Gartner, a research and advisory company, has found that businesses are now starting to prepare for how they will run things after the Covid-19 pandemic. Many of these businesses find that they now have a new kind of challenge to handle. They need to manage a new hybrid workforce with some of the employees coming into work like normal, and some staying at home to do the work.
In fact, a study done by Gartner found that 82% of businesses want to allow their employees the option to work from home, at least for now, while 47% of those plan to make it into a permanent change. They have found that allowing their employees to work from home opens up more opportunities, makes employees happier, and can even improve the productivity of the employees. This has made them very eager to continue on with the trend.
The question is not whether remote work is here to stay (that seems to be a resounding yes!), but how companies will handle this. Some employees will come back to the workforce and stop working from home, while others will choose to take advantage of the ability to work remotely. This means companies need to find a way to manage this hybrid working style.
How Will Remote Work Affect Benefits? Hours?
Along with some of the regular allowances given to remote workers, companies need to consider how vacation time, breaks, and other important aspects of a good work/life balance (and the labor laws) will play out. Some organizations plan to allow flex days or flex hours, and a few are going to transition to having employees work longer days, but only four days a week. Each company will have to figure out the type of schedule that works best for them, their employees, and their customers.
Of course, companies that want to stick with this new hybrid structure permanently will have to address more than just the hours of the employees; they will also have to figure out how to measure and meet goals. The way employees will work together in the future is different when they are remote workers compared to those who are in the office together at the same time. One way that this is being done is by managers increasing the number of check-ins that they do on employees to help them maintain productivity.
Employee Relationships and Workflows
Another concern that some managers and companies have is how to create parity between the in-office workers and the remote workers since they won’t be in the same place at the same time. This may affect the work culture and can be a difficult thing for the business to handle.
Each company will need to take a look at the right way to do this based on their structure and what works best for them and the employees.
Not Going Anywhere
While there are a number of challenges that will present themselves through this new hybrid work structure, it seems that, despite the pandemic slowing down and more businesses opening up, that remote work is still here to stay. Businesses just need to find creative ways to make it work for them and their employees!
About Endicott Call Centers
Endicott Call Centers is a national call center company with omni-channel services. We are fully equipped to help you with your business and with any particular circumstances. We draw on decades of experience to help you make the right decisions for your business.
Endicott offers full-service virtual receptionists and a wide variety of other services to help you run your business more efficiently. With Endicott, you have access to:
- Highly-trained, professional Agents & Receptionists
- Customized scripts
- Live agents 24 hours a day
- 100% US-based locations
- English & Spanish Speaking Agents
- HIPAA-compliant For Medical Support
- 24/7 Solutions for Dentists, Legal offices, eCommerce, and many other industries.
- Full access to call management and tracking tools that enable you to regularly monitor and evaluate our performance and help you manage your business effectively
Please request a quote or call 800-947-3227 to learn more about our solutions for creating exceptional customer service experiences for your clients. We’re happy to offer our insight into what your customers and employees seek from your company.