Adapting to our new remote working reality

A year into the global pandemic and there is near universal agreement that flexible working models, that accommodate different locations and schedules, have proven to be much better than anyone would have imagined possible.

While it might appear that the Covid-19 virus precipitated the work-from-home movement, for many knowledge workers the shift to remote working was already well underway.

The pandemic has indisputably accelerated and amplified the remote working trend and there is no doubt that as we gradually move towards a new more ‘normal’ environment, business as usual will look profoundly different.

Most employees largely welcomed the shift to remote working, but for some companies and employees alike, there have been and will continue to be some growing pains. Social connection and bonds between colleagues are foundational to the success of all organisations and first-time remote workers can feel overwhelmed, disconnected and distracted initially.

Since the pandemic hit just over twelve months ago, technology has dominated the conversation about work. A good day at work depends on the quality of your Wi-Fi. “Zoom” is now a verb. And virtual collaboration happens with tools like Slack, G Suite and Box.

After the initial freedom and enjoyment of being able to work the way they wanted to work, for some the shine quickly faded. As the pandemic stretched on with no end in sight, many people found that they sorely missed the social outlet that work once provided.

The need for belonging and connection are core to being human. While productivity, work-life balance, and overall satisfaction with working arrangements is trending up, the difficulty of building and maintaining relationships and staying in sync with colleagues is a persistent struggle.

Digital tools are the indispensable infrastructure of remote work. But getting plugged into the best technologies will only take you so far. Thriving in the world of remote and distributed work depends on finding new ways to wire your teams’ social connections.

At NWT we know that remote working has been a steep learning curve for everyone. But with the right policies and technology, it is possible to ease the transition and ensure that remote work is both productive and fulfilling.

While there are many things that we do not know about what lies ahead for remote workers, we do know that siloed communication, fragmented systems and disconnected employees simply will not cut it anymore. As we all learn to navigate these times of great change, we also have an opportunity to reimagine how work is done.

It is clear that remote working will be at the core of the new ways of working, the trend has already picked up pace, with industry giants such as Google, Twitter, Morgan Stanley, Microsoft, Amazon and JPMorgan announcing permanent work from home policies for significant portions of their workforces.

The new normal offers everyone – employees and staff – an opportunity to reflect about what is important at a corporate and individual level. The talent pool no longer has to be within commuting distance of the office. Work no longer needs to refer to the workplace but the fundamental operations to be performed. Technologies such as cloud computing enables efficient and sustainable remote working that will free up teams to focus on creativity, problem solving and innovation.

NWT is helping businesses to rethink their remote working strategies and implement an agile work culture that prioritises results and flexibility over rigid structures. We provide independent advice on how to set-up physical and virtual workspaces using communication, project management and collaboration tools.

Our services are designed to empower productivity through consumer-like experiences across your organisation – regardless of the location of your employees. Our services enable flexible working practices such as remote working, use of different device types to access data regardless of location and enhanced collaboration tools. We provide a suite of Office 365 advisory, transformation and ongoing management services that overcome the challenges and complexities of moving workloads to the Cloud. We provide fully managed Service Desk solutions that are designed to encourage self-help, self-heal and resolve issues on first point of contact. We can deliver both on and off-site support for your IT infrastructure and applications including Office 365.

As a result of the pandemic the world is a very different place. Over the last 12 months, many organisations and individuals have been forced to adopt austerity measures to survive. But the new normal is finally here. Now it is time to recover, instil a sense of purpose and set bold new goals. Now is the time to enrich your digital infrastructure and tap into new talent. Your reward will be a more resilient company, a more diverse and empowered workforce and a more robust and equitable society.

If you would like to know more about our goals for the new workplace future of work, please contact info@newworldtech.io or visit www.newworldtech.io