What does the future workplace look like post-Covid 19?

What does the future workplace look like post-Covid 19?

Emma Parry, Professor of Human Resource Management, Head of the Changing World of Work Group, Cranfield School of Management, www.cranfield.ac.cuk/som

WFH may have become the norm in the past few months of crisis – but that doesn’t mean a momentous change to how we work just yet.

Despite the common rhetoric around the decline of the physical office over recent years, evidence suggests there were relatively low levels of home working (less than 5%) before the pandemic. Covid-19 has been a shock to that system of assumptions around how work can and should be carried out: many more individuals will have developed the capability to work at home in relation to using relevant technologies; organisations have been forced to invest in remote working platforms and modify formal processes for management. Managers have needed to adapt quickly, with or without training, to suit the sudden, extreme circumstances. With this experience of the challenges involved, it’s likely that more professional development will be needed to develop the specific skills and make managers more able to deal with remote teams, and, in general, become more resilient.

These changes undoubtedly mean that working at home might be easier moving forward. Some employees have discovered they prefer working outside of an office environment, have enjoyed having more flexibility in their working hours and losing the stress of commuting. Others have struggled with balancing childcare responsibilities with work or facing social isolation. Likewise, some employers have learned to manage their employees without needing them to be physically visible. The question is whether WFH produces any longer term benefits, or is something that works for six months but then loses its appeal. We must not forget the evidence of the importance of social interaction at work for wellbeing and mental health. The social environment that a physical workplace offers is an essential part of the employee experience for many of us.

An aspect of working lives more likely to change is the use of international travel – particularly short business trips for meetings or events. The pandemic period has accelerated improvements in technology for collaboration and communication, and may have made video calls familiar and more effective and accepted as a practice. Coupled with increasing concerns about the impact of air travel on the environment, this might well represent a tipping point that will lead to more significant and longer-term change.

The pandemic has meant a steep learning curve: a set of challenges that might lead to increased capabilities and efficiencies in the future. But ultimately organisations are about how people combine. Decisions about long-term ways of working need to be made with a clear head, when the sense of emergency has gone. And for some that might mean the return of a strong feeling for the value of traditional workplaces, people sharing a physical workplace and its community, alongside more opportunities for home working where it’s wanted or just necessary. 

Whatever the detail of practical arrangements are for working post-Covid-19, one long-term need will be for employers to create a sense of physical and psychological safety. Employees need to know their organisation is putting safety first, is committed to staff wellbeing – a critical factor in building resilience to cope with both the recovery phase now and with future shocks.