The World is not Going Back
During the pandemic, many employers anticipated the day when their employees would return to the office. They planned to shelve video meetings, long-distance chats, and endless email chains and imagined that everyone would be excited to get back to work in a physical office space. The reality of 2021 and beyond, however, has not proven to be that simple. “Work from anywhere” turned out to be a better way of life for many employees, and not everyone is excited to return to the daily grind of the physical office.
The truth is that “work from anywhere” is only the beginning. According to recent findings, 50% of millennials and Gen Z will quit for a more flexible job, and 40% of employees are somewhat likely to leave in 6 months (McKinsey). Modern companies are realizing this and have made the shift to hybrid and remote work in order to retain their valuable talent. As many as 80% of companies are moving to remote or hybrid work (Gartner). Why the sudden shift? And as a modern business, what can you do about it?
“Work From Anywhere” Isn’t a Bad Thing
In 2020 and 2021, when the world was given no other choice but to isolate, many employees discovered they enjoyed working virtually. There are several reasons for this: some workers have young families and require a more flexible schedule during the day, others enjoy the flexibility to travel and work from different places, and some have found they work more efficiently without the distractions of the physical office space. Whatever the reason, business is now becoming more personal. This is a good thing, especially with modern work tools that support face-to-face interaction in a virtual setting.
Employers who are working to navigate this new work climate have big opportunities ahead. Instead of fighting to get everyone back into the office, organizations that focus on an effective work-from-anywhere strategy that includes virtual, hybrid and other flex options will be able to hire talent anywhere, better retain their teams and optimize their facilities and travel spend to drive the bottom line.
Once a Bandage Solution, Now It’s the Norm
Remote, virtual, and “work from anywhere” was a survival tactic to navigate the pandemic. This is no longer the case. We are now living in a new “normal,” which requires a fresh and thoughtful approach to connecting hybrid and remote teams in the workplace. Being connected in the office does not have to mean working onsite 5 days a week. However, if you’re still using outdated meeting and communication tools, it can certainly feel this way. “Pandemic bandaids” did not address the larger problems of virtual meeting fatigue, feelings of isolation, growing and maintaining office culture, and managing in a remote setting.
“We are human beings. We need social interaction. Unfortunately, Zoom does not have those features yet.” Zoom CEO - November 2021
There’s a Better Way to “Work From Anywhere”
Zoom and other meeting tools do not address modern work problems. Now, there’s a better way to keep employees engaged across a wide spectrum of work environments. LexGo brings the best of the physical office to a “work from anywhere” environment, allowing employees to move room-to-room much as they would onsite and connect to others in a virtual “face-to-face” environment. Managers can once again “manage by walking around” in an online space, allowing employers to gauge the pulse of their companies at a glance.
Reach out today to find out how LexGo can help you navigate the “new normal.”
