What did we think of flexible working before COVID-19
Before COVID-19, already a few organisations made a head start in working remotely, working in flexible hours and collaborating digitally. With the rise of the Millennials and generation Z, flexible working is becoming the ideal normal. Goodbye individual cubicles, rigid systems and standard working hours! And hello flexibility, creativity and digital collaboration!
But what is flexible working exactly? And how do I benefit from this? We've already got to warm you up with the advantages of flexible working. And how are we now experiencing this during COVID-19?
How we believe in flexible working
Over just a year ago we might have not been doing cartwheels when it comes to flexible working. But these past months it has become a fact. And are we now getting the hang of it? According to Capterra, almost 60% of the employees throughout the world are currently enjoying these working conditions. World Economic Forum even says 98% would like to continue working from home throughout his or her career.
Since we work mostly from home, this requires creativity. Already at the office or at school managing your agenda is key. Same when working from home. Our dogs still need their daily walks and our kids are thrilled to see their mums and dads when being picked up from school on time.
Benefits flexible working
So why did our optimism increase when there was the need to work remotely? According to World Economic Forum and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management we experience these main benefits:
- More room to have a flexible agenda;
- The possibility to work remotely. Ok and in this case this means working from our homes;
- Less travel time. And a win-win: fewer traffic jams and a cleaner and happier planet;
- And it warms our hearts we have more time to spend with family and friends. Don’t forget the 1,5m distance
Challenges flexible working
Of course we've got to keep things real as well. Flexible working is not all rainbows and sunshine. We’re also dealing with a few challenges:
- Shutting down our computers on time while you’ve got such a good groove going on today;
- Fingers crossed for a stable WiFi during your video calls;
- Our love for Microsoft Teams has grown, but to be honest once in a while we also miss our personal contact with colleagues
However, don’t worry too much about these challenges. Therefore, we’ve summed up several to do’s to work remotely in an efficient way. Check it out in the whitepaper “From the new normal to the ideal normal” and read more about how we can make the transition to flexible jobs. Not only now, but also after COVID-19.