solution because we understand that it is not the place of work but the potential of a person that does the work.
Mindset
Before covid struck, we believed that the critical aspects of business like complex idea creation, high-level meetings, client management, leadership hiring etc., could not be accomplished remotely. However, the current crisis has broken this concept and taught us that almost all of these could be done online.
For example, hiring for many critical roles happened last year without an in-person meeting. The onboarding processes are all handled remotely. This shows that there has been a substantial shift in the mindset and we have embraced digital hiring and adapted to the new normal.
This new work model has established a brand-new perspective of viewing work, workplace, hierarchy, team structures, and performance measurement. An open mindset is bound to bring in more creative ideas to run an efficient business.
The workplace is to collaborate
The entire world might have gone online, but still, there are certain beliefs that holding an office in person helps people learn and cooperate. Indeed, there is still a need for a physical work environment, but now the purpose of a physical workspace has changed from a place where employees work to a place for gathering ideas and collaborating.
For some people working online full time is not optimal on a long-term basis. The organization needs to be on par with the employee’s mindset so that they can opt for either of the choices.
Considering the third wave of the pandemic that is on its way, organizations cannot force employees to come to the office. Instead, they must enable their workspace to be accessible to their employees no matter where they are. All in all, the office space is evolving into a hub for collaboration and innovation.
New skills for Managers
The new model of “Work From Home cum Work From Office“ is an effective way of combining the workspace and roles, tasks, and resources to pave a new path to how things get done by our employees. In contrast to the pre covid time when managers would ensure the completion of tasks with the help of follow-ups, planning etc., now managers require newer management skills to achieve the organisation’s goals using both technology and human effort.
For example, managers would need to show greater empathy to guide the team in handling the challenges with the help of this hybrid work model.
Team meetings at particular intervals, checking in on team members occasionally, accessibility of resources, flexible and dynamic working environments and technology-dependent work will now be more dependent on human interactions and driven by interpersonal relationships.
The so-called “People Skills” is no longer just a post of HR but also all management teams. This will become a critical aspect in accessing manager performance in the new hybrid work environment.
Only the people who can ace both work environments, online and in-person, will get referred for specific roles henceforth.
Work-based on empathy and trust is in dire requirement right now.
This is bound to be more effective than work based just on follow-ups and deadlines.
Hiring and retention
One of the best things about a hybrid workplace environment is that you can recruit talent from all over the globe while sitting in your home office. As a result, hiring a diverse and skilled talent set becomes easier with our efforts.
Since the possibility of meeting with potential future colleagues in person is less, it is crucial to create different talent pools for candidates in various stages of recruitment and maintain regular communication with them.
Empathy
As much as we hope to return to regular pre-pandemic times, such miracles can’t occur instantaneously. Many employees will be returning to work while grieving for a loved one; many will have complaints of mental health; many will be struggling with financial problems due to layoffs in their family, and the list goes on. Almost all employees will be dealing with other personal difficulties that will take up a lot of their energy and attention.
The key is to “Lead employees with kindness.” Managers can express empathy in many ways like actively listening, checking in on them, offering moral support and understanding, helping employees connect to necessary resources, acknowledging their hard work and last but not least, thanking them with their whole heart.
The workforce will be more engaged if we sincerely care about our employees’ wellness. Fostering this kindness and care will only help us in the long run and increase our productivity.
This blog post was written by Srividya Srinivasan, General Manager, Human Resources, Doyensys.
