WHAT DOES OUR FUTURE WORKPLACE LOOK LIKE?

by James Grant |  09 Apr 2020

 

In this current climate, it’s worth considering what we can learn from flexible working and what positives we can bring with us out of lockdown, in relation to the workplace.

 

It has been interesting, though not surprising, to hear the reservations employers are having towards these mandatory working arrangements. After the initial shock, most employers view the current situation as a loss of control over their employee’s daily work routines and are now having to trust that work and output will continue. Seemingly, not an ideal situation for any organisation but one that could, if embraced, have positive outcomes for both parties.

 

While employers are feeling a lack of jurisdiction over their workplace, employees now find themselves with more choice and authority over not only how, when and where they work (in this instance the ‘where’ part is limited to the home or garden) but how they balance and integrate their work with family, personal and well-being time.

 

Research substantiates that offering employees more choice and autonomy over how they work, results in better performance, higher output and a happier, more engaged employee. Trusting that people are capable of managing the way in which they work and prioritise their workload can make them feel motivated to achieve as well as valued. There is the potential that from this forced change in workstyle a workforce will emerge that is more resilient, engaged and confident to implement different ways of working and using technology to ensure optimal performance.

 

Time will tell as to what approach employers will take. There is always the potential that companies will return to a ‘business as usual’ approach which would be a lost opportunity to implement positive and progressive change. Companies that learn from this period and adapt with their staff by harnessing this new confidence will improve the level of engagement and productivity within their organisation.

 

While most industries and companies will undoubtedly return to office-based working at the other side of this, the successful ones will embrace and learn from this period of accelerated change and look not just at their organisational structures but also at their physical environments. The question will then be, is your workspace designed to support your organisations new ways of working and adapt to your employee’s new needs?

 

If you want to explore this further, we are here to help

© 2020 Aitken Turnbull