Remote work still popular, but there are kinks to work out
Establishing work cultures that support remote work will be one of the top challenges facing employers after the pandemic.
A new analysis finds that HR managers are facing ongoing challenges in balancing workforces that are split between on-site workers and employees who work remotely. Although remote work will be a talent magnet, the report said, companies have work to do in other areas, such as training and creating a diverse and inclusive work environment.
The report, released by Oxford Economics, the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) and SAP SuccessFactors, surveyed HR leaders in 10 countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Mexico, Spain, the United States, and the United Kingdom. One top takeaway is that more than half of respondents in the U.S. and 38% of non-U.S. respondents said that establishing work cultures that support remote work will be one of the top three challenges after the pandemic subsides.
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However, the report also found that there isn’t strong support for investing in programs educate workers. The analysis said that training programs are being overlooked at a time when they could be critical for employers facing a changing work force and new approaches to working.
“While HR leaders across the globe ranked maintaining productivity as their biggest challenge, it’s critical that we not lose sight of long-term strategies around learning and reskilling, and diversity, equity and inclusion,” SAP SuccessFactors President Jill Popelka said. “The urgency for more agile processes, easier access to data, and the ability to support remote work is accelerating digital transformation. It’s critical that leaders develop a culture of continuous learning and inclusion. This will enable workforces to drive needed transformation projects, even during a period of unprecedented change.”
A two-tiered workforce
The report found that despite the adoption of remote work by many companies, traditional, on-site jobs will continue to be important in the future. “The physical workplace is not going away,” the report noted. “More than half of all workers at surveyed companies must be on-site (including at a customer site) to do their jobs. The sharp bifurcation of the workforce into remote and on-site cohorts requires HR leaders to think hard about meeting varying employee needs while maintaining consistent organizational goals, policies, and culture.”
In some parts of the world, access to technology presents a challenge to companies considering switching to more remote work. China, India, Mexico, Spain, and Germany were most likely to say that employees don’t have the technology or environment needed to do remote work.
Certain types of jobs were not as conducive to remote work; these included: service and field workers, general staff, and customer service workers, the report noted.
Companies also looking at diversity and inclusion
The analysis also found that this year’s civil unrest, experienced in both the U.S. and in other countries, provided impetus for companies to consider issues of diversity and inclusion. The survey included questions on these issues, and the results suggest that employers are aware that diversity and inclusion issues are important to workers, but that companies tend to talk more about the subject rather than take action.
“Nearly nine in 10 US respondents (86%) say their organization is likely to recommit to corporate culture and values over the next 12 months, and more than three-quarters say they will likely practice inclusive hiring and promotion (82%),” the report said. “However, fewer (about half to two-thirds, depending on country) have taken concrete steps such as adjusting wages, changing marketing strategies, increasing leadership diversity, changing structure and benefits to foster inclusion, or organizing an inclusion event.”
Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., president and CEO of SHRM, said the events of the past year have resulted in unprecedented challenges for HR leaders. “To realize the future of work, human resource executives and their colleagues on the leadership team must accelerate their efforts to establish culture, invest in talent, and address diversity, inclusion and equity to drive their organizations forward,” he said. “While HR executives continue to work through these difficult times, there is a great opportunity to lead meaningful change for the workplace and beyond.”
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