Change is inevitable for a business, and leaders need to be prepared to help their organizations navigate change in all its forms. Yet, few leaders could have predicted the sudden and extreme changes brought on by the ongoing COVID pandemic.
The novel coronavirus came as a surprise to almost everyone outside the infectious disease community, and it continues to be a source of concern for those in business. Though no one can predict how workplaces will look and function once COVID is gone for good, leaders should be aware of the following changes that are already affecting almost all organizations.
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More Employees Are Choosing to Work from Home
Prior to the pandemic, remote work was undeniably on the rise. According to the 2019 State of Remote Work from Buffer, many employers were already aware of the increase in interest in remote work. And some were in the process of developing support for remote workers before the pandemic hit. Most workplaces prioritized resources for in-office workers, who comprised the dominant portion of the staff at surveyed organizations in 2019.
After more than a year of pandemic conditions, both employers and employees have accelerated their ideas about remote work, as the 2021 State of Remote Work report demonstrates. Now, most workers surveyed intend to have access to remote work opportunities for the remainder of their careers.
The benefits of remote work are more obvious to business leaders as well as their workers: less stress, more productivity, financial savings, greater sustainability. Even while some workplaces strive to return to normal operating procedures as fear of the novel coronavirus wanes, a large number of office staff are likely to continue working remotely in some capacity from here on.
Workplaces Are Relying More Heavily on Collaboration Tech
During the weeks and months of necessary remote work at the height of the pandemic, workplaces were compelled to find new methods of communication and collaboration given that in-person meetings and conferences became impossible.
By and large, video conferencing technology became the dominant solution. Zoom alone saw an increase of use of about 2900 percent between December 2019 and March 2021, and today, there are more than 300 million daily meeting participants relying on Zoom.
While most employees admit that video conferencing is the best solution for collaborating with coworkers while working remotely, some are seeing downsides to using technology to stay in touch with their team members. A new mental health condition is emerging across remote workers, who display symptoms such as feeling more tired at the end of a remote workday, overeating, eye irritation, regular headaches, anxiety around video calls, and more.
Currently called “Zoom fatigue,” the condition should be a concern for all employers, who need their remote workers happy, productive, and connected.
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Leaders Are Expected to Do More to Engage and Connect
Employee engagement has always been important for company success. Yet, because the pandemic has physically separated staff from employers, and because the pandemic caused undue stress on workers, who have been forced to navigate an unprecedented global crisis as well as their typical work responsibilities. Employee engagement became absolutely critical during the pandemic.
Unfortunately, many leaders find it more difficult to engage and support their teams from afar. As the workplace continues to shift in the shockwaves following the pandemic, business leaders should consider enrolling in a leadership and change online course, which provides the tools and techniques for surviving any kind of business transformation. Skills gained in such online courses can help leaders develop stronger and more connected teams at the tail end of the pandemic and in whatever period comes after.
Employees Are More Concerned About Spreading Disease
Finally, employers need to consider how to physically alter their places of work for in-office employees to feel safe and healthy. In 2019, research found that roughly 90 percent of American workers used to report to work despite symptoms of illness.
Though many workers continue to worry that taking time off will jeopardize their employment, greater fears of falling ill from COVID-19 have led to a shrunken workforce and a need for workplaces to become safer and healthier going forward.
Companies interested in preserving employee wellbeing have already installed multiple resources to keep their physical spaces clean, like temperature checks, social distancing, and sanitation protocols.
It is possible that organizations will devote even more attention to healthy practices, such as offering more wellness rooms and programs and making their corporate culture more supportive of mental and physical health.
Most businesses expected to experience some kind of change during 2020 and 2021 — but few anticipated a global pandemic. It is impossible to predict all the ways COVID-19 will affect the workplace and workforce in the coming years and decades, but leaders can start today by recognizing what today’s workers need now.
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