Possibly we have all had a discussion in recent weeks with people and friends who have fully experienced for the first time what it means to work from home. Were their reactions more positive or negative? Are they able to adapt to the new conditions?
Based on current surveys and Internet discussions that are emerging at this time, the trend of working from home is positive. In the future, many employees can imagine adjusting their work schedules to include at least part of the time spent working from home.
Many of us have adapted very quickly to interacting through online tools and video conferencing services. Some have even attended telemedicine meetings with doctors, another new trend. And social distancing has led, among other things, to an increase in television viewing, although the media itself has not affected the pandemic so much in changing the way we work. Thanks to the 5G network, the Internet and the Cloud, which did not work until a few years ago, we have managed to switch to remote communication mode in a short time without too much difficulty. All this suggests the health crisis will significantly accelerate the trend of digitisation and distance work.
The advantages and disadvantages of teleworking have been discussed many times in the media, so there is no need to discuss them again here. It is more interesting to look at organisational aspects and readiness for the growing trend of distance work. The pandemic has shown consulting firms or project teams, for example, that although corporate policy allows people to live anywhere and distance tools can be used effectively to recruit talent remotely, they still do most of their work in teams and on the go. Their work is largely about personal ties.
Working from home can thus have a significant impact on the culture of an organisation, especially if this culture is considered by management to be one of the organisation's strengths, maybe even a competitive advantage. And since there is currently much pressure on the employer brand and the friendly corporate environment that people can create simply and well, this dilemma is likely to affect most companies.
Maintaining the high value of an organisation's culture will therefore become a key challenge in the coming months and years. One of the principles that can support this goal is the need to require those who work from home to follow a similar schedule and conditions as people working in an office.
Home office will certainly raise other questions as well:
- What will be the impact on employee loyalty?
- What can be done to increase the involvement of distance workers?
- What needs to be done to preserve the organisation's values?
- Is the culture of our own organisation even compatible with distance work?
These are key topics and questions that await us in the near future.
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