Working from Home – Emergency Solution or New Market Standard?
The growing popularity of remote work has been one of the most distinctive symptoms of change in the HR industry in recent years. Undoubtedly, the development of new technologies contributed to this – according to research conducted by FlexJobs in cooperation with Global Workplace Analytics, from 2005 to 2017, the number of people working remotely in the US increased by 159%! However, certainly no one predicted that virtually overnight, remote work would become an everyday reality for so many of us. What's more, no one expected how quickly we would all miss returning to the office.
Technical Exam Passed with Flying Colours
Some industries managed to respond to the current situation exceptionally smoothly – some companies switched to remote work practically overnight. These are organisations that were already able to operate in a similar system, and whose work largely focuses on creating virtual products – primarily the IT and new technology sector. However, people working in other fields, whose main work tool is a computer with Internet access, were also able to quickly change their workplace from the office to their own home.
– If today's situation had happened to us even a few years ago, we would have had much greater difficulty adapting quickly to the new conditions – says Lucyna Pleśniar, Chairwoman of the Board of People. – The systematic implementation of solutions such as storing documents in the cloud or remote access to network drives, as well as introducing modern remote collaboration tools into the organisational culture, has now enabled us to apply emergency mode relatively easily. And although we had not previously had the opportunity to do a dress rehearsal and test new solutions on such a large scale, I think that from a technical perspective as entrepreneurs, we passed this exam quite well – adds Lucyna Pleśniar.
Independence and Conscientiousness Guarantee Effectiveness
However, it should not be forgotten that beyond technical capabilities, effective remote work also depends on several other factors. In a situation where so many of us have shut ourselves in with our computers and are trying to carry out our daily duties as normally as possible, the ability to organise one's own working time becomes crucial.
– The level of motivation and self-discipline have a direct impact on the quality and timeliness of tasks performed remotely – explains Lucyna Pleśniar. – This should not pose a problem for people in independent positions, but it is natural that those who are just starting their professional careers need constant support from their manager – adds the Chairwoman of People.
When working in an office, surrounded by more experienced people, there is always the possibility of a quick consultation or asking someone for advice. All kinds of internet messengers, currently experiencing a real surge, can only replace direct contact to a limited extent. In a sense, each of us is now on our own. Remote work also poses a considerable challenge for managers, for whom managing a team in the current situation is much more difficult and definitely more time-consuming. In this area, the remote work system still offers us very limited possibilities and significantly affects the effectiveness of every organisation.
Remote Work and Data Security
Data Security at Home
Switching to remote work mode does not exempt anyone from maintaining all necessary procedures, including those arising from GDPR. Therefore, ensuring adequate data protection is currently a huge difficulty for many companies. Even organisations that were able to quickly implement a new work system on a wide scale had to previously carry out a series of actions related to securing procedures, network drives and company equipment. However, employees must realise that the data they handle during remote work is not fully protected by the company infrastructure, and now it is mainly they who are responsible for its security. That is why the industries or areas of business that on a daily basis operate mainly on sensitive data or printed documents, and therefore a large part of their tasks must still be performed on-site in the office, are currently facing an enormous challenge. At the moment the epidemiological threat was announced, government offices, HR departments and accounting departments were forced to introduce a shift system in order to maintain continuity of operations and guarantee data security without putting their employees' health at risk.
The Spread of Remote Work Will Affect Other Areas of Business
New Standards in Offices
In addition to the global economic crisis that the spread of the coronavirus is likely to trigger worldwide, such a sudden change in the work system will leave its mark on many sectors. The current situation may to some extent revolutionise the office real estate market. Some companies, looking for budget savings, will decide to introduce a so-called hot desking system, where no employee has an assigned workplace and uses whichever desk is currently free. This will significantly reduce the demand for office space, e.g. in sales departments, whose employees previously spent most of their time anyway at meetings with clients. Employers may also decide to implement a shift system in which each employee would work from home on selected days of the week. In this way, demand for office space could be significantly reduced – according to National Bank of Poland data, its total area as recently as 2019 amounted to nearly 11 million square metres – and that is only in the nine largest Polish cities.
There's Strength in Numbers… and Greater Efficiency
However, we must not forget that humans are social animals and in the long run it would be very difficult for us to function alone. The environment and company of co-workers is a very important factor influencing the quality of work and life in general, and professional development is an essential element of our everyday lives. That is why it matters to us not only what work we do or how much we earn, but also the atmosphere in which we work and with whom we have daily contact. Our brains evolved to form social contacts, create bonds, build relationships. From the perspective of employees, the lack of social contacts in the long run can be very demotivating and contribute to a decline in mood.
The direct effect of the current situation will be a certain change in the area of the work system – a significant portion of daily duties will be permanently transferred to the virtual space. Completely new standards will emerge, and some of the processes hastily created now will stay with us for longer. However, there is no doubt that eventually we will all gladly return to our offices.
– The remote work system may have worked well as an emergency solution, but in the longer term it takes away from us what we were made for. Already now, after only two weeks since restrictions related to the spread of the coronavirus were introduced, we are beginning to miss interpersonal contacts, spending time in the company of co-workers, the energy flowing from others, learning from one another and motivating each other – summarises Lucyna Pleśniar. – Everything therefore indicates that when the situation returns to so-called 'new normality', we will appreciate more strongly how much being among others and building mutual relationships gives us – including at work.
Lucyna Pleśniar, Co-founder and Chairwoman of People – has been connected with the HR industry for over 20 years. She took her first professional steps in corporate HR. Her experience includes recruitment, team building, consulting based on AC/DC competency assessment, optimisation of employment structures, as well as internal HR issues such as job evaluation, design and implementation of motivation systems and employee assessment systems.
