The COVID-19 pandemic has irreversibly shifted the modern workplace.
Many surveys have highlighted this shift, with changed expectations from both employers and employees following the departure from traditional workplaces. With employees also reporting improved work-life balance and increased productivity, coupled with cost savings for business, it appears this shift from working in a centralized office to working primarily from home will remain permanent for some workplaces.
To better understand this change in the workplace, I interviewed Robin Kerbel, CEO, Six Degrees Medical. I was interested in how they adapted to the new COVID-19 altered workplace and their visions for the future at their companies. From there, I also garnered some best practices for students transitioning into the workplace amidst this pandemic.
Robin Kerbel, CEO, Six Degrees Medical Consulting
We are no longer working together in an office setting, so we need more effort across the board from communication to employee engagement. However, I have been impressed by the resilience of our team and how they have adapted. The first few months [were] challenging, but now everyone is pretty comfortable working virtually.
We are all working remotely and, surprisingly, are more productive since there is no commute time necessary. The downside is that it’s harder to socialize and casual conversations around the water cooler take more effort.
I think we will see way more remote work going forward now that everyone has seen that it’s possible. I imagine [a] much smaller office space being needed and people working remotely for the majority of their work week, with staff coming together for important meetings or just to have social interactions with their colleagues.