The formula of teleworking, extended among many companies since the phenomenon of confinement, caused by the pandemic, has generated a new model of labor relations A system that is already called as “hybrid” because it combines teleworking with the conventional physical presence.
According to Microsoft studies on labor trends, it is advisable to keep flexible options for remote work. Surveys of 30,000 workers in 32 countries show that almost 73% want to work remotely, at least 60% of their time, while 45% consider changing to jobs that allow them to alternate commuting to their offices with working from elsewhere, through coworking, working at home or in the office itself.
In a technology company, specialized in monitoring systems such as Ártica PFMS, this situation has become an opportunity to significantly improve the work environment. We have managed to establish a flexible work system for employees, about 50, that is bearing fruit. There has been an increase in productivity. Rotation has decreased noticeable because no one feels overwhelmed. It is highly valued to avoid costs and transport time. No one is against it and most people are grateful for owning their time and having options for conciliation and fulfilling their task.
Teleworking has been imposed spontaneously because employees have so desired and also because the management of the company has taken care to channel it and bring it to a successful conclusion. Both interests have been combined in search of work harmony, investing in a reconfiguration of the physical space and work procedures, in which each employee manages their own responsibility with the option of teleworking and attending to the office physically when deemed necessary.
Meetings are scheduled every week and are carried out through a technological communication system that allows a telematic meeting where the professionals of the company can participate, either all of them together or by departments: Sales and Channel; Development, Testing and Quality, Support, Projects, Human Resources, Administration and Financial, R&D. All contacts are made with a very defined agenda, thus avoiding wasting time. Each individual knows when to intervene and what to report. The chairman is fully involved and at each meeting sets the guidelines to follow, answers questions and queries and makes decisions.
Another achievement that we appreciate is that everyone has adopted a greater teamwork spirit. Schedule and workplace flexibility, along with useful training, is the perfect combination to retain talent. Now we have noticed that in one year we have had “0” rotation due to this new system that we have implemented.
Agile room
It is a room equipped with cutting-edge technology that allows combining simultaneously telematic meetings and face-to-face meetings. Agile, short meetings can be held, no more than 15 minutes, in which there is spontaneous conversation among the attendees.
Also, there is now a space designed for the training online, so that we ensure knowledge updating keeping the same performance standard we has in face-to-face mode. In the training room the teacher can display screens showing the contents to be explained. It combines its image with screenshots in which you can read texts with a higher quality than the traditional power point. The student can interact by microphone, with the teacher and other colleagues, without having to resort to written chat questions. We have channelled what is called “learnability”, which is the curiosity and ability to learn new skills to stay employable in the long term.
Resetting the old workplace model
We have overcome the traditional model of massive in-person positions, a tradition from Taylorism, in which a huge room housed a myriad of aligned employees, who worked without looking up from their affairs and where it was difficult to communicate with the rest of the colleagues.
That breadth of space has been transformed into a friendly environment. We have invested in connectivity to have high quality and safe telecommunication. We have overcome the idea that the private office was a privilege for bosses where there were all sorts of comforts for them. Now the office is a large office with sofas, armchairs, large windows where you can find the privacy for a call anywhere, warm lighting and screens to connect with whoever you want. There is a coffee room for a snack and where any professional of the company can come whenever they want it.
That change implies a whole evolution in the way to communicate with each other and improve work performance because we all feel comfortably responsible for what we must do, with no additional pressures. We are the ideal place to work because employees can choose, according to their mood, their obligations and their tasks within the company, between teleworking or attending a nice environment.
All in all, this new teleworking structuring has allowed us to create a disruptive model where the employee enjoys their freedom of choice, while they allow the company to control the performance of each employee, settling down clear goals for work and measuring in real time their fulfillment. It’s a win-win situation for all of us!