WFH
For most companies in the UK as well as other countries, they are currently caught in a bit of bubble, one foot in, one foot out, restructuring and re-shaping the company and the workforce, as well as the offering. Many have made redundancies after furloughing large portions of the workforce and many still have plans to do more.
We don’t know what the true shape of our ‘new normal’ is going to be or look like and most companies are trying to keep ahead of this curve and shape the company, the product or services to best meet this when it finally happens and takes shape.
COVID-19 has had a profound effect on the global economies, it has singularly effected companies, countries, economies, and populations like no other single act in the 21st century.
As of 28 June 2020, worldwide over half a million (503,000) people have died due to COVID-19, while more than 5.5 million people have recovered. Its been like a mini war and it is not over yet?
| Event | Approx. Estimate
Deaths |
| WW1 | 37 million |
| WW2 | 80 million |
| Vietnam War | 37 million |
| Spanish Flu – 1916 – 1918 | 50-100 million |
| Influenza pandemic – 1957–1958 | 4 million |
| Flu Pandemic – 1968 | 1 million |
| Swine Flu -2009 | 284,000 (CDC & WHO estimate) |
| COVID-19 – 2020 | 503,000 (28 June 2020) |
Most countries and workforces have coped well adapting well, working from home (WFH), it has shown us what is possible and for many it has become the ideal way of working for the future. It has made many people far more productive without the constant interruptions of working in an office environment. In a recent Forbes article it showed the positive aspects of WFH employees compared to those in an office environment and consistently scored higher on all elements. Having a great onboarding process helps greatly ensuring people are part of the team from day one, but that is an article in itself, something for another time. We have all embraced video conferencing, either with Zoom, MS Teams, Skype, WebEx or even just Facetime just to stay in touch.
However, the social aspects of working from home, working alone is not for everyone, it takes a specific mind set, we humans are social creature at the end of the day. If you rely on work for your social interaction then its hard for you, but if you have an established social circle outside of work, it is easier.
You must have:-
l great time management skills l strong interpersonal skills
l the ability to separate work from personal time l ability to focus on the task
l be a naturally driven & focus person l passion and dedication
It is also important that you get the support from your employer and that they are cognisant of the needs of WFH employees. They need to make sure that the corporate infrastructure is available to support WFH workers, having the right software, that regular communication and reporting is in place. Clear targets and goals as well as agreement for the work that needs to be done, good KPI’s in place. All things we take for granted in an office environment but are even more essential for WFH employees. It prevents WFH employees becoming isolated and keeps them included and part of the bigger team. One on one meetings via video conferencing as well as group meeting online, also helps greatly.
In a number of recent studies it has shown that nearly 50% of those who have been WFH during COVID-19 lockdown would be happy to continue to work from home, ideally going into the office only when needed or a maximum of a day a week. It also appears to have taken away a lot of the stress associated with an office environment, it has taken away a level of peer pressure, stopped people constantly jockeying for that leadership role. Allowing people to get on with the task in hand, people have on average been more productive WFH than in an office environment.
Not all roles can adopt a WFH structure, many of those that are customer focused, that need to be in a face to face environment, that rely on interaction with customers in the work place (Hospitality, Retail, and the Travel industries) these roles will be effected and not easily moved into a WFH environment.
Is it therefore just a short-term move, something to get us through the year, beyond a potential second wave? Or will it all fall back into place when its safe, as it was before or are, we really looking at a new normal arising from the ashes, something very different? Certain industries have been far more affected, far beyond the office environment, the Hospitality, the Retail, and the Travel industries these will never be the same again. It is as much about what is now acceptable and gaining the consumer confidence that it needs. What was the norm of, ‘stack um high, keep it cheap’, has gone out of the window, we now want our personal space protected and if its not, then we simply wont attend, or turn up or buy in the first place.
Lots of questions and very few answers at this time, it will slowly start to roll out over the next six (6) months or over the next year or even over a longer period of time, there will be no quick answers. The new norm is starting to take shape, but we are a long way from finding out what it is going to be, largely because it is affecting so many things that we accepted as the normal way of doing things.
About the Author
Howard Longstaff, has over 25 years’ of experience delivering people within the talent acquisition arena.
He has worked extensively across the UK, Europe, USA, Canada as well as in South America, Australia and New Zealand.
Over the last 20 years he has specialized in two fundamental areas, although he often covers a wider remit due to his thirst and understanding of technology. The first area which he has a real passion for, building ‘Sales Teams’, pulling together the very best ‘A Players’ and creating something very special for his clients.
To do that, he needs to have a clear understanding of what his client wants, so establishing clear communication with the client is paramount, understanding the nuances of what they are looking for and documenting this. Understanding the technology, the opportunity, and the growth potential all help to find the ‘right fit, first time’. He is one of the few head-hunters that is willing to guarantee his work, offering 12 months free replacement.
The second area he loves getting involved in, is the leadership team, the C-Suite, helping to get the balance right, cover the gaps in knowledge, skills and experience, working on the assumption that ‘No one is perfect but a team can be’?
Howard is someone who thinks outside the box, has an eye for detail, but is perceptive, looking beyond the surface of just skills and experience. He wants to know and understand the candidate behaviour as well as the emotional intelligence, the motives that drive the candidates he interviews. He is looking for the best fit for his client but also looking to ensure it is a fit for the candidate as well.
In the last 25 years he has also built his own companies and opened offices in New Zealand, Los Angeles, New York and most recently several companies in London. Specialising in technology companies, he has delivered permanent resources across practically every department. This has predominantly been for technology start-ups (Enterprise Software Co’s) but also for many leading management consulting and enterprise clients.
Howard is someone that uses technology to enhance the hiring process, to save time, money and effort and take the pain out of the process, but to find those ‘Exceptional People, who are so hard to find’. He operates a ‘Private Client Video Portal’ keeping everything together, the video, as well as psychrometric behavioural assessments on candidates and interviewing for emotional intelligence. He has repeatedly built teams across three continents, so has a good breadth of knowledge across the talent acquisition arena.
Out of work he has a real passion for fly fishing (mainly trout) as well as making his own flies. He is and very much a fisherman, a hunter in business as well, always looking for that elusive, exceptional catch.