COVID-19: How Businesses Embraced Remote Working

On 1 January 2020, we can bet most people on the face of Earth had no clue just how the year to come would turn out to be. From when the coronavirus becoming news as a dangerous contagion to the world and into a state of a pandemic to the struggle to control the deadly virus that continues to the day, much has changed. While it has had a major impact on all our personal lives, the pandemic has also compelled businesses to adapt in ways they hadn’t even thought would be possible. Yet, here we are -- with business across the board spectrum quickly adapting and getting the job done. Let us take a look at some of the countless ways in which businesses have adapted to the challenge of COVID.

1. Communication: While communication has always been a fundamental part of the endeavors to ensure optimized working conditions, one must admit that things were far easier when you were able to see your colleagues in person. That has not been an option for most people for well over a year now, thus putting increased focus on communications and rightly so. Most companies have integrated a variety of modern tools and platforms in their work arsenal, such as video conferencing tools, virtual meeting platforms, to help ensure that employees and teammates can seamlessly communicate with each other as well as clients, if at all.
2. Accelerate digitization: We won’t say that digitalization is a new concept; however, we will say that the pace at which the world is now embracing the concept has accelerated significantly. As a result, companies are going down the digital path for an increasing number of aspects and departments across their operations to ensure that employees can do and execute as many tasks as possible, including offering high-touch services to clients, even as they work from home.
3. Evaluation of employee productivity: Save for some sectors, such as one that involves manufacturing, most industries have resorted to allowing employees to work from home. While this has helped maintain continuity, it has proven to be challenging for companies and their endeavors to evaluate employees’ performances. HR departments have also realized merely tracking time spent online, etc. will not offer the requisite insights about employees’ productivity. As a result, companies are now starting to look at overall outcomes to assess employees’ performance. Other such performance metrics include the ability to meet deadlines, if their KRAs and output at work are in sync, etc.

There is no denying that the entire world has been completely transformed ever since the coronavirus first emerged. It caused and led to the emergence of countless new challenges in human existence — most of which we continue to try and find solutions to. This holds for companies as well, no matter the industry. While some sectors have been more affected than others, the truth remains that everyone has had to undertake digital enterprise transformation and make countless other changes to help them adapt and ensure continuity in the face of the current circumstances in the global market. Now, it would be truly interesting to see how quickly more companies accept the role digitalization plays at the moment and will continue to play in the global market for years to come.