As the globe slowly starts to turn the corner past Covid-19, there are still many uncertainties that lie ahead in the way we live our lives and run our workplaces. Until a vaccine has been created, our way of life is unlikely to return to normal.
This pandemic has ushered in a new way of doing business and some of these practices, like physical distancing and limiting the number of people per area; may stay with us for many years to come. We wanted to highlight some changes that may stay in the workplace for the foreseeable future.
Workplace Flexibility
Now that many within the workforce have experienced the work-from-home (WFH) life and have proven their productivity, it will be difficult for businesses to remove it from their talent. Furthermore businesses will want to have a solid remote-work infrastructure in case countries and states go back into lockdown.
Hence having secure and reliable IT systems in place to facilitate WFH is a must now for any business who wants to thrive in the post covid world.
Workplace 2.0
New practices introduced like staggered use of the break room, rostered teams to work in the office and temperature checks are just a few of the many new practices we will experience in the new workplace. These practices will have a knock-on effects on how we used to do business before.
For example, how would your staff meeting look now post corona? Can you fit the same amount of people in the conference room like you used to, whilst still keeping a safe distance?
Conference rooms and meeting spaces will need to be redesigned or reconfigured with new IT infrastructure to be able to cope with the different demands of keeping the workplace safe.
Digitized Collaboration
Digital collaboration is the way of the future and this pandemic has only accelerated the adoption process. Big companies like Google and Adobe have already made the switch during this crisis.
We will not only collaborate more using video-conferencing, on top of that we will be using more Software-as-a-Service (Saas) tools to help enhance the interaction and increase the productivity. Whether its Zoom, Teams, G-Suite, or the many hundreds of SaaS on the market, interacting with our colleagues using these tools will be our new normal now.
Learning for both businesses and staff
The Corona virus has had a huge impact on many industries and many people have lost jobs and livelihoods because of it. Businesses that have survived or are trying to, are learning to adapt and find new business streams or ideas.
Through analyzing business data, trends and business climate changes, companies are having to relearn what still works and what doesn’t.
This in-turn will lead companies to upskilling their staff in different areas to be able to cope with the changes in the business landscape. It could be taking online courses or creating new in-house training modules, shoring up the workforce with new skills is going to keep business more resilient during these times.
The common thread throughout all these new changes is technology. Businesses need a solid IT plan and infrastructure now more than ever. Whether it be in-house IT Team or an external Managed Service Provider, companies need IT expertise to navigate through these uncertain times so that they can come out on the other side a better and more agile company than before.
