Post-pandemic life

– How will work be different after the pandemic?

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have used the term “new reality” to describe the postpandemic world, rather than “new normal,” which has been much more commonly used. We won’t – and should not expect to – return to a slightly adjusted version of prepandemic life.

We need to look at many aspects of the new reality. Firstly, about the nature of the workplace: One of the biggest challenges that companies face today is how to bring people back to the office. Companies are debating whether to employ vaccination or testing mandates, how exactly to enforce in-person collaboration once again – and they are doing all this amidst great emotional exhaustion and pressure on the workforce. The truth is that people do need to go back to the office; in-person interactions cannot be substituted and anyone who has returned after months of remote working can testify to that. However, people have experienced the alternative, and they realize the desirability of the flexibility that comes with working remotely. The challenge lies with the leaders to find the right balance: between business productivity needs, employee needs but also employee expectations.

The second aspect of the new reality is the rapid acceleration of digital. What was already on a high growth trajectory has now become ubiquitous. Companies are still in learning mode about how to embed new technologies in the workspace. For example, a large survey we conducted last year in Australia demonstrated that employers were largely focused on practical improvement through digital collaboration tools, while employees were looking for more affiliation activities.