Flexible working arrangements and their impact on the productivity of Colliers International clients is a regular topic of discussion. How flexible would employees like to be? How much flexibility should be provided and how does the company support them?
These are questions which have been put into a real test under the current circumstances amid the spread of COVID-19 – when a huge number of working professionals have been forced to work from home. Companies will have to find their solutions to show they are really prepared and equipped for smart working.
From the Workplace Advisory surveys Colliers International conducted (2,000 employees in 2019), the data showed only 37% of respondents (stated they can decide how and where they will perform their work), 85% expect to have such freedom in the future. The message to employers has been to seriously investigate options to introduce flexible working within their company and, through this factor, improve the employee engagement. The change of management style from controlling to objective/goal orientated management is crucial with such change but, it is increasingly expected by employees. Two days a week is the number of days per week that employees typically work from home or outside of the office.
Therefore, now is the time to test the possibility of remote working and get it really implemented. One of the Colliers Int. clients is currently experiencing an easy implementation of a fast remote work switch for their employees as Colliers Int. helped them to implement flexible working already 18 months ago.
“We are talking about a company with high security measurements and a heavy load of paper documentation needed to run their business on a daily basis. They have now 900 employees out of 1,2000 with an approved home office practice supported by the right technical equipment (laptops with fast VPN connectivity etc.), so the switch to remote work was efficient, and will not hit productivity of their employees.”
Another international client practicing remote working for their employees already decided 2 weeks ago to split their teams and 50% of their employees are working the whole week from home and 50% come to the office and then switching between the teams. The goal is to minimize impact on the entire team and make sure the team functions even if one meber is affected. Again, this was an easy implementation in practice from day one, as the company was ready years before.
Are you ready to work from home?
For an efficient home office, your company should make sure its employees have the right equipment, such as dedicated phone lines, internet connection, telephone headset, as well as a useful video or conference call communication tool, eg Skype or Zoom installed in their computers, to connect with the team and business partners if needed. Some positions require a webcam, printer and scanner or a transcription software too.
Each position needs a different level of preparation and equipment needed. Sometimes a laptop and a phone would suffice to be up and running. It need not be a slow-down of business activities. With a dedicated workspace where one can concentrate, it becomes easier to unlock the benefits of remote work. Once equipped in the right way, employees can be even more productive in their home office, with benefits like fewer interruptions from colleagues, minimal office politics and reduced stress from commuting. So how ready are you and your company?
Visit https://www2.colliers.com/en-cz for more and look forward to a webinar on this topic on April 9.
Colliers International & ABSL Czech Republic
