Coronavirus: How the world of work may change forever
Vinod Kumar: CEO, Vodafone Business
How will emerging tech shape post-Covid-19 offices?
We’re seeing a massive rewriting of the social contracts between employers and employees as a result of Covid-19. The way businesses function and employees work fundamentally changed overnight which forced both to reset their expectations of how work fits into life. The traditional 9-to-5 work day as we know it has also changed, as employers seek to accommodate its employees with flexible windowed hours of working.
These new social contracts between employers and workers centre on blending in-person offices with remote capabilities as well as traditional office hours with asynchronous work, all enabled by technology. As a result, when I think about the future of work and how it will evolve in years to come, I believe our workday will be more virtual and automated. The rise of 5G networks and connected machines will enable virtual on-the-go workstations. These virtual stations will provide employees with all the amenities of a digital workplace, from AI-powered assistants that prep whiteboard presentations to virtual reality headsets that put you at the table of a morning meeting with co-workers around the world.
Ultimately, businesses will need to create digital workplaces that make it easier for all kinds of employees to work in flexible environments while also living their lives.
Vaibhav Gujral: Partner at McKinsey & Company
What about the ‘heartbeat’ of the office?
As lockdowns swept through the world earlier this year, the speed with which companies adapted was nothing short of remarkable, switching to a remote work model virtually overnight. Living rooms and kitchen countertops were converted into workspaces, and backgrounds for video calls were carefully curated. Many desk job workers even experienced a productivity ‘honeymoon’, with hours that were erstwhile spent stuck in traffic or airport lines, redeployed to staying on top of a zero inbox and sometimes enjoying mealtime with family.
However, as the crisis dragged, we realised that it wasn’t sufficient to measure productivity by the simple yardstick of hours worked. We were missing the ‘heartbeat’ of the workplace: the energy that comes from serendipitous encounters that aren’t boxed into Zoom screens; the creativity that comes from spontaneous collaboration; the trust and relationships that are built through countless and unsaid small gestures and interactions.
So, the question that is critical for us to answer – as we eventually emerge from this crisis – is ‘will we work differently?’ Will companies that are announcing permanent work from home policies become beacons for the rest, or remain exceptions?
Even small shifts in work patterns could have a profound impact on commercial real estate – most directly on the demand for office space, and inevitably a multiplier effect on urban downtowns that are designed for the 9-to-5 worker. Companies are now reflecting more than ever on their real estate footprint. Does it make sense to keep large HQ spaces in urban centres, or should they adopt a more flexible model? The pressure on demand will create a flight to quality, toward buildings that deliver a better experience for users, and are more technologically advanced.
Organisations that get it right may emerge from the crisis ahead in the war for talent, with policies that employees prefer, and workplaces that are purpose-designed to be vibrant, foster collaboration and productivity for the new way of working.
Rosanna Durruthy: Vice President, Global Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, LinkedIn
What will become of working parents?
Across the globe, it’s apparent, one thing will remain constant: remote work. Whether mandated by an employer or a personal choice, chances are many of us will be working from home for the foreseeable future. For many professionals, this shift is a positive and welcomed change. Our recent survey revealed that 63% of professionals would choose to continue working from home in some capacity even if their employer opened offices because most of them (57%) are not yet feeling safe to return to work.
In this environment, having managers and company leaders who also recognize the unique challenges working parents are facing is critical. As a leader, you can foster an environment and culture where working parents are supported by offering flexibility such as moving away from traditional 9-to-5 working hours and encouraging transparency and regular check-ins between colleagues on work schedules and availability. It’s also critical that organisations understand the challenges and barriers of returning to work. A LinkedIn study found 30% of working professionals with school-aged children at home right now feel they do not have the necessary childcare available to return to work. And 60% of workers say their employers have not made accommodations to their work schedules to help with parenting duties. As companies look to reopen, they must address the concerns of working parents.
This series is produced by: Philippa Fogarty, Simon Frantz, Javier Hirschfeld, Sarah Keating, Emmanuel Lafont, Bryan Lufkin, Rachel Mishael, Visvak Ponnavolu, Maddy Savage and Meredith Turits.
