The past year has offered a myriad of lessons about how to manage and lead a workforce, particularly during times of crises.
Although this time has been challenging, the reward has been a revamped view of the workplace and why the employee experience needs to be valued.
Now, it is up to companies to decide what policies to take with them as we slowly approach the post-pandemic era.
One of the most significant takeaways of the past year has been remote working and how it appropriately fits into the workforce. While it is still desired by many employees, research has found that some workers miss having an office to come into.
However, the office will likely play a new role. Although it is evident that collaboration is best done in a physical setting with colleagues, other tasks like emails and all individual work can still be done in the comfort of a workers’ home.
Additionally, companies must continue to adopt technology that makes it easy for employees, no matter where they are working from, to connect with each other.
Leaders must also encourage home workers to create a home office schedule and environment that optimizes productivity. This means including ergonomic furniture, creating boundaries between work and home and allowing for breaks throughout the day.
With more employees working from home, it will also be essential for companies to invest more into cybersecurity measures as remote working leaves workers more vulnerable than they would be in an office setting.
