Rarely has there been a more sudden and dramatic shift in the way people work than in early 2020 when working from home became an overnight necessity for millions of people as a result of the Covid 19 crisis.
We have seen a rollercoaster of responses from both employees and employers over the last two years, continually adjusting over time to this new world. Initially updates to contracts, concerns for health and safety, rushing to update IT equipment and adapting to new ways of working were the priority.
When the world and offices opened up again, the process of bringing people back to the workplace involved more legislative and health and safety considerations as well as some tricky negotiations with employees about when, where and how they would work going forward.
Now, two years on, many employees have been working from home either partially or fully for some time. Many remote roles have been created. For the most part this has been a positive change, allowing more flexibility for employees to juggle work and home life, and creating a wider pool of talent for many employers. Some employers have been able to save significant costs on office space.
There are however some downsides that are becoming apparent. Fully working from home can be very isolating and lonely, and it involves a significantly increased amount of screen time. A survey conducted by Nuffield Health revealed that 80% of people believe that working from home has had a negative impact on their mental health. Employees tend to work longer hours at their home based desks, with no boundaries in place to encourage them to log off at a reasonable time each day.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has long stated that a sense of belonging is integral to human motivation. We know that employees feeling connected to their employer is of huge importance for engagement and job satisfaction. Being in the office, with a dress code and unique day to day culture has previously played a huge role in shaping and creating that feeling of connectedness and bringing alive the values of the business.
Personally speaking, I have such vivid and interesting memories of the different offices I have worked in over the years. The smart, clinical and professional world of finance in Canary Wharf. The lively, noisy and energetic world of recruitment. The vibrant, colourful, fun world of hospitality.
Maybe it is some nostalgia on my part, but I believe a having a suitable and unique space to connect with other employees is key to ensuring your people feel part of the company and connected to the goals and values of the business.
We are seeing this done now in creative ways, through local working groups meeting up in coffee shops, monthly team meetings held in hired office spaces and the return of team building days and events.
If you haven’t seen your employees in person for months or years, make this a priority in a way that suits you and the culture of your business.
For further advice and guidance on managing remote employees or to arrange a team building session contact one of the Emphasis team on 01794 874232 or hello@emphasis.uk.com
By Mel Stacey
