The Future Of Work

 

Because Nan and I have been primarily working remotely and because I was a business owner for 27 years, I have a lot of interest in the subject of the future of work. Since the pandemic, as everyone is aware, the landscape has dramatically changed. It was like an earthquake, a volcano eruption or a hurricane hit the way we were able to conduct our working lives.

All sources that I have read agree on one thing: hybrid work is the new normal for a great many of jobs.

Of course there are many hands-on jobs that can only be performed in the traditional manner. That goes without saying. But many others are not dependent on physical location. The question becomes what is optimal for both the employer and employee. That might be two different opinions.

The self-employed and entrepreneurs have the most autonomy for making these decisions. Some jobs, by nature lend themselves to the option of remote work – primarily those that are desk-bound in some way or another. Others, which are location specific do not have that alternative choice. Some jobs may place boundaries of a different kind. Licensure or legal permits may narrow down the possibilities.

As I read through the many articles and studies that have written in the last year or so one statistic seems fairly stable. Most people with the option of WFH (work from home) still prefer to have some direct contact with others they work with. Employees are most satisfied when they have flexibility and choice.

Managers Are Stuck In Between

This has been a tough road for management who has to decide on the productivity of a hybrid arrangement, or even full time WFH. Most statistics show that productivity does not go down or even may go up slightly to significantly. What it has revealed is that what has changed is the time frame in which work is performed. Rigid nine to five schedules often will have given way to work performed during alternate times. This is a real benefit to parents and to those who work best in the early morning or late evening. It changes or eliminates commute times and may ease traffic patterns. But it often places additional stress on managers trying to maintain a cohesive work flow.

In looking back at the company we owned, a hybrid schedule could only have worked for some of my employees – those that did the “front office” work. Our outside sales force already did not spend much time in the office (non-productive), but our order fulfillment crew had to be on the premises. From my viewpoint as a sales associate/owner, in-person contact was highly necessary to build relationships, and although desirable, was not necessarily essential to maintain clients. Having sold the business eight years ago, it would be interesting to see how current technology would have changed us. The rapid growth in the online world over the last 5 years could have really had an impact.

Although it would not have changed our particular space needs, for many businesses it has. I have already heard of downsizing and office sharing from some of my current counseling clients. I could see smaller work groups centered around location, but connected to the larger entity by video, or even “always on-camera” groups, but still working from home.

I do believe that as time goes on there will be at least a partial return to the physical office not only by mandate, but also by choice as the isolation feels less appealing. We are social creatures. We need each other to thrive, and part of the way we do that is through our work relationships. Even though Nan’s and my work by definition is relational, virtual connection is still virtual. We can feel a difference. And there is a massive difference between an online versus an in-person church service. Connection is absent – you are not “known”. 

I would suggest that if your work is virtual, you find other ways to maintain live connection, perhaps opting for at least a hybrid work life and in-person church.