Despite the sudden transition to working from home over the past few months rocking companies to their core, employees have still managed to get work done and have even been more productive than ever. Yet, economies all over the world are slowly preparing to open back up, and some organizations are seemingly rushing the process.
If organizations want to adapt to the future of the workplace, they need to understand that prioritizing cost savings over the well-being of employees does not work. Offices are only effective when people want to work out of them, and most importantly, that there is no returning back to normal.
When reevaluating the workplace, the most important factor to consider is how employees will be impacted by their environment. Workers are showing that the open office concept is distracting, lacks privacy and has now become a health hazard. Instead, employees want a space that is de-densified, offers private areas and prioritizes their health and well-being.
According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, 37% of all U.S. jobs can be done from home, but prior to the pandemic, only 5% of jobs were done from home. Further analysis has found that workers prefer working from home as it is beneficial to their ability to produce great work. That is why companies need to survey their staff to understand what work arrangements benefit their workers and company the best.
Although some may try, there is no running away from flexible work policies. Flexibility is officially here to stay and businesses that do not adopt them risk losing out on top talent.
