There has always been a clamor for remote work. It seemed enticing, the thought of not spending hours commuting to and from the office. But there were many barriers to remote work, and enterprises did not have any incentive to overcome them – until COVID-19 happened, that is.
At the onset of the pandemic, businesses had no choice but to finally give remote work a chance. Human resource managers did not have any HR courses to fall back on regarding hiring, recruiting, onboarding, and managing remote employees. Still, they had no choice but to learn and adjust as they went along. This, too, shall pass, they told themselves and others.
But the world is ever so gradually inching back to normal, and more and more companies are calling on their employees to trade their cushy home offices for their office desks. But the employees who have been accustomed to working mere steps away from their kitchen and bedroom would much rather work from where they currently are, at least part of the time.
A Case for the Post-Pandemic Remote Workforce
Gallup's September 2021 update on employment trends indicates that 45 percent of full-time U.S. employees have worked from home exclusively (25 percent) or part of the time (20 percent).
The percentage is higher in white-collar (or traditionally office) jobs at 67 percent. Among these white collar employees engaged in remote work, 41 percent said they worked remotely all the time, while 26 percent indicated they worked remotely only some of the time.
This September 2021, the remote work figure for white-collar jobs is less than the January figure of 79 percent, a downward trend that is expected because of widespread vaccination.
Even so, there is reason to believe that the post-pandemic workforce is not going to be the same as its pre-pandemic counterpart.
In a separate study, Gallup has found that an overwhelming majority (91 percent) of those who have worked from home exclusively or at least for part of the time would prefer it if the opportunity to work remotely remains even after the pandemic is over.
Also, 54 percent of those who want remote work to remain an option want a hybrid arrangement where they take turns working from home and the office. Meanwhile, 37 percent would appreciate it if they could work at home exclusively.
And the desire for remote working arrangements is no less intense on the other side of the fence. Among employees working entirely onsite, 37 percent wish they could work remotely at least part-time, while 11 percent wish they could transition to fully remote work.
All of this data should tell you one thing. Employees are not willing to eschew the office altogether. But they do want to retain the option of working out of the office at least part of the time.
This means there is a solid case for retaining hybrid remote working arrangements, especially for companies whose employees worked from home partially or exclusively during the pandemic. Remote is in, and taking it away from employees is going to hurt employee satisfaction.
And you know what they say, happy employees mean happy customers. And this doesn't only make a good tagline; it affects your bottom line.
Deloitte's 2019 Global Human Capital Trends cites an MIT research that indicates companies belonging to the top quartile in employee experience have 25 percent higher profits than bottom-quartile companies.
The Role of HR in the Face of Remote Work Arrangements
Indeed, enterprises may not have a choice but to implement hybrid remote working arrangements. But such working arrangements are not without their challenges. Therefore, HR may have no choice but to realign its priorities, implement new strategies, and assume new functions.
In truth, the role of HR will not change. But the way they will have to go about it must change to cope with the challenges presented by a shift to a hybrid remote workforce.
1. Implement Equitable, Inclusive Policies
HR is in charge of determining who will be working from the office, when. And as working arrangements become more flexible – flexibility is often perceived as inseparable from remote working arrangements – HR must also decide how much flexibility to allow employees.
Employees' needs differ, and HR policies must be flexible enough to accommodate such differences. However, policies must remain equitable and inclusive, and HR must communicate such policies to everyone.
For instance, in a company that allows employees to work on flexi schedules, those who have families may be more inclined to take advantage. Over time, single employees might start feeling dissatisfied about what they perceive as a policy that appears to favor those who have families.
HR can prevent such an issue, however, just by making sure everybody knows the flexi work benefit applies to everyone. Going one step further, HR can send emails to encourage employees to take advantage of their flexi schedule benefits.
2. Encourage Employee Engagement
Isolation is one of the main challenges of working outside of the office. Employees working remotely can feel lonely or like they don't belong or don't have their company's support.
HR can implement strategies to ensure that employees don't feel disconnected and disengaged from the company. The following are examples of these strategies.
● Help Employees Realize Their Impact on the Company
Helping employees understand what they do makes a difference. This message should resonate during the hiring or recruitment process and the onboarding phase. And once hired, procedures must be in place to ensure employees understand the impact of the work they do.
For instance, there can be meetings where the higher-ups report how the company is doing, making sure to establish a clear link between the employees' work and the company's status.
● Provide Opportunities and Show Them the Way Up
HR can actively communicate promotion opportunities to employees. They can also counsel employees about the ways they can grow in the company. Naturally, HR must also provide learning and growth opportunities (e.g., training and courses).
● Acknowledge and Recognize Achievements
Employees working remotely miss the acknowledgment and recognition of their efforts by bosses and coworkers. In remote work setups, therefore, there must be mechanisms in place for recognizing significant achievements.
For instance, HR could keep track of performance metrics and get a company executive to email those who excelled the week before to congratulate them. There could also be monthly or quarterly meetings devoted to recognizing exceptional performers.
● Socials and Casual Meetings
Offices had water coolers, where people chatted and caught up with coworkers. HR may encourage more casual and social encounters among remote employees by setting up digital channels for casual chit chat. They can also organize monthly socials and other fun, team-building activities.
3. Adjust Performance Metrics
By necessity, HR must also revisit performance metrics and see if they remain relevant for a hybrid remote workforce.
The number of hours worked, for instance, may not be an accurate measure of productivity, so HR may have to shift towards a results-based approach. Compensation and rewards systems may also have to be adjusted accordingly.
4. Provide Necessary and Sufficient Tools
HR must also ensure that its remote workforce is sufficiently equipped to do their work properly regardless of where they choose to do it. Employees must have the equipment and the digital tools they need. Furthermore, there must be a seamless switching between their home office and their office workstations.
HR Plays a Pivotal Role
Human resources has always played an essential role in ensuring employees perform their work to the best of their abilities. That hasn't changed during the pandemic, and it's not going to change even after the pandemic.
However, HR does have to adjust its strategies to ensure they remain relevant in maintaining the hybrid remote workforce of the post-pandemic workplace.
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- Human Resource Management and the Remote Workforce - December 20, 2021
