5 Ways to Modernize Workplaces & Practices

WHILE THE WORLD IS starting to open back up, the long-term effects of COVID-19 on business, the economy and how we interact with others remains to be seen. One thing we do know is that how we communicate and how we use technology is forever changed.

Between March 30 and April 24, 2020, Global Workplace Analytics conducted one of the largest global work from home surveys and found that employees and managers alike are satisfied with performance while working from home, and upwards of 77% would like to continue doing so. We know that pre-COVID-19 workspaces and predominant close-contact interactions will not work in the future. We have to combine past and current work styles and places and understand how to protect our employees, technologies and customers.

Adjust to different work styles, namely virtual.

Mandated closures are lifting, so you will just call everyone back, right? Not so fast. Your staff may question why they must commute when working from home produced the same result. Or, while you might be OK with closer contact, they are not. Or, they found a better worklife balance working from home and don’t want to upset that. Whatever the case, a shift in mindset and a gradual approach to workplace re-entry is in line. The fix? Find balance. Fewer people require less space. This could be a cost savings or a better way to use the space you have. Create energy via virtual platforms and make group interactions planned, safe, and packed with purpose. Acknowledge that group environments will be different and take change in stride.

Be intentional when defining workplace culture.

The aforementioned survey also learned that while most respondents enjoyed working from home, that same majority was also more satisfied collaborating in person, and missing their coworkers was cited most as the reason people wanted to return to the office. So how do leaders of this new, less personal workforce incorporate in-person energy and cohesiveness into virtual teamwork? Steve Riat, sales director for Nex-Tech, says it is about scheduling time to connect and not always making it about work. Managers and co-workers alike need to check in with each other, and if a faceto-face is not possible, virtual lunches or coffee breaks can become the norm.

Stay cyber safe. Your staff is the single most important thing in preventing attacks.

Remote work using cloud applications is convenient. It also removes controls and protections put in place by IT, so now is the perfect time to get best practices and safeguards in place for the long-term. One of the most important considerations in preventing cyber-attacks is end-user training. Make sure your staff is trained in recognizing phishing and social engineering attacks and uses multi-factor authentication. Be clear about end-user policies.

Strategize IT to ease the transition.

Change is imminent and IT management is no exception. Going from an occasional virtual workplace to making it the norm can be overwhelming, so have a conversation with an IT service provider. It is a good first step and they can structure the conversation to define and recommend a path that makes sense for you. Here are some questions to consider:

• Who handles day-to-day support and does that change in a virtual environment?

• Do you have remote work policies in place?

• What happens when an employee connects to your network on a personal laptop with outdated antivirus?

• Who bears the risk, liability and impact to your business and clients if a cyber-attack compromises data?

• How do you ensure confidentiality on video calls from locations like a coffee shop?

Make use of technology a priority.

One of the most positive consequences of the last several months is seeing how people’s attitude toward technology shifted. Prior to the pandemic, we knew it was essential in our daily lives, but nothing drove that point home more than making it the ONLY way to continue your daily life. Now, we have one of the highest adoption rates of new tools ever and an incredible opportunity to put the use of technology at the forefront of innovation. Going forward, continue that momentum in all conversations, plans, trainings, budgets and communications. TK