How Covid-19 Changed Our Working Environment

The Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the entire world and altered the way we live, shop, and work. As some CEOs are now requiring employees to come back to the office full or part-time, some factors in the way we work will be forever changed.

While some find more productivity in being in an office setting and not distracted by mountains of laundry and a sink full of dishes, others prioritize the money-saving benefits of working from home with zero commutes and the lack of splurging on work lunches.

So… how did Covid-19 change our working environments?

Let us count the ways.

The Reinvention of Collaboration

If we’ve learned anything from the global pandemic, it’s that effective collaboration doesn’t only happen around a conference room table. Workers in a slew of industries have made use of electronic methods of collaborating on projects via workflow trackers, instant messaging systems, and video calling platforms.

The Potential of Social Isolationism

There are introverts who thrive on working independently but for those who create more collaboratively, Covid brought forth a sense of social isolationism and put a strain on the mental health of so many employees worldwide.

Personal Priorities – Reimagined

Instead of just “getting through the workday,” many realized that they aren’t finding themselves in the right position (for them), and others came to the epiphany that they’d been bogged down with things that just didn’t matter, and working remotely offered them the opportunity to do what they love at their workplace – or move onto a different position that challenges them. Employment soul-searching at its finest.

Upping Skill Sets

Hands-on industry employees grabbed hold of new technology and expanded their skillset during the pandemic which has boosted the wide range of abilities among team members. This upping of skill sets could lead to even more innovation in all industries going forward.

Culture Shock

Post-pandemic, employees are pushing their personal limits to remain open, honest, and transparent in their working conditions with their respective employers – creating a company culture where they are in control of their own workday. It highlights those employees who are independently productive and those who may need a bit more of a nudge from their leaders.

Trust on both sides of the employment coin is a culture that should have been implemented from day one of employment, but now it is relied upon as people continue to work remotely – even part-time or on a flexible schedule.

Flexibility is King

While flexibility to work the hours when each employee is more productive (which is a great step toward amping up business profit and effectiveness of teams), the flexibility of leadership and human resources departments to reach beyond their immediate geographical areas to hire the most talented candidates benefits their bottom line too.

Final Thoughts

It’s incredible how one devastating illness that spread far and wide has brought to light both positive effects and opportunities for growth in every industry, in every country, across the world. Pre-pandemic, companies were struggling to help employees find work-life balance (partly by force and quarantine efforts) and we’ve learned that productivity doesn’t always require sharing cubicle space and having conversations around the water cooler.