- Innovation evangelist says companies have the option to reinvent the workday after several months of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Adopting certain strategies to improve efficiency when face-to-face interactions are not possible
- Employee evaluations need to be updated to match the current situation
Employees working remotely will eventually get the call that they can return to the office, but the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally companies’ expectations about the typical workday. Many have embraced the idea of a hybrid model, where workers spend some of the week in the office and save themselves a commute the rest of the time by completing tasks at home.
In an interview with Forbes, innovation evangelist Nerys Mutlow of the digital workflow platform ServiceNow, says that while face-to-face interaction and an office environment are valuable for employee collaboration, companies are also realizing that many matters previously brought up in meetings can be resolved by short video conferences. Conversely, the separation entailed by remote work has also created communication challenges as workers send out numerous inquiries or messages that otherwise could have been made in person.
Mutlow says companies can improve their workday efficiency by confining meetings to planning what teams should accomplish rather than reviewing what has already been accomplished. She says remote work has also supported the idea that employees should be evaluated for their results and contributions rather than hours worked or presence in the office. The Harvard Business Review previously offered similar guidance, and suggested that performance reviews may need to take place more frequently to provide a better line of contact with workers.
