In a post-COVID world, hybrid working models, employee wellbeing, and going digital will be front and centre, writes Sandra Hannon, Global Head of Human Resources at Solve.Care:
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2020. Where do we start?
With COVID-19 permeating every facet of society, it is a year that will go down in history for governments, enterprises, and citizens the world over. The celebrations to usher in 2021 were muted. Perhaps we were unconsciously dreading that the worst has yet to come. And indeed, looking around, our hospitals are still desperately trying to garner the PPE and equipment they need to treat the rising numbers of too many contagious and critically ill people at once. Unemployment is still at near-record highs around the globe and families and communities are struggling to navigate repeated lockdowns as countries undergo their third and fourth waves of spiking COVID infections.
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The effects have been far-reaching. Aside from the acute challenges facing patients and healthcare professionals in the fall-out from the pandemic, the virus has caused a plethora of side effects. The ongoing battle against COVID-19 and its ripple effects on the economy and society has brought the world to its knees, taking a serious toll on our emotional well-being.
This has been reflected in the workplace, with a Deloitte survey anticipating that sales volumes and cash flows would be adversely affected as well as organizations’ ability to serve clients and manage businesses. All of this likely impacted by a natural reduction in productivity as a result of COVID-19.
The pandemic has changed the world of work forever, accelerating trends in remote-working and forcing businesses to rethink their strategies. Although vaccines are in the process of being rolled out, it’s unlikely there will be a rush to return to office spaces any time soon. The reality of sustained remote work means for Human Resources, the health and wellbeing of employees will continue to be a central focus in 2021. Additional focus on remote workers must be prioritized so that they have the tools they need to do their jobs, be it office information, company equipment, or team support. This is more important than ever. There will also be an onus too on ensuring that line managers are adept at managing performance and engagement remotely.
For many, 2020 was the first time employees experienced remote working. As a result, there is a heightened appetite among workers for more flexible working conditions and legitimate ‘work from home’ policies from their employers. Hybrid working models are here to stay and it’s likely we may never return to the 9-5 we have become so accustomed to. One of the most important risks to be managed in this year will include ensuring the safety of those returning to the workplace when the time is right. This will include managing or mitigating any related anxiety, as well as measuring and responding to the well-being of people.
If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we live in a volatile world. To thrive within these conditions of uncertainty and future-proof our businesses, we must strive to become ‘sensing organizations’; able to sense and respond continuously, in real-time. Technology provides us with systems to allow people to work remotely, to measure productivity, to maintain a constant pulse on and manage the health and safety of our people, and to communicate in new and effective ways. The emergence of new technologies that will allow us to set and verify health credentials shared by our employees such as COVID-19 test results, temperature results, and eventually vaccination status, will provide businesses with the insights needed to make the most informed and safest decisions regarding their staff.
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Despite these challenging times, it’s important to remember that we have conquered crises in the past, and we will do so again. From hyper-automation and distributed cloud to extended reality and blockchain – the technology crystal balls for the next five years and beyond are buzzing with exciting predictions for cutting-edge technologies that will further transform our lives for the better. Onwards and upwards.
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