Introducing Inquisitorial by Indianaut, a long-form newsletter where we explain and analyze important stories stemming out of the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem & economy. New articles every Saturday & Sunday.
def: ergophobia
noun \ur-guh-foh-bee-uh\
“An abnormal and persistent fear of work. Sufferers of ergophobia experience undue anxiety about the workplace environment even though they realize their fear is irrational. Their fear may actually be a combination of fears, such fear of failing at assigned tasks, fear of speaking before groups at work, or fear of socializing with co-workers.”
It was only a few months ago when our week used to begin with a serious case of Monday blues and we used to crib about getting out of bed, showering, taking the overcrowded Metro or getting rejected by Uber and Ola drivers. Some would even say the chances of getting an Ola ride at 9 am are less than those of getting right-swiped on Tinder. Well, how many of us would trade anything right now to get our normal routine back.
(Credits: Netflix)
While we will leave making predictions about the future to people with actual psychic powers (disclaimer: we mean superheroes and not astrologers) and those who profitably trade naked options, in this piece we will analyse the impact of the pandemic (so far) on where and how work is performed and if this change in our style of working a temporary blip or a permanent feature.
Even before Covid-19 struck, there was widespread availability of tele-work technology, however the feasibility of performing work remotely was never explored by employers. They remained skeptical about both the technology and their employees’ ability to work efficiently. The pandemic forced them, but with what results in terms of the attitudes employees and employers?
(Source: ArchDaily)
The Kentik survey of networking professionals worldwide found that 47% of employees surveyed reported feeling more productive while working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic compared to pre-pandemic times, 33% said they have had “no change in productivity and only 20% reported feeling “less productive”. 51% expressed concern for their work-life balance.
Let's focus on 3Ws to understand the impact of coronavirus on our work-spheres better: Work, Workplace and the Workforce.
Work
The ‘future’ is already making its way to the present, as we adapt to work from home our reliance on emails, chats, video conferencing has been increasing. People are getting more accustomed to interacting with companies and customers virtually, shaping the way work works. Jobs which previously required in-person meetings and business travel are now being done through video conferences.
How so? Be it the banking, educational or health, all sectors are evolving and adapting. In financial services, we saw branches operating with skeletal staff and AI and machine learning automate several processes like KYC. Customers showed confidence in the digital infrastructure and made transactions digitally. Hospitals and healthcare services are being provided virtually, through online consultations.
Similarly, the education sector has undergone a huge transformation as the pandemic forced schools and universities to shut down. E-learning is on a rise and students are being taught remotely and on digital platforms. We also witnessed Open Book Tests, Assignment-Based Evaluation, home-proctored examinations replacing the traditional pen and paper examination.
(Source: JP Morgan)
Workforce
Has there been a change in the workforce? Is hiring going to be normal post covid? Are people even going to hire full time employees?
People across the globe have been affected by lockdown in several ways, for some it has meant layoffs, for others it meant extended working hours. The COVID -induced lockdowns have provided a peek into a future where machines may replace humans. Several companies will source their talent globally and may switch to hiring freelancers and gig workers on a continued basis.
However, #workfromhome has a flip side too. Humans, being social animals, no longer get to connect “offline” with their peers and colleagues. While they work from home, they feel like they never leave work, which impacts their mental health and ultimately impacts productivity. Mentorship and on-the-job learning from peers can’t take place when working in isolation.
Work from Home has also hampered the “work-life” balance since the distinct line between workplace and home doesn't exist. Employers feel that the comfort of being at home equips employees to work harder, but is that really so? Remember that conference call where your mom walked in and asked you about food, or the constant back ache you have due to the long screen hours? Home no longer feels like home, everything seems mechanical. Is this utopia?
Studies show that it’s important to have a division between your work and home. People have forgotten to take a step back and breathe. Employers have started using monitoring softwares to track the work being done by employees. Employers must understand that such softwares are intrusive and micromanagement seldom results in real world success. Employees thrive when they feel trusted. These measures are a recipe for disaster in the long run.
Leadership teams will have the responsibility to address such pitfalls and beat the collaboration, productivity and emotional disadvantages that can rise.
But is it possible that the satisfaction and productivity people experience working from homes is the product of the social capital built up through countless hours of water-cooler conversations, meetings, and social engagements before the onset of the crisis? Will corporate cultures and communities erode over time without physical interaction?
Workplace
As our work is supplemented with virtual resources, technology is going to play a pivotal role in transforming workplaces, blending physical and virtual experiences. As enterprises consider to significantly reduce the number of employees working from office, they will not only save cost on real estate but also will have to transform work floors in a way that social distancing can be maintained.
This could not only mean decluttering the office space but also doing away with the collaboration workspace for employees. The cramped cubicles would make way for spaced out workspaces and shared desks may become an obsolete phenomenon.
Many companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter, Facebook, Shopify have announced that their employees can work from home till the end of the year. Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke tweeted that most employees may work from home permanently.
Work cultures and individuals are different across industries, cities and countries. Virtual collaboration might work well for some but not so for others. Some people can get by without mentorship and participating in casual, unplanned conversations with colleagues but others might not.
How Should Work be Done Then?
Will planned and unplanned moments of collaboration become impaired? Will there be less mentorship and talent development? Has working from home succeeded only because it is viewed as temporary, not permanent?
There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The answer will be different for every organization depending on what talent is needed, which roles are most important,, and even within an organization, the answer could look different across geographies, businesses, and functions, so the exercise of determining what will be needed in the future must be a team sport across real estate, human resources, technology, and the business.
McKinsey has suggested some steps companies can follow to re-imagine how work is done and what the future role of the office will be;
Reconstruct how work is done, Decide ‘people to work’ or ‘work to people’, Redesign the workplace to support organizational priorities and Resize the footprint creatively.
As employers around the world experiment with bringing their employees back to offices, the leadership must act now to ensure that when they return, workplaces are both productive and safe.
Organizations must also use this moment to break from the inertia of the past by dispensing with sub-optimal old habits and systems. Ultimately, the aim of this reinvention will be what good companies have always wanted: a safe environment where people can enjoy their work, collaborate with their colleagues, and achieve the objectives of their organizations.
So don’t forget to log off completely when your work hours end, take a sip of your coffee in the morning while it’s hot and to breathe. Set aside time to escape all forms of digital screens daily, focus on hobbies, self-care, and exercise 20 to 30 minutes. We’re in this for the long haul and the only way we make it through is with our mental peace in place.
Aanya Wig is a B.A. (Hons.) History student at Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi. She is currently working as the Campus Coordinator with The Jurni, a London based Travel and Culture Magazine and has previously worked as a journalist with The Quint. She is also the founder of Aghaaz & Girl Up Rise, two student-led social entrepreneurship projects to empower women.