In the time of the ?new normal?, workers have had to pivot face-to-face interactions into virtual interactions. Since the beginning of 2020, we have had to adapt and learn how to work and interact with each other online in the virtual world. To some, navigating the digital world is a new experience. Employees must now face the new challenges and welcome the benefits that the virtual workplace has to offer.
Now faced with challenges that employees would not normally face in a traditional workplace setting, employees have to adapt their ways of working and interacting with each other. For example, paperwork and contract signing would typically be passed around between one department to another requiring signatures for proper approval and acknowledgement. Now, in this virtual work environment, documents need to be e-mailed out and signed virtually with an e-signature. The interpersonal interactions that employees once looked forward to have now become a cold digital screen. Inter department meetings are now being conducted over apps or software like Zoom, MS Teams, Viber, Google Hangouts and other digital conference devices. Tools such as a conference room scheduler need to be used in order to schedule and book meetings or alignments with team members. Working meetings over coffee is no longer an option. Additionally, employees now face the blurring division between work and life. By linking up to the virtual world there is an added pressure to be available 24/7. This can cause a strain on the mental health of employees. With any shift in the workplace environment there will always be some adapting that needs to be done. This is not to say that the virtual workplace has no benefits. In fact, both company management and employees have experienced some of the benefits of a virtual workplace.
By moving to a work from home set up or a virtual workplace, employees are now able to take back some of the time that would normally be spent getting ready in the morning and waiting or commuting. This has opened more time for people to explore new hobbies or gain a few more hours of work time. Additionally, with lockdown being implemented in some areas, some companies are seeing an increase in productivity. By shifting work into a virtual landscape the red tape that slows down operational processes has been taken out of the picture or reduced. This has helped employees speed up tasks and has enabled them to move work requirements further along. Meetings have also become more efficient as the workday needs to be scheduled accordingly. Gone are the days of impromptu meetings. Employees are now able more easily align with each other?s schedules through shared calendar services.
Despite the challenges of shifting to a digital workplace, the new opportunities gained from this new way of working is something to look forward to and may become a permanent setup for some companies. Employees and businesses will continue to adapt and learn to navigate the digital world.