Since the Covid-19 pandemic our workplaces, working practices and even working policies have changed. But with no likelihood of returning to the pre-pandemic normal, the only way organizations can prepare to move forward is by taking stock of where we’re at.
Projections. Forecasting. Planning. Businesses have always recognised the importance of understanding what lies ahead. However, over the past year the world found itself taking an unexpected diversion on the fast track to digitalization. Organizations have faced situations and scenarios that, not so long ago, were completely unimaginable.
Food manufacturers were unable to meet demand when vast numbers of staff were legally obliged to stay at home. Supermarkets found their projections were wildly out when entire countries changed their buying habits overnight.
Internet providers and streaming services in the UK grappled to accommodate unprecedented service demand when, overnight, more than 80%[i] of the UK population began working from home.
There’s not an industry that hasn’t been affected by the upheaval of the Covid pandemic.
So what’s next? Where do we go from here? It’s more difficult to have confidence in traditional forecasting methods. Public acceptance and consumer expectations of communications have changed and we have no way of knowing whether consumer buying habits will ever fully return to pre-pandemic patterns.
The only way we can prepare for the future is to understand the present.
We asked 8,000 employees and IT leaders how life looks for them right now. With people working in 4,126 companies, across 14 countries around the world, this gave us an unprecedented global insight into how organizations are facing up to the new world in which we are all operating.
We wanted to find out whether employees feel home working is working for them. And 50% of respondents say that it is.
In our report, we explore whether age makes a difference in the acceptance of new remote working practices, and the hidden benefits of working from home. We discovered that ¾ of respondents felt that they were more productive when remotely.
We also discovered some of the bug bears that are slowing down employees, stopping them from reaching their full potential.
Most importantly, we wanted to learn where you, out there on the front line, felt organizations were headed. Will it be a long, slow return to traditional working practices, or will future generations have the opportunity to cut out lengthy commutes and work from home?
Like it or not, things have changed. The office is no longer the only place where work takes place. So, if you want to know what this means for you, today or in the future, download our report on ‘The Future of Work’ now.
The future of work as we know it has never been more exciting. To find out more about the bigger picture Lenovo has in store, click the link below.
