COVID: how will the labor market change or the new workforce reality

Probably one of the biggest trends of the new workforce reality is “telecommuting”.

Telecommuting or remote work is not something new. It has been popular for years. Convenient, flexible, time-saving, more effective, ATTRACTIVE – these are the attributes to describe remote work as it was before. But it has never been necessary, obligatory or THE ONLY MEANS businesses could survive just like it was during the global lockdown.

I have conducted a survey asking my colleagues, team mates and friends about the reality of working remotely. Was it difficult for them to adapt? Were there any obstacles they faced to keep the communication in the team going? And how much likely will they continue to live and work the newly-hatched reality? Let’s find out!

🔺 Remote work as the new trend

To my surprise, the whopping 67,3% of respondents didn’t feel any inconvenience adapting to the work-from-home mode. 19,2% experienced some difficulties during the first couples of days when the quarantine was established. But they quickly organized their working place at home. And only 13,5% felt it difficult to adapt, mostly because they weren’t ready with the furniture or it was inconvenient for them to work on a home laptop with a much smaller screen size rather than huge monitors they had at work. 

remote work stats

Not only the people adapted to the new reality quickly, they indeed liked it. Answering the question if they consider moving to remote work, 57,7% responded with a strong “Yes, I’d like to”. 25% consider this option a very attractive one but have doubts regarding flawless communication among the team members. And only 17,3% say they wouldn’t consider working remotely at all. 

🧩 Adapting to the new workforce reality

Although for the first time it seemed lonely staying at home, many responded they have become more autonomous and disciplined. The people have crafted their own schedule where they included time for quick breaks, cooking, and short walks outside. They emphasize that their days became more elaborate and better planned. 

Neither the lack of office atmosphere has impacted the communication and flaw of tasks. 

Q: “I could literally hear the intonation of my colleagues’ voices when they typed messages in chats, as I know them so well”

Thanks to modern technologies, such as instant messaging and video conferencing tools, the collaboration among the team players didn’t lose its pace. 

workforce adaptability to remote work

If you take a look at the global landscape, it can be noted that 62% of organizations are shifting more jobs to remote. This means that employees will need to level up their skills to not only work with new technologies but will overgo the transition from office to remote work. And those who want to succeed in the new business environment must learn how to thrive in distributed teams. This may require strengthening tech skills and soft skills such as coaching self-directed workers, building culture in remote teams, and managing in a results-based work environment.

✅ Pros vs ❌ Cons of remote work

Q: “I wake up, take my phone and I am in the office”

Pros

✅ Time-saving – you don’t spend a minute to commute for work. You wake up, take your phone and you are in the office.

✅ Hassle-free environment – it’s much easier to focus on the tasks when there is no one in the room but you. Besides, it gives some extra time for work rather than chatting with your colleagues about pigs and whistles.

✅ You choose where to work today – whether it’d be a cafe, a beach or a bed – as long as you have access to the Internet, you can change the working atmosphere every day.

✅ More time for hobbies & self-development – books, movies, cooking, sports, yoga, educational online courses. 

✅ More time to spend with your family.

✅ For companies, fewer expenses related to office rent, procurement of office equipment and snacks.

Cons

❌ Lack of social interaction – 99% of respondents name it the main disadvantage in terms of psychological well-being and the basic human needs for socialization. But at the same time, they emphasize that excessive communication is harmful when it comes to concentration at work. 

❌ Lack of office atmosphere and mood – when the team meets up to brainstorm ideas at the board or when you wake up to dress and make yourself up. These are also essential parts to keep self-organized. 

❌ Blurred out borders between work and home – Quote “I don’t have to hurry home since I’m already here. And that’s the main cause of overtimes”

🌍 How will the world change after the lockdown?

The employees will seek remote positions, many will resign from current office jobs in favor of remote ones. The employers will also seek for remote independent talents who will be more cost-efficient and result-oriented. It’s expected that numerous coaches teaching about building remote teams and maintaining their effectiveness will appear. 

The mankind will become more adaptive and ready for new challenges. The people will start thinking more strategically, which should bring us to the next micro-level of evolution soon. And finally, the people will watch after their health more thoroughly and will wash their hands more often 😁

Q: “People will wash their hands more often”

Keep up with the pace of the everyday changing trends – see what you might have missed in the Digital space of 2020. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.