Workplace to Homeplace
We have had work from home (WFH) coming for a while now, and it would only seem that COVID19 expedited the process. While a number of businesses and countries had been on the path of making this transition, a larger percent, especially in Africa, faced this awakening with little preparation. The facilities such as internet connectivity and electricity are major challenges to achieving an effective WFH. Also, not all sectors can work from home, at least, not until automation takes over. The fourth industrial revolution, as Klaus Schwab dubbed it, is upon us and we are required to make the most of the changes, keeping in mind the need to protect the environment.
One of the major concerns about WFH is the perceived reduction in productivity. Employers fear their associates will do less work, take up side jobs, or spend time on personal responsibilities. A Harvard Business Review article shows that WFH actually boosts the productivity of call center employees by 13%. This is alluded to a reduction in break time, sick days, and a more comfortable work environment.
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One other concern is communication among team members and their group dynamics. There are technological tools that can improve group communication and decision making such as Group Decision Support System (GDSS) which is an interactive software that facilitates group discussion, manage decision making processes and promote collective intelligence. Another strategy that can be employed is the “Bow Tie” Strategy, as mentioned by Professor Ivan Wanis Ruiz in his course titled Communication Strategies for a Virtual Age. He said “If we make the majority of our communication virtual each side of the bow tie, we are going to be good communicators; if we want to be exceptional in a virtual age, add a little in-person meeting as the knot in the middle”. While more industry-specific data is required, it is safe to say that WFH has untold benefits and there are technological tools and strategies to help manage the inadequacies.
Also, it is relatively easy for some industries to work from home with little impact on their productivity. For example, computer and IT sectors, Telecommunication sectors, etc. can mostly do their work from home. The general administrative and human resources duties can somewhat be managed from home with some essential office visits when required. However, some industries like major construction companies, may not be able to work from home, for now. For such industries, automation is a threat to the jobs entirely as most of these jobs will be replaced by robots soon. I was privileged to be at a breakfast seminar in 2018 organized by NGrowth Africa in collaboration with IE Business School and we discussed the newest global thinking in employee engagement with the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the future of organizations. There we discussed the vulnerability of Nigeria, and indeed the developing world, to the emergence of AI, the changes in management practices, the jobs that would be lost, and the emerging jobs.
Furthermore, one question that comes to mind is that of infrastructure to support WFH. Do we have the facilities in place to ensure everybody can work from home? In a country like Nigeria, we do not have internet coverage and electricity to enable people to work from home with ease. E-learning is also being touted, but without equal access to power and connectivity, a lot of children will be left out of the moving train of e-learning. If WFH is the future, then investment in requisite infrastructures is essential as this will cut the gap of inequality.
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Lastly, if there was a better time to include environmental sustainability to the way we work, this is it. Data has shown that working from home leads to a reduction in vehicular emission and traffic, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of employees. If you are an employee in Lagos, you spend between 2–3 hours daily commuting between work and home, but WFH discourages this. In addition, WFH helps organizations to reduce their energy demand, including heating, cooling, and electricity.
In conclusion, the landscape of work is changing and WFH is going to be more prominent. There will be concerns and challenges which will be further finessed along the way. Government and private sectors need to invest in the development of requisite infrastructure to support WFH. It is also a golden opportunity to protect the environment. Only time will tell the extent to which WFH will permeate every sector and disrupt the way we currently know to do business, evaluate and reward employees.
