3 ways the pandemic will change the way we work
To say the last four months has been a whirlwind of perpetual change is an understatement. But this pandemic isn’t just changing the way we live and socialize, it’s having a big effect on the way we work — and that change has the potential to have a lasting impact. Think about the difference in how you get your work done and lead your team each day.
Here are three ways I believe work will permanently change moving forward.
1. Work will be more flexible
At the beginning of the pandemic, the percentage of employees in the U.S. working from home doubled, from 31% to 62%. And many companies, like CHG, had to quickly adapt from having a small percentage of remote employees to an entire workforce working from home.
What a lot of companies realized throughout this process is that most jobs can successfully be done from home. In fact, according to a McKinsey & Company study, 41% of people report being more productive when working from home and 80% say they enjoy it.
Because of this, flexibility will become the new normal. And more companies will give employees the freedom to choose how they work — whether that’s working in the office full time, working remotely full time, or a hybrid of both.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR CHG
At the beginning of the year, Scott mentioned we needed to be more flexible when it comes to the way our people work. The pandemic may have forced us all into working from home, but we’ve seen that our people can successfully do it. CHG will need to fully embrace flexibility of work by allowing our people to find a schedule that works best for them and the company. In our employee pulse surveys, 80% of our people also indicated they were satisfied with working from home. So, don’t be surprised if the least used work schedule is full time in the office.
2. There’ll be a bigger focus on communication
Since working at home, I’ve realized just how much communication happens passively — conversations in the hall, quick chats at a desk, impromptu meetings. In a highly flexible work environment, communication needs to be much more planned and purposeful.
The upside: thoughtful, transparent communication results in employees having more trust in their leaders and the company — something that is extremely important when you’re leading a scattered workforce, especially when things are changing quickly like they are right now.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR CHG
We believe in giving our people a voice, and we can’t do that if they don’t feel like they’re in the loop. It’s important for leaders to communicate effectively and often to ensure our people know what’s going on within their teams, throughout their division, and across the company. As a leader, make sure you’re checking in with your team regularly and effectively cascading communication.
3. Team camaraderie and connection will become more important than ever
Working from home has its advantages, but one of the biggest challenges remote employees face is feeling isolated. The National Poll of Healthy Aging survey showed that currently one in four adults feel social isolation. This is exacerbated by the pandemic and social distancing requirements. Relying on video as your only means of socializing with family, friends, and coworkers can be draining and unsatisfying.
Over time, it could be bad for employees and bad for business. That’s because people who feel connected to their colleagues are more engaged in their jobs, which leads to better production and lower turnover. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if companies find unique and creative ways to engage their employees to ensure no one feels detached from their team.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR CHG
Helping our people feel connected to their work and coworkers has always been an important part of our culture. Although we’ll continue to find ways for our people to connect with each other and find engagement in their work, we’ll need to be more innovative and creative in the way we approach it, especially as more of our people choose to continue to work from home after the pandemic.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that you can’t stop change. If we want to be successful, we’ll need to embrace it and adapt to it.
What ways do you see work changing? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
