Exceptional circumstances create exceptional business decisions. And that couldn’t be more true in 2020 where businesses have been forced to adapt to a remote working model.
To be honest, working from home was probably a trend already on the table and something that would happen eventually. But the events of this year have made business leaders have to react. The working-at-home business model is well underway in many industries – and don’t expect it to let up.
Big Companies that Now Work from Home
There are thousands of companies now working remotely. You might be part of one of them and supposed to be working as you catch up on articles like these online. But some of the biggest companies have also pledged to the remote working model for the long-term.
Most of the companies that have stated they will be offering staff remote working for an extended period are operating in the world of tech. Facebook was one of the first to make a move and declared that everyone would work from home when possible until the summer of 2021.
Google made an identical statement but tagged on the end that they may make staying at home permanent for some team members. And Reddit has now been added to the long list, stating that staff can work from anywhere they want from now on.
Another tech-orientated example is online gaming companies. A typical example being Entain, recently rebranded from GVC Holdings, and who have PartyCasino as one of their primary online gaming services. Their staff have long enjoyed flexible hours, which could be extended further in the immediate future.
The Challenge of Operating from Home (for Companies!)
The benefit of changing to a working-from-home model for these types of businesses is that they can still operate to a high degree of normality and leverage technology to conduct meetings. The likes of Zoom, Skype and task management software like Trello are all at the forefront of these company processes right now. The additional benefit is that it allows these businesses to slash costs on office spaces and other office expenses.
The danger is that remote working can have a negative effect on employee satisfaction and mental health. It may be advantageous for nay office savings to be reinvested in employee wellbeing and creating morale-boosting meetups in person when permitted.
Companies That Can’t Adopt Long-Term Home Working
Some businesses have adapted to remote working as an interim solution. But working from home cannot be a successful business model over time. This is especially true in the customer service niche. Displacing multiple call handlers around the country in their homes and asking for the same standards is a tall order, especially considering the lack of infrastructure to make call transfers seamless.
There may be ways for AI to enhance customer service when remote working, but they have yet to be perfected.
