Canadian HR Reporter

C O L U M N S 50 www.hrreporter.com I N S I G H T There are more than a few positives to be found amid the pandemic when it comes to changes to the workplace, such as more trusting cultures, new design concepts, improved health management and virtual connections THIS week, I was sent a letter that said, "Due to COVID-19, etc., etc., you have been temporarily laid off." Fortunately, I will be getting the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and employment insurance while I seek out freelance work. My apartment building is bustling with people who are working from home or in a similar position as me, looking for new work. And our landlord has generously offered us rent payment deferrals so that we can get through these strange times. But the 2020 workplace will never be the same thanks to the virus. And that's a good thing. Convenience, safety, design, expense and other factors are all undergoing a much-needed rethink. Although it's disappointing that it took a pandemic to open our eyes, I'm looking forward to the positive changes that are likely to occur. Hopefully, you are, too. Here are 10 ways the pandemic will change the way we work: • Trust: With so many more employees working from home, employers are now forced to trust their employees and employees are forced to be trustworthy. It's going to be months until a universal return to work happens on a national level anywhere in the world, so a trusting relationship is key. • Video culture: Video appeal and charisma are becoming new criterion for hiring decisions. Employees and employers are fast setting this up on their wish lists when it comes to making recruitment choices. Learning how to present and become adept at communicating ideas across video channels is now expected by employers. As virtual collaboration becomes a mainstay in defining what it takes to be a successful virtual worker, we will all be investigating new video and information- sharing platforms beyond Zoom, I'm sure. • New design: With social distancing and safety precautions now becoming the norm, workspaces will never be the same. Get ready for new design concepts that will be taking over work environments and reception areas, such as touchless entry and virtual assistants. This is a welcome shift in the office design industry. Planning around pandemics is now expected and a requirement. • Remote work: Workplaces are forced to roll out new, everlasting and improved remote work policies and provisions. Bottom-line forecasts and budgets are offering greater procurement allowances for home office technology and furnishings that cater to work mobility and greater ability to work from home. • Two-wheel mobility and mindfulness: With the emphasis on safe and affordable ways to get to and from work, you'll see more bikes on the road and more places to park your bike, too. While working from home, you may find that running errands and getting to places on a bike provides an enhanced sense of well-being. • Ergonomic consciousness: Working from home will spawn new creativity for where and how people work at home. That can mean changes to the design of space and furniture, as well as greater appreciation for the health benefits of simple shifts from sitting to standing, for example. • Sharing family spaces: If you are a parent, you are now sharing your workspaces at home Carmen Jeffery Freelance recruiter with your kids. This means that your children need space and quiet to study and learn and you need space and quiet to work and get stuff done. It helps to have workspaces clearly defined and semi-permanent, so we don't have to pick up and move much, if at all, during the day. Parents and parenting are changing to meet the demands of successful learning at home. • Conscious connecting: These times can be isolating and lonely, so it's important to keep a video connection with colleagues and friends throughout your day. If you manage a team or own a company, team and culture are changing how they are defined and managed in the face of COVID-19. Working with video and working virtually is not only commonplace, it's now expected by new generations of workers entering the workforce. • Health management: HR professionals will have to roll out new policies on health management and monitoring in the same way designers will have to respond to the need for touchless technology solutions and voice- activation demands. Trust me, no one will come to work with a cough or cold the way they used to. The ways in which we monitor employee health are going to change and there will be new tools to do so. • Virtual work: With the warm weather of summer, you can expect public places such as city halls and town squares to offer accommodations for plugging in. If they haven't already, they will do so soon. CHRR Carmen Jeffery is a freelance recruiter and job search coach who is available through Boardroom Metrics in Toronto. She can be reached at carmen@i-identify.ca or. for more information, visit www.boardroommetrics.com. 10 UPSIDES TO COVID-19 IN CHANGING HOW WE WORK Trust me, no one will come to work with a cough or cold the way they used to. HR professionals will have to roll out new policies on health management and monitoring.

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