What does the future look like for UK businesses?
Nobody could have predicted at the beginning of the year that businesses would shut their doors and workers would be told to stay home for the foreseeable future. It’s been a dramatic change to the working landscape in the UK, and the impact looks set to continue.
Businesses have had to adapt quickly in order to survive. For those that can, switching to home working has been crucial, with many likely surprised at how successful it’s been. It’s hard to imagine what the post-lockdown world will look like, but it’s safe to say that for businesses, big changes are coming.
What does the future look like for UK businesses? Here are some of the ways the workplace could change.
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A greater emphasis on remote working
Being able to work remotely has been the saving grace for many businesses. With the right technology, workers are able to work as capably and confidently at home as they can in the office, with a surprising number of benefits. Dropping the commute is helping people save time and money, and video conferencing tools are performing better than anyone could have expected.
Even as restrictions begin to ease and movement becomes more fluid, remote working looks set to be the new norm for many businesses looking to adapt to the times.
Priority given to health and work/life balance
Health and wellbeing have never been more important, and the coronavirus has served as a wake-up call for many businesses. Not only has it become vital that workplaces are kept clean, but sickness policies have had to change too. While many people wouldn’t think twice about going into the office with a cough or a case of the sniffles, now the ‘stay home’ advice is much more likely to be heeded. People are also making more of a conscious effort to exercise, and the more this can be encouraged, the healthier your workforce will be.
The pandemic has also shown us that work/life balance can be achieved through being able to work flexibly or work from home. Cutting time spent in the office after hours or spend commuting gives more time for family time and other social activities. It’s something your business should seek to continue for the benefit of your employees going forward.
New approaches to staff engagement
A dispersed workforce can make it difficult to engage, but businesses are making it work. From changing the way your all-staff meetings are held to holding video-based social events, there are ways your business can keep its workforce engaged and involved. Now could be the time to think about your ongoing engagement programme, including employee perks and start thinking about what the future looks like for your teams. Communication is what is important here, and will help your employees transition to a new way of working.
The pandemic has proven that UK businesses can adapt quickly where needed, support each other and learn to become more innovative in how they work. There are changes coming to the working world we’re used to, and it will be interesting to see how this develops over the coming months as businesses look to establish a new kind of normality.