Steven Kemler on Work-From-Home
COVID-19 is often described as the invisible enemy. However, invisible as it may be, it has ignited a firestorm of changes to our daily workaday lives, one of which is where we work. Some companies have embraced work-from-home for years while others have resisted. While many companies are doing so during the current pandemic, Covid-19 has also meaningfully accelerated conversations about making these arrangements permanent.
The Future of Work
Based on direct experience and reviewing third-party analysis Steven Kemler, an experienced entrepreneur and investor believes that the benefits of remote work outweigh the drawbacks. He feels the that companies should prioritize the “remote work revolution” as a strategy to reduce overhead and increase employee satisfaction.
Steve says that work-from-home saves the average employee almost one hour of commuting each day. That adds up to significant time saved over the course of a year, which, along with more flexible work schedules, should lead to happier, more productive workers.
According to CNBC, many now working from home hope to continue doing so indefinitely. Articles by Forbes and Stanford University also make compelling cases for remote workers being more productive and engaged at a lower total cost to employers.
Not surprisingly, some companies such as Twitter are already leading the way, telling employees that they can work from home permanently. So, what will that mean for workers at Twitter and beyond?
photo/pexels
Output is Critical
To excel in the workplace of the future, employees will need to spend more time contemplating their overall output rather than their timesheets. In a post-virus landscape, most companies will be looking even more closely at the value of work completed rather than how much time was taken to complete it. For managers, this will accelerate the need for and progress towards outcome-driven metrics. For employees, they will be more dependent on the value of their work—and their ability to quantify it. All helpful trends relating to increasing efficiency while also helping staff with their work-life balance.
Communication is Key
With companies embracing work from home, teams are finding new ways to communicate. As we return to normalcy, managers and leaders will be expected to find new ways to enable teams to work together seamlessly, while clearly communicating their own thoughts and goals.
For their part, employees must be willing to adjust the channels through which they communicate. As we have known for a long time, millennials and baby boomers have different preferences regarding communication. An issue that has long challenged managers, these struggles will move to the forefront, as new methods of communication are quickly implemented. Some employees will need a new set of communication tools and related training to succeed in a more virtual world.
While we all crave some professional normalcy, when offices return to “normal” they will likely be very different than they were pre-COVID, with many workers operating remotely. While we do not know everything about what comes next, we know enough to start planning and adapting so we can move forward, effectively.
Author: James Daniel
