How does transforming to WFH affect the organization and its employees?
How does transforming to WFH affect the organization and its employees?
source of image :https://enterprisersproject.com/sites/default/files/styles/google_discover/public/cio_work_from_home_after_covid.png?itok=93f0FYRI
Many employees
were forced to work from home when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world,
regardless of whether they had prepared for it or not. This change was a
significant challenge for both the businesses and the employees. Working from
home has been the only alternative given the unpredictability of the situation
in the world. Managers play a critical role in this situation, assisting
employees in completing their jobs and leading the firm to success
As with any other
alternative, this also has its own benefits and drawbacks for both employees
and organizations.
Benefits
of working from home
· Gives employees their time back
Many people have a very hectic lifestyle.
Working from home has created the opportunity to attend to the needs of the
family due to the lack of commute.
·
Reduce
absenteeism
Employees are less likely
to spread disease to the rest of the team if they have the choice to work from
home when they are sick. As a result, the team is healthier and more
productive.
·
Can focus on work
Because regular workplace
interruptions are eliminated, employees can concentrate on their work. As a
result, the effectiveness of work can be increased
Apart
from the benefits, there are also disadvantages to the work-from-home strategy.
Drawbacks
of working from home
·
Feeling isolation
Spending a lot of time in front
of a screen, away from coworkers, friends, and maybe family members, could lead
to feelings of isolation and distance between the employer and the company.
·
Difficult to make
boundaries
It's difficult to rest even
at the end of the day when there is no specific time period for working. Therefore,
there is a merging of the work life and the private life.
·
Familial
distraction
The regular routines of
family members might divert attention and disrupt the smooth work flow
Source of figure : https://www.zdnet.com/a/hub/i/2020/03/02/009b0aeb-9b3c-4794-8a3a-ba9b5d949030/the-transformative-possibilties-of-remote-digital-work.png
How
can the HRM support and motivate remote employees?
Transforming
under the health regulations to remote working has added a new role to the HR
department to boost productivity, motivate and engage remote staff. It is vital
to keep workers who work from home motivated and engaged in order to get the
best out of them.
- Provide technology
Ensure that the remote staff are equipped with the right technology, good access to the internet, as well as a reliable VPN to work effectively. Providing such equipment allows remote employees to stay in touch and work efficiently.
- Regular communication
Thanks
to technological advancements, communication via communication platforms such as
Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and others are possible at any time. Creation of a
work-from-home guide and holding regular live conferences to notify them when the clarifications are done
- Better workspace
Even while technology allows employees to work from anywhere, management should encourage employees to pick a location that is less distracting and more comfortable. This can be simply accomplished by allocating a budget or allowance for office equipment
- Make workers happy
Do happy employees boost productivity? Of course, a happier employee would contribute more to the organization. Sending a small gift or a snack box does not seem much, but it may certainly delight your teammates.
Conclusion
Employees and
employers must go hand in hand to achieve success in remote working. Taking the
appropriate actions under various circumstances to overcome the challenges of
remote working and engaging employees in productive manners is a new responsibility for
management. Many organizations have been successful in adopting remote working
strategies recently.
“Jack
Dorsey, the dual CEO of both Twitter and Square,
informed his employees at both companies that they can continue working from
home “forever.” Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, followed with his own
announcement that his employees may also work from home”
References
Andersen, J. J., 2018. business.com. [Online]
Available at: https://www.business.com/articles/perks-benefits-for-remote-workers/
[Accessed 20 07 2021].
Atchison, J., 2020. business.com.
[Online]
Available at: https://www.business.com/articles/hr-support-remote-work/
[Accessed 20 07 2021].
Kelly, J., 2020. Forbes.
[Online]
Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2020/05/24/the-work-from-home-revolution-is-quickly-gaining-momentum/?sh=5dae1c0e1848
[Accessed 21 7 2021].
McCann, J., 2020.
[Online]
Available at: https://www.business.com/articles/motivate-remote-workers/
[Accessed 20 07 2021].
Murphy, J., n.d. snacknation.
