Since COVID-19 happened, the style of work has changed drastically. Businesses, companies, and organizations across all sectors had to shut down to contain the spread of the pandemic. And with everything shut down, the average 9 to 5 work routine was forcefully replaced by the work-from-home culture.
When remote work was first introduced, it faced a lot of opposition. Companies heavily doubted employee commitment and productivity in remote work settings. What’s more was that businesses preferred having their employees clock-in physically in order to “see them working”. Despite the doubts and preferences though, it appears remote work is here to stay - permanently. Why? In a way, COVID-19 has shown that remote work is practical and might help businesses and workers save money. With new technologies for communication, task management, data protection, password management, and internet connectivity, the time is ripe for the evolution of work from physical 9 to 5’s to remote work - or a mix of both.
Types of Work
Before looking into what remote work has to offer, note that there are three types of work routines:
Physical: This involves physically showing up or clocking in at a place of work. It is usually known as a 9 to 5 which refers to work hours from 9am till 5pm. It could also include alternative work hours or shifts e.g. daytime shifts begin from 6am till 6pm. Night shifts typically clock in from 6pm till 6am.
Remote: This is also known as work-from-home. It involves clocking into work from anywhere else besides the actual place of work. While remote work is usually done at home, it allows for working from anywhere else such as cafes and dedicated workspaces. What matters in remote work is that tasks are done promptly and employees maintain strong communication to ensure productivity.
Hybrid: This is a combination of physical and remote work. Employers can arrange a weekly schedule where employees can work remotely on some days or clock-in physically on other days of the week.
Remote Work and Its Challenges
Work-from-home breezed in with a lot of potential. Employers enjoyed lower operational costs such as reduction in office utility bills. Some employers even phased out the need for a physical office. Simply renting a workspace once in a while was sufficient to handle sensitive issues that required physical interaction. Employees on the other hand enjoyed work flexibility, lesser commuting time and cost. In a way, remote life brought a sense of work-life balance.
But, what seemed perfect at the onset has slowly evolved into a corporate nightmare of low productivity and poor commitment to work. For early adopters of remote work, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the challenges faced include:
Communication Issues: seeing as employees no longer had to “show up” at work, there was a gradual disconnect from the workplace. In a way, the old fable that “out of sight is out of mind” proved to be true as employees often failed to work diligently and communicate with colleagues and superiors. One of the common challenges was that superiors were often forced to repeatedly call, text and follow-up closely on colleagues to get the bare minimum updates on tasks and other matters. Also, the lack of optimized access to the internet to participate in virtual office meetings also made communication hard.
Cultural and Geographical Diversity: while remote work opened employers to a global pool of talents, cultural and geographical differences pose a major threat to team building. In the absence of physical offices that would encourage bonding, most colleagues had little to no idea about who they worked with save periodic updates on tasks. The monotonous form of interaction between colleagues made it difficult for colleagues to acquaint themselves with one another - especially on cultural differences. The difference in time zones also made things difficult for teams to schedule meetings and set deadlines for tasks.
Productivity and Employee Efficiency: no doubt, remote work offered employees a great sense of work-life balance thanks to its flexibility. However, employers noted that most employees lacked the discipline to manage their time and tasks well without direct physical supervision. This is shown to be a mindset issue as most employees were more likely to work “within a defined office space”, and once outside such space, their priority shifted to other matters. Ultimately, procrastination took center-stage for most workers.
The Future of Work: Hybrid Work Schedules
The days of physical 9 to 5 are gradually coming to an end, and it would be hard to return to the status quo. Apart from employers having to give up their access to a global pool of talents, employees are still actively demanding for work-life balance. But, the challenges of remote work shows that it’s not foolproof. Seeing as employers and employees are divided as regards work routine, it’s important to find a common ground. This is where the hybrid work system comes in.
Judging by new work trends, the hybrid work system strikes a balance between physical and remote work. Since it combines both work routines, hybrid work schedules often ensure work efficiency and satisfies routine preferences.
No doubt, certain tasks require hands-on presence and direct collaboration which the physical work routine fits perfectly. Tasks like surgery, emergency responses, construction, and physical security etc, are better handled directly. In the same vein, there are other routine tasks that require little supervision which are better handled remotely. Administrative tasks project management, customer service, online sales and marketing can be conveniently handled remotely without risking efficiency.
With the hybrid work system, employers and employees can arrange a weekly schedule combining remote and physical work. For most adopters of hybrid schedules, employees only need to show up physically to work twice or thrice a week, with other days given to remote work. In some cases, employees can propose their preferred days for physical or remote work. This way, employees still enjoy work-life balance while employers benefit from the hands-on physical participation of employees.
Recommended Tips to Improve Hybrid and Remote Work
Getting it right with hybrid and remote work is all about communication and balance. To get the best out of a hybrid work system, here are a few things to do:
Prioritize Communication: remote work only works based on effective communication. As such, employers and employees must invest heavily in communication. While serial requests for updates can be daunting, it’s better than leaving things to chance. Investing in virtual communication and collaboration technologies such as Google Workspace, Asana, Slack, and Microsoft Teams is the first step in preventing lapses. Employers and employees must establish clear guidelines for communication and collaboration which everyone must commit to.
Follow Cybersecurity Best Practices: seeing as all remote work is done online, employers and employees must ensure that their access to the internet is secure. Workers must avoid accessing the internet through public WiFI networks which are known for security risks like data theft, ransomware, hacking and the likes. Sensitive information such as passwords must be managed using secure softwares like Cybernews reviewed password managers, and must not be shared. It helps to also install privacy screens on laptops and smartphones to ensure that external viewers do not catch a glimpse of sensitive work files in open spaces like cafes.
Create Effective Onboarding Processes: to better manage cultural and geographical diversity challenges, employers must optimize their employee onboarding process. The onboarding process must document cultural and geographical differences that might hamper meeting schedules and other deliverables. After the recruitment window, the onboarding process is the next best time to expatiate on work culture and weed out the indolent and potentially inaccessible employees. Documentations on work culture, communication structure, expectation, and meeting schedules should be provided during the onboarding process.
Factor Inclusivity when Scheduling Meetings: given cultural and geographical differences in the workforce, it helps to rotate meeting schedules to cater for conflicting time zones and cultural rites. As much as possible, meetings should not fall on sensitive dates such as holidays, festivals, or at late hours. Where employees are absent from meetings due to cultural and geographical factors, they should be given access to meeting summaries in order to stay up-to-date on matters.
Choose the Right Tech: hybrid and remote work are best enjoyed with optimized tech solutions. Rather than depend strictly on free remote work tech solutions with limited capacity, employers should consider investing in either building their own tech or purchasing premium plans from existing tech solutions. Building a customized system of tech solutions is ideal for large scale enterprises with time, money and sensitive data. However, small to medium scale enterprises with lesser resources are better off subscribing to trustworthy tech service providers. Whether building or subscribing, employers must ensure that the tech solutions seamlessly and securely integrate with their existing tech to avoid downtimes and compatibility issues.
The future of work is here! Hybrid work systems are here to stay, and it’s wise to adapt. To stay ahead of the competition, employers need the services of excellent talents which are scattered all over the world. And the best way to get these talents is to offer hybrid and remote work.
The beauty about hybrid and remote work lies in their flexibility and easy access to tech solutions. There’s a tech solution for every business, to ensure smooth adaptation to hybrid and remote work. Stay ahead of the curve and pivot to hybrid and remote work.
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