The employee base across organizations, industries, sectors and locations were taken completely by surprise at the months-long Work-From-Home strategy that was adapted by their employers.

Gone are the days when you would bring the topic up with your bosses only to be rejected right away or turned away using sarcastic comments on how WFH was not an option and in all certainties, those bosses are the ones who are having a tough time today maintaining the sense of team & culture with their team scattered across.

Formerly considered a privilege, WFH was suddenly “the new normal”. So how are we still coping with this, 11-months on?

Work from Home(WFH) has liberated people from traditional concepts of associating working from office with higher productivity. It provides flexibility to employees so they can focus on their work while staying closer to their family. It also saves time and stress associated with office commutes.

As we return to new normal, we believe that it is best to have a hybrid model in place; something that offers the best of both worlds. While people may enjoy eliminating the morning traffic rush or the reduced living costs, it will be equally important for them to maintain the physical, in-person interactions with people going forward from a continued growth and learning perspective. The need for collaboration and innovation also would play a role in driving them to the office space for at least few days a week. 

With the emergence of a unified global work environment, industries and functions within an organization that can: (1) Leverage technology platforms and infrastructure to deliver on business priorities; (2) Involve limited physical interaction with other stakeholders (clients, colleagues, etc.); and (3) Effectively address key considerations like privacy, cyber security, etc. can be considered for adopting a flexible, work-from-home model.

So what does 2021 look in the face of the ‘new normal’?

Companies focused on innovation will come out ahead of the curve – be it in customer interactions, building employee culture or creating more efficient products for the conscious consumer.

The recent trend of location-agnostic hiring will create global opportunities for all the skilled talent. Contract employment as a part of return to work programs may also favor both the candidate as well as the organization.

Some organizations may use advanced technologies for bias-free and data-driven CV parsing and word analysis. Analytics will help with dip sticks, gauging employees’ experience and connecting to people at large in a virtual environment.

While a lot of the work scenario has changed, businesses need to keep focusing on being agile and adaptable to be able to cater to the needs of the whirlwind changes 2021 is posed to bring. Now boards of directors and CEOs are demanding a work-at-home plan. Every company needs a well-thought-out work-at-home and business continuity plan.

We are living in an amazing time where we are seeing if humans can come together on a global scale and cooperate to stalk something that is out to get all of us. This is going to change forever how people think about working and business continuity.