FEATURE : REMOTE WORKING
With organisations grappling to ensure that the value that the remote working model has generated during the pandemic is inculcated in the company ’ s culture when everything returns to normal , pundits caution that remaining behind may entail an organisation failing to attract talent to its workforce .
Tarik Belhachemi , MEA Head of Connectivity and UC / CX Business Development , Orange Business Services , said the old norm has gone and the new normal will be different or even radically different , depending on the sector . Belhachemi said education , hospitality and healthcare may shift back towards to the pre- COVID-19 norm based on their reliance on human touch and strong dependence on physical assets . “ Many other sectors may experience a new norm with only minimum changes while others will transform ,” he said . “ For companies which had to radically change the way they worked during the COVID-19 pandemic ( retail , IT , banking , insurance , MOFA ) they have to continue their journey towards adopting a more flexible , agile and sustainable way of working . This has proven to be a factor for resilience during crisis and it has also accelerated adoption of services that benefit customers and employees ( such as the acceleration of e-commerce and e-banking ).
According to Belhachemi , the most important factor is ensuring that the user is at the centre of every decision . “ Businesses that build working practices around employees , rather than forcing employees to bend to fixed approaches , will be much more successful at implementing hybrid working ,” he said . “ Every business is different but there is a general consensus that support for remote working usually improves organisational culture and employee engagement .”
Ali Elsabban , Head of Corporate , Pearson Middle East , said a good work culture is the backbone of every organisation and has a huge impact on the overall business performance . Elsabban said while a physical space does not make a company culture , it can become more challenging to uphold a successful corporate culture across dispersed employees , teams and offices . “ The aim for these team members is to achieve a common business goal . Organisations that are exploring the hybrid work model should implement policies to retain the talent and allow them to grow as the company does ,” he said . “ Additionally , it is important for these organisations to enable virtual interaction with their employees and engage in an organic conversation through surveys , polls and other engagement tools .”
He said once the model has been implemented , it is crucial to collect data and continue to get their feedback on possible improvements on areas that can help the company grow in a lateral format and enhance the work culture .
Max Hsu – Marketing Director MEA , ViewSonic , said most enterprises have embraced new ways of remote working in the past 15 months , aiding in building on the shared regional experience of the lockdown phase . However , observed Hsu , public memory is often short and more needs to be done by organisations to ensure that the value that their remote working model has generated during the pandemic is inculcated in the company ’ s culture in the post-pandemic period . “ Apart from making some major technological changes , companies will be required to make a cultural change for the region that will positively support the transformation and help reap the benefits of the value created by their hybrid working models . Imparting the right lessons and applying them swiftly will empower the region to advance at a greater speed towards a digital future that benefits everyone in the region ,” he added . p
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