[Online]
Available at: https://snacknation.com/blog/work-from-home-policy/
[Accessed 20 7 2021].
Very Timely topic Heamaka. Working from home may sound like an ideal situation during this pandemic situation where as all the mobility restrictions are inforced. Eventhough this impact has both pros and cons you have well described your argument here. Thank you for sharing this article.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your valuable comment Oshada.
DeleteA topic that mostly highlighted through the pandemic and open a new platform and opportunities for the organizations. WFH benefiting to both employees and the company. It's increase the productivity and save money in many ways and decrease the caring and handling pressure for the company.
ReplyDeleteGood evaluation Hemaka;
Thank you Sunith for your valuable comment.
DeleteIt is very important for an organization to make changes within the organization according to new global trends. It is very crucial to surviving in the fast-moving global business environment. So with the pandemic situation, most organizations approach towards WFH method. As Sri Lankans, we also adjusted to this method and practically experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ReplyDeleteYou have nicely defined all the factors, thanks for sharing.
Thank you Umesh for your valuable comment.
DeleteThough this was not very popular in our country before, the pandemic situation occurred in 2020 have provided the space for this to be used widely. It helped the organizations to carry out their work continuously through the tough times.
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting article which fits the current situation.
Thank you Gangani for your valuable comment.
DeleteHeamaka thank you for discussing the current topic. There are benefits and drawbacks both in working from home . When we discuss about COVID 19 pandemic in Sri Lanaka , the situation created suddenly. most of Sri Lankans were not familiar with that concept WFH. Obviously they got space ,spend some quality time with their family, Specially they got some time for themselves . But when its come to the working time at home ,they faced to lots of difficulties as you mentioned in above, Distraction from family, Technology issues, Isolation. Changes , Switching are important to our professional and personal both lives , but at the right time in right manner.
ReplyDeleteThank you Parami and I agree with the points you indicated in your comment.
DeleteThank you very much for your valuable comment Tharindu.
ReplyDeleteIt is an interesting topic and post, thank you for sharing Heamaka.
ReplyDeleteYou have nicely covered the benefits, drawbacks and HR support and motivation to adopt to the change.
I also agree that the pandemic challenged organizations to change the status-quo and traditional working method to remote working or WFH and it is probably a wake up call for organizations to rethink new of working for the new generations to come.
An interesting stuff Hemaka. HRM must come up with innovative ideas to keep employees motivated. Work from home is the new normal so no longer HRM will be equipped with new practices and policies to keep the WFH employees more satisfied.
ReplyDeleteImportant and interesting topic Hemaka, The importance of the WHF have increased than ever before. As Tharindu correctly mentioned many companies not think on WHF before the pandemic however they have been pushed to do it in new normal. WFH benefit to the society by reducing carbon footprint.
ReplyDeleteHello, Heamaka. First and foremost, I'd want to remark that the way you wrote the blog's contents enticed a reader to keep reading without becoming stressed. You've listed the benefits and drawbacks of working from home during a pandemic. Working from home is more difficult than working in a traditional office setting. According to the JD, not all types of occupations can be performed in the same way.
ReplyDeleteSales, for example, is one of the most difficult work styles among many others.
Still, employing E-marketing sources, you might come up with some inventive strategies to attract customers.
During this COVID 19 pandemic, almost all employers and employees have already been exposed to WFH.
Thank you for providing further information on a fascinating topic.
All the very best for your next findings.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWorking from home may appear to be a perfect position during this pandemic, since all movement limitations are enforced. But WFH clearly misses our colleagues, social networking and motivation. You have nicely presented it.
ReplyDeleteGood job Heamaka. Working from home opens up a new range of possibilities for the way organizations can work and structure themselves. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, home working has given some employers the flexibility they need to continue their business operations while prioritizing staff and customer health and wellbeing as part of their public health responsibility. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, working from home was on the increase as many employers identified the benefits that it can bring to their organization and the improved work-life balance for their employees.
ReplyDeleteTopic is very timely important, in the content you have explained the under "How can the HRM support and motivate remote employees? and Benefits of working from home "very are informative.
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing