Employees’ Needs:

Now that you’ve sorted out the basics, it’s time to hit the ground running.
But before you start sprinting, remember that this WFH exercise is a marathon. It could be the most comfortable marathon of your life, only if you know how to balance comfort and work productivity.

It’s all up to you to find what out what feels good without compromising on work efficiency.

Employer/Company Solutions:

Goodbye mundane meetings, say hello to virtual meetings!

High quality services and tools are welcome here. Just make sure that your video conference platforms are stable enough to accommodate your invited participants.

We can’t emphasise enough on the importance of Project Management services and CRM software/tools that maximise and measure your productivity and performance for a smooth day at work, from home.

Level 4 — Connected Relationships

“Futures are made of Virtual Intimacy.”

Employees’ Needs:

Introverts and extroverts alike are bound by a human condition.
All of us require a sense of being connected with our team members and colleagues. It can be as easy as sharing a funny GIF or an insightful article to shake off any form of social anxiety!

Also, physical distances can drive paranoia, especially when it comes to our communication and evaluation by our managers and bosses.

Past research* reveals that remote workers are more connected to peers, but especially new remote workers feel isolated/away from the workplace.

* 87% of workers feel more connected through the video conference tool according to HBR research.

Employer/Company Solutions:

There’s always room for improved communication between employees and managers, from project management tools to communication platforms.
Stay in touch regularly or leverage performance and engagement tools to accelerate visualised results when needed.

You’ll never know when WFH will no longer be an emergency counteraction and instead, be the new standard of work post COVID-19.

So, make use of this time to reassess employee benefits and work regulations with WFH as a lifestyle option.

Level 5 — Purposeful Work

“You are Someone’s Reason to Smile.”

Employees’ Needs:

Even though employees focus on the security of their underlying work, they also want to feel that they are still a member of society.

As a citizen of society, employees need to feel a sense of contributing to society, and that eventually leads to self-actualisation.

If you haven’t embarked on any projects for a good cause, it’s never too late to get started on a humanitarian project right now.

When goodness prevails, humanity never fails.

Employer/Company Solutions:

The fear of an economic recession is the ultimate trial of any leader.

This is a crucial period for leaders to signal their intent with clarity and purpose to their organisation as a guiding light that leads by example.

But beyond rose-tinted lenses, any deliberated solution remains highly dependent on the market and circumstances of the company, as well as the stage of your employee’s needs.

Working from home shouldn’t be so hard.

Take time to reflect on what has happened in the past week, month and year and use these points as a guide if you have been struggling to make sense of this brave new world of virtual insanity.

• Was WFH as difficult as you made it out to be?
• Have you noticed an improvement in your personal well-being?
• How productive are you in your down-time?

In essence, WFH realises a more comfortable and cost-effective work environment, despite its initial investment for a conducive remote work environment setup.

But of course, arrangements for a proper WFH work style begins with a proper understanding of our employee needs, whether he or she is a digital native, a seasoned technophobe, or the sole breadwinner of five monstrous children.
Empathy isn’t fashionable, it’s essential for us to get through this together, pandemic or not.