3 Ways Covid-19 Will Permanently Change The Future Of Work

Covid-19 has changed the future of work—permanently. In early May, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reflected, “We have seen two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months.” 

Without a doubt, the post-Covid-19 workplace will operate differently than the pre-pandemic workplace. Here are three aspects of the “workplace” that are slated to change. 

Office life and layouts experience makeovers 

Perhaps the most discernible impact of Covid-19 will be the percentage of people operating out of a physical office space. According to research from Gartner, nearly three quarters (74%) of CFOs expect to transition a number of previously on-premise employees to remote work setups permanently in the aftermath of Covid-19. This transition is primarily driven by a desire to cut commercial real estate costs.

For those companies that continue to adopt an in-office work environment, we can expect changes to how offices are structured. Consider a recent initiative by leading commercial real estate company, Cushman & Wakefield. Cushman & Wakefield has designed what it’s calling the “Six Feet Office.” The goal of the initiative is to showcase what a socially distant workplace might look like. The “Six Feet Office” includes arrows plastered on office floors that direct people to walk clockwise—in a very mechanical fashion—around the office. What’s more, each morning, as part of this new layout, employees are asked to grab a paper “deskpad” for their desks that they then discard at the end of each day. 

Cushman & Wakefield is certainly not alone in forecasting changes to physical office layouts. Experts have also predicted that we can expect to see barriers between desks in some offices to block the spread of germs. Standing desks—which would necessitate taller barriers—are likely to see a decline. Some experts have gone so far as to predict that employees will need to pass a health check before the start of each workday in order to gain admission to a physical office environment. 

All these changes that undeniably make the office less social and more mechanical beg an important question. If the socially distant workplace of the future constrains action and serendipitous conversations, doesn’t this defeat most of the advantages of an in-office environment? Without those prototypical water-cooler interactions, can a physical co-located office setup really foster stronger connectivity between workers as compared to a virtual environment?  

Perks and support shift in focus

The days when foosball tables and nap-pods afforded companies a recruiting advantage were already in sharp decline before the onset of Covid-19. But now, we’ve officially reached the point of no return. Workers have gotten a taste of the remote work life—and many won’t accept a return to an in-office environment. 

In the post-pandemic era, while some companies will make the decision to transition 100% of their workforce to remote work, chances are that most companies will opt for a hybrid approach, allowing select employees to work remotely, or allowing all employees to work remotely some of the time. In order to recruit top-notch talent, companies are going to need to think very carefully about what their remote work policy will look like. Who is able to work remotely? Is there an application process? What does this look like? 

Companies will also need to think carefully about how they will support their remote workers. The most obvious form of support is a remote office budget. Shopify, for example, is one among numerous companies that have offered its employees a $1,000 stipend to purchase any necessary office equipment to help ease the transition to remote work. 

But chances are high that a remote office stipend won’t cut it in terms of empowering effective remote work. Mental health perks and resources are likely to experience a significant uptick as more companies embrace remote work. According to Buffer’s 2019 State of Remote Work report, 19% of remote workers experience loneliness. Furthermore, research by Mind Share Partners—a nonprofit that helps companies improve their mental health resource offerings—has found that more than 60% of workers say their mental health affects their productivity. Clearly, mental health resources will need to be top-of-mind for employers hoping to empower their workforce for remote work success. 

Chat literacy becomes more important

As more workers transition to remote work, we can also expect to see companies double down on what HashiCorp—which offers open-source tools that empower companies to successfully transition to the cloud—calls “chat literacy.” 

In a recent webinar, HashiCorp CEO Mitchell Hashimoto asked attendees: do you know the difference between “ok”, “ok.”, and “ok…”? Hashimoto went on to explain that not knowing the difference between these three seemingly similar responses is “equivalent to hiring someone who is illiterate.” While the differences might seem subtle, they are immensely important. Whereas “ok” indicates a rather nonchalant response, “ok.” has negative connotations, and “ok…” indicates confusion or uncertainty. Depending on which form is used, the conversation is likely to shift in entirely different directions. 

Fortunately, according to Hashimoto, “chat literacy” is easy to train and learn. Yet while it shouldn’t be a dealbreaker during the hiring process, it should definitely be put on a pedestal throughout the onboarding process. In a future workplace where communication may continue to shift from verbal to chat, the importance of chat literacy cannot be overstated. 

Before the pandemic, 70% of employees believed going into the office wasn’t necessary. As we emerge from this pandemic, this statistic will likely increase. It’s not whether the traditional office will change—it’s how. By planning ahead and preparing your workforce for a remote future—whether that means an entirely remote setup or not—you can set yourself up to weather these difficult times and navigate the post-pandemic transition.

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