Image: Straits Times 15 June 2020

 Physically reporting up for work at an office is unlikely to resume even if the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

There is an increasing number of knowledge-based employees who have become accustomed to working out of office or remotely in other settings and this arrangement is expected to become the new norm in the current situation.

Remote working is not a new concept, but the adoption (or compulsion to adopting it) has been catalysed due to the pandemic, and most organizations find themselves having to adapt to the new situation. But how many organisations have been successful in doing that, and if so, how are they doing it?

Here are some ways that organizations can manage remote working

1. Creating a hybrid work model

At some point, it will be safe to return to the office either that or countermeasures would have been sufficient to ensure the safety of employees. But one thing that we have learnt from 2020 is that a lot of the work that we do can be done remotely and virtually.
Which makes the hybrid model with flexible working structures a favourite among the current workforce. In a recent survey, it was found that 74% of knowledge workers say they could do their jobs just as effectively from any location. Also, in another survey found that 88% of knowledge workers would look for a company with those benefits when seeking new employment. (Citrix)

2. Delegate decisions to smaller teams

Allow people managers and team leaders to decide and work among their team to craft out the remote working arrangement and integrate into their daily operations without disrupting customers’ services and requests. As part of the deployment, the company also provided a one-time work-from-home subsidy to support office set-ups at home.

3. Evolve evaluation of remote employees

Since appraisals are centric around observations of behaviours and performance of employees when they are in office, so the traditional labels on the employee does not add up.

In fact, employers sometimes become too focused on the review labels that it distracts from what matters most in a performance conversation — setting the employee up for success.

Now, since employees are not often in sight, the way to review their performance will have to change and evolve, at enable Consulting, part of our work in recent times involves us working with Business Leaders to implement new way of appraisals for remote working members.

4. Use technology to maintain work synergies

Some of these softwares such as Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, Workplace from Facebook are becoming common household names so much so that employees are complaining of Zoom fatigue. But it turns out virtual meetings have merits we can’t leave behind.

Managing a team remotely is also another challenge that leaders have to get used to, hence collaborative softwares and HR policies to foster work from home cultures have to newly implemented by enable Consulting to employees in a position to work from home and collaborate digitally.

In the end,

There is no cookie-cutter solution or one-size fit all solutions to manage the post pandemic working arrangement in each company.

HR departments must therefore understand the circumstances of each individual – what role they play, whether they have had time to establish strong work relationships that will contribute to successful remote working, the life stage they are in, the nature of their current projects and their access to a suitable workspace at home.

ABOUT ENABLE CONSULTING

Established in 2013, enable Consulting is a specialised HR solutions provider for small and medium-sized enterprises.

We believe that having a strong and robust HR function is a key driver for continuous growth in any successful business. It is on this belief that we have built many successful partnerships with clients across different industries.

We are a people business and it is our talent pool that defines us. Each and every one of our consultants is highly professional with many years of experience in HR management and services.

Our Consultants are PMC certified to further be able to help local SMEs improve and optimise their HR operational efficiency through Singapore Grants. enable is about offering affordable, high value adding solutions to improve business performance; while at the same time nurturing and inspiring a fair and respectful working environment. But above all, enable is about enabling you.

Contact us for a non-obligatory Q&A consultation today