Covid-19 has necessitated faster adoption of the ‘work from home’ option, due to the need for social distancing.

As employees spend more time at home, a business transformation seems to be taking place at multiple levels and one needs to seize the opportunity, says a senior executive.

Rubeena Singh, CEO, iProspect India, the digital performance agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, says the pandemic has provided businesses with resilient and adaptive ways to engage with their ecosystem — be it their employees or customers.

“While many companies have always equipped their employees to work from home (WFH) to ensure business continuity, the current crisis has forced organisations to embrace WFH at scale and has changed our perspective,” Singh told BusinessLine .

The impact of the coronavirus may be so sweeping that it alters human behaviour that has evolved over millennia, and could change everything, from the way companies conduct business to the way consumers make purchase decisions. Singh says though corporates have battled several crises before, the pandemic has spurred companies to come up with incredibly imaginative ways to find connections even when people are not in the same physical space together.

In today’s scenario, a ‘workplace’ need not be a defined physical location. “It can be anywhere. This new reality may change the workplace forever and everyone may need to embrace a different sort of workplace behaviour,” she says.

“The modern workforce is increasingly mobile, collaborative and dynamic. Remote work software like mobile work tools and virtual reality conferencing may become the preferred form of communication, even over face-to-face meetings, other than those deemed critical.”

Ways to stay productive

However, traditional working habits are hard to break, and some business leaders may be fearful that implementing flexibility into their organisation will jeopardise high performance.

Hence, the key to managing remote teams successfully is meaningful goal-setting, she stresses. “Set clear deliverables and specific metrics that enable you to track outcomes and measure results effectively. This way, remote team members are aware of expectations, and their performance can be monitored.”

Communication becomes all the more important when teams are fragmented. Regular virtual meetings can be conducted for updates and to ensure that things are on track to help manage productivity.

Hybrid model

Given that the very concept of working has been turned on its head, “Many employees may now expect remote work opportunities. Some may be willing to take lower salaries for exercising the WFH option, while others may refuse an onsite position, knowing they can find a more convenient and flexible job elsewhere.”

Several corporates have already trialled remote working and have felt numerous benefits. With no commute and more autonomy to determine working hours, employees can achieve better work-life balance.

“I believe that in the long run a hybrid model will emerge,” says Singh. “Working remotely for two to three days and the balance at the office. That will give the employee two to three days of meetings, collaboration and interaction, with ample opportunity to just focus on the work for the other half of the week.”