The Future of Work: Offsite Becomes Onsite

It is easy to focus on the exciting parts of returning to shared workplaces, large gatherings, or even smaller commitments with friends and family. But critical conversations about how we move forward loom, and we cannot ignore them. With vaccination rates rising, the prospect of returning to old office routines seems possible. But will companies return to their pre-covid ways, even when it is safe again? 

Before the pandemic, only 8% of workers with office jobs worked primarily from home, according to www.conferenceboard.com. This same article, “Covid-19’s Biggest Legacy,” shows that the same figure could settle within the 20-50% range in the post-pandemic world. As companies look to life after the pandemic, they choose among three primary options for returning to the workplace: 

• Call everyone back to the office.

• Adopt a hybrid model.

• Provide more fully remote opportunities.

Having operated remotely for an extended period, many professionals do not want to return full-time to their offices, and they seek something more tailored to their personal needs.   

The main reason for this shift in workplaces is due to remote work going better than expected through the pandemic. The mass requirement to work from home in 2020 showed that it is possible to give employees a choice without sacrificing productivity or experience. Employees now expect flexibility, which means most organizations will need a plan to support both in-office and remote workers. Those who are already returning may find changes to office design and/or policies for team productivity to help this massive shift in working culture and behavior. It is as if the pandemic accelerated evolution for the workplace, forcing flexibility with hours and meeting employee personal needs. 

Many large companies, especially those specializing in administrative work, are announcing a hybrid model for workdays. In addition, the pandemic has challenged companies and managers to rethink their work environments. This cultural change presents a challenge for many employers whose work options require physical proximity. Because the hybrid and remote models are often preferred, it is harder to find people to work these in-person jobs. In addition, hybrid work environments give employees more options when choosing when and where to work, changing what we consider a perk of employment. For example, someone may choose a lower-paying job to skip the commute two days a week or look for a new job to gain the option of staying home when a family member is ill.   

Management must think critically about the development and execution of their return-to-work plans. This thinking starts with understanding the workforce challenges we face in a post-pandemic world so that leaders can ask the right questions and act as a sounding board for their teams. In addition, because the risks COVID-19 poses continue to evolve, companies will need to keep flexibility in reshaping the future of work.  

At Bauman Consulting Group, we tailor consulting services to the needs of your business. In addition, we offer training for teams transitioning to hybrid models for work, including virtual team building. Please email us at info@baumanconsultinggroup.com for more information, or look at our website for further details at www.baumanconsultinggroup.com. 

3 Tips for Attracting Your Boss’s Attention While Working Remotely

There’s no doubt that COVID-19 has changed many things about the way we live and work. Many of us have been relegated to working remotely, which comes with a variety of challenges. Among those, being physically absent from your office makes it harder to be “seen” by your boss.  This lack of visibility may make it more difficult to stay on track for key assignments and promotions or to stand out in performance reviews. 

When bosses can’t see and monitor you, they may think you’re not being productive or less motivated than usual. Remote workers can easily fall off the radar of supervisors, themselves dealing with the challenges managing during a pandemic brings. 

The following tips are good practices in general, but especially important when working from home. 

Take initiative. 

Don’t wait to be asked to contribute. Be proactive when it comes to problem solving and idea pitching. Volunteer to take on projects others may pass up or that keep ending up on the trash heap of forgotten ideas. Bosses love it when employees do things before being asked. Consistently deliver quality results that get noticed. 

Communicate. 

Make sure your physical absence doesn’t equate to a communication absence. If anything, over-communicate. Speak up and proactively participate in calls and online meetings rather than fading into the background. Make regular calls and emails to your supervisor. Initiating regular check-ins with your boss can open an ongoing dialogue that gives you the opportunity to highlight your work and successes. 

Stretch yourself. 

Just because you’re working remotely doesn’t mean you can’t pursue professional development. Whether it’s undertaking an industry certification or attending an online conference, there are ample opportunities to participate in virtual career training, networking and professional growth. 

Take this time to stretch beyond your comfort zone. Learn a new skill – like a technology or process - that normally would fall outside of your area of interest of expertise. Volunteer to take on a difficult task such as leading a project or chairing a committee. 

 Demonstrate your ability to be a team player. Seek the opportunity to collaborate with others either in your department or across disciplines to meet a challenge or create an out-of-the box solution. Those who can successfully drive cooperative problem-solving tend to get recognized by organization leadership.

 At Bauman Consulting Group, we provide both individual and group coaching to help people achieve their personal and professional goals. Find out more at www.baumanconsultinggroup.com.