August, 11, 2020
Stemming the spread of the corona virus (Covid-19) pandemic has necessitated a new reality in the layout of workspaces. The status quo of pre-Covid-19 workplace layouts is no longer applicable as companies are required to strike a balance between applying social distancing protocols and maintaining exceptionally high hygiene and safety standards, and at the same time ensuring acceptable levels of productivity.
Organisations and companies are different due to the diverse nature of their businesses. There is, therefore, no established playbook for running a business in a pandemic.
However, one thing is clear: most businesses are already experiencing massive changes in their workforce and in the layout of their businesses. These changes are stimulated by a mix of trends, lifestyles, socio-economic and digital innovations. All these factors are ushering in new workspaces and work style preferences. For some companies, working remotely will become the new norm with employees required to harness the power of connectivity to work remotely. But with the diverse industries and social issues involved, remote work is simply not for every business, nor for all employees.
Businesses that wish to remain sustainable in the Covid-19 era need to rethink and re-evaluate their workspace needs. An effective facilities management model that incorporates workspace planning is required to respond to this by offering tailor-made workspaces that address all the demands of a post Covid-19 workplace and beyond, and that will also address the diverse needs of the 21st-century workforce. Offering a variety of environments in which to perform is key in the modern workspace. And with careful planning, results can be both impressive and functional.
Defining the right mix of workspaces is difficult owing to the multi-generational workforce found in many organisations. At least four generations of employees work side by side in many companies, and this on its own creates challenges. Each generation has different needs and different work styles.
A wide body of research shows that Generation Z and the Millennials are increasingly becoming a dominant age demographic in many organisations. These generations wish to work in a workplace that considers a balance between work and life, that fosters collaboration and creativity, with performance measurements in place, and that drives sustainability with results that focus both on business and on society.
The implementation of the nationwide lockdown in many countries around the world has threatened to sound a death knell to the traditional office. While many employees will continue to work remotely, corporate offices will undoubtedly continue to remain relevant during the pandemic, and after it. However, the form of these offices will definitely change.
Identifying solutions that work for everyone could be the answer we need, and this lockdown period has to an extent provided businesses with opportunities to establish what is possible and what is not in terms of flexible and remote working
There is a need a to create a balance and to ensure our workspaces accommodate employees in a manner that minimises the spread of the disease. It’s undeniable that these changes will be easily accepted by the younger generation who are used to working flexibly. In one way or the other, this younger generation will drive many employers to become digital natives and workspaces will consist of meeting points and co-working sites.
The pandemic has raised the need to embrace technology in our workplaces to a new level, forcing companies to integrate a holistic approach to digital enablement. Though it stands to reason that technology cannot define the workplaces of the future, it is generally accepted that it is a critical element in creating workspaces in the 21st-century.
In most instances, a reduction in the need to commute has undoubtedly been one of the biggest contributors to supporting people in achieving a better work work-life balance. In the past five months, smart companies have been focusing not only on cost structures but also on technology enablement. Although the setup costs are expensive, the spinoffs in improved productivity, brand ownership, employee retention, customer experience and the growth of the bottom line are invaluable.
With the lessons already learnt from the pandemic, leaders can thus drive their employees to respond to the market forces at play using these technologies.
Given these and other uncertainties, companies need to focus not only on business operations but also on adapting to these trends and developments. This will allow leaders to stretch their thinking to transform workspaces and create flexible structures for employees to focus on their roles. With flexibility, employees are able to showcase their capabilities and acquire the ability to get ahead of events that come with the pandemic rather than reacting to them.
Some lessons can be drawn from first world countries around the impact of flexible workspaces. The Swiss work environment has always been progressive in its approach to working from home, and this has largely contributed to better quality of life and improved productivity. In fact, in 2019, almost a quarter of the Swiss working population worked from home at least occasionally. According to a study by Deloitte Switzerland, this proportion doubled as lockdown was imposed in many countries across the world due to the Covid-19 crisis.
While this model is not for everyone, the Swiss have found that there is a clear increase in productivity resulting from working from home. The same experience is being felt by some of the skilled professionals in South Africa. A report from Dimension Data indicates that approximately 42% of South African companies had full-time employees working from home in 2017. And up to 75% of these employees highlighted that they were more productive working in a home office environment. Without a doubt, the numbers of people working from home have escalated this year as companies were forced to contain the spread of Covid-19.
A report by Andrew Kerr and Amy Thornton from the University of Cape Town states that about 13.8% of workers (approximately two million out of 16 million employed people) are working from home during the lockdown. Most of them are professionals, and about 65% are in senior positions and 56% are skilled people in different occupations. These stats show that the-work-from-home model is still developing in our country with mostly professionals in the corporate, civil society and media landscape using the concept.
Given our diverse society, a toxic mix of inequalities, internet malfunctions, unreliable electricity, and high data prices compared to other emerging markets, productivity is not fully guaranteed in this country.
Working from home requires broadband internet to meet with operational demands, communication, research and data processing, among other things. According to Stats SA, about 67.7% of South Africans are using the internet, but few of them have a reliable connection – about 1.2 million out of 13.4 million households have fixed broadband access.
The South African market has a diverse labour force with employees requiring either an office environment or a remote workplace, or both. What is certain is that Covid-19 is changing the future of work, forcing both employees and employers to explore new ways of working. With such a diverse society, what companies should be doing now is ensuring flexibility in their workplaces. While some employees will grab the opportunity to work remotely, those who find it difficult might opt for an office environment. This gives businesses a chance to downgrade their office environments and reduce costs.
New Workspaces article
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