Showing genuine care and celebrating & rewarding the behaviours which are valued also helps in sustaining the culture even in a remote set-up. People who are aligned to the organizational purpose and values are always ready to walk the extra mile and hence are more productive

The COVID-19 pandemic that hit us last year changed a lot of things in our lives, perhaps none bigger than forcing us to work from home. A year later with the second wave still ebbing and experts already predicting the third wave, it seems highly unlikely that we shall be going back to work like the good old days. Also, remote work brings with itself the advantage of cost savings to businesses. Hence, I strongly believe that work from home or hybrid work structure is the future and organizations need to reimagine their policies and practices in line with the new workplace. However, the new workplace brings a lot of challenges too; one of the major being ensuring job security & productivity. So, what can organizations do to overcome it? Here are some quick tips that can help leaders:

Preserve culture

A remote work productivity study done by Great Place to Work® found that most people reported increased productivity levels in the new normal of work from home. Interestingly, when these employees were asked to name one thing which made their organization a great place to work; all of them shared unique aspects of their culture which ranged from ‘catered lunches at home’ to ‘genuine love’ to ‘positive atmosphere’. Hence, while perks can help bolster employee productivity, it is the organization’s culture that ensures long-term sustained growth. However, it’s easier said than done. A major pitfall of remote working or hybrid working is the erosion of organizational culture which leads to employees feeling detached from the organization thereby resulting in low productivity. Hence, it’s very important to reinforce and reiterate the vision, mission and values to people at regular intervals because it is the culture that eventually binds everyone together. Showing genuine care and celebrating & rewarding the behaviours which are valued also helps in sustaining the culture even in a remote set up. People who are aligned to the organizational purpose and values are always ready to walk the extra mile and hence are more productive.

Leverage technology

It’s imperative for organizations to invest and build capabilities to use technology that enables their people to work efficiently and effectively. While remote work has of course made organizations more affable towards technology but it’s time they think beyond the Zoom or Meet calls and make strides towards truly digitizing their workplace. Today technology can help automate a lot of mundane and routine tasks thereby increasing productivity. Thanks to the recent innovations in cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now helping leaders make informed business decisions using predictive analysis that aid in better forecasting. AI can also help HR teams assess the engagement levels in the organization through sentiment analysis which thereby leads to increasing productivity. There are also various productivity tracking tools available which help managers gauge the progress made by their team members on their goals and they can take required action if things are not progressing in the desired direction.

Protect people from burn-out

One of the perils of work from home or hybrid workplace is that the lines between what’s personal and what’s professional have blurred which makes it difficult for employees to switch off and call it a day. While this may mean increased productivity but eventually it leads to fatigue and mental stress, thereby resulting in lower productivity. Hence, it’s crucial for organizations to help people find that perfect work-life balance and double up their efforts towards employee care and support.

Foster engagement

A study by Gallup found that engaged teams have lower turnover, 21% greater profitability, 17% higher productivity and 10% higher customer ratings than disengaged teams. Hence, it’s a no brainer that, organizations need to ensure that people are engaged at workplace, whichever you define the workplace (remote, physical or hybrid). Engagement, however, is undoubtedly a challenge in a remote set up because of physically distanced teams. Organizations should work towards creating various avenues for people to collaborate, connect, celebrate, and foster an environment where people are given opportunities to hone their skills and where they are valued and cared for.

Over-communicate

Remote work or hybrid workspace often gives rise to a sense of insecurity among people because they are working in silos and the level of camaraderie and team spirit which they otherwise experience in a physical set up is missing here. Hence, many a times people feel anxious and a sense of job insecurity seeps in where they feel they are not important for the organization. Leaders should therefore work towards showing the big picture and communicating to people how their work contributes to the larger organizational objective. This brings a sense of purpose and belonging and helps kill insecurity.

The world around us has changed significantly in the last one year and our workplaces are no different. Organizations should take this as an opportunity and try to work towards reimagining the people practices and policies thereby producing a workforce that is engaged, secure and productive.

(The given article is attributed to Rohit Hasteer, CHRO, Housing.com/PropTiger.com/Makaan.com and solely created for BW People)