The Future of Work Post COVID-19
Remote working is one of the biggest global conversations to emerge from COVID-19. Data centres are facing surges in activity, organisations are changing their work-management structures and people are enjoying a better work-life balance. COVID-19 has, whether we like it or not, changed how we go about our jobs for the foreseeable future and beyond.
Here, we take a closer look at what this all means.
Change can be good, and as we enter this new normal we are beginning to see the wealth of opportunities that have presented themselves in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. This affects how we go about our working lives, too.
Work-Management Structures
The process has already begun whereby employers are assessing and evaluating how work is to be done in the future. Remote working, or at least a blended approach to it, is a key consideration (where applicable). In fact, two thirds (66%) of businesses regard remote working as a continuing workplace reality. This includes the intention to offer a permanent option for employees to work from home in the long term.
It has been well documented as of late that working from home is associated with an increase in efficiency, with productivity increases recorded of up to 13%.
Of course, organisations will not all rush in the direction of remote working opportunities for all. Other companies may opt to try a hybrid model that includes certain remote working policies while keeping a centralised office of operations. Other sectors require that employees are physically present. Still, there are a wealth of benefits to at least a hybrid model – savings on energy bills, better managed social distancing and more.
Work-Life Balance
We already know that the majority of employers are considering the introduction of some kind of remote working. Better still, employers and employees appear to be on the same page. This month we conducted a poll on our social media channels about remote working. Unsurprisingly, 84% of our respondents indicated a preference for at least partial remote working opportunities (59% for a mixture of remote/in-house and 25% for full remote working).
The world we live in today is a lot more fast-paced than it was just fifty years ago, and modern-day workers can benefit from flexible working opportunities, which may including working from home.
Technological advancements mean that a large proportion of the workforce is equipped to work remotely with no productivity compromise. This has been linked to higher employee morale, reduced costs and time savings in the absence of travel. As people have varied commitments, flexible or remote working allows employees to build their working day around the hours that they are most productive, especially with the presence of covid-19.
Industries in Growth During COVID-19
COVID-19 has caused a shift in the world’s job market that has sadly resulted in job losses across certain industries. But the world economy will persevere as will the jobs market. In fact, several industries are currently seeing seismic growth, leading to new opportunities. Other sectors are forecasted to grow in the near future.
Such industries of growth include:
– Data Storage Services
– Renewable Energy
– eCommerce Retail
– Delivery and Courier Services
– Sanitary/PPE Manufacturing
– Construction and Engineering
– Cyber Security
– Digital Marketing
– Pharmaceuticals
Data Centre Surges
The covid-19 pandemic has created an insatiable demand for data storage capacity. This transpired in the form of entertainment platforms such as Netflix who experienced an unprecedented spike in subscribership, but also in the form of work management platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams seeing tens of millions of increased user bases.
Software companies that saw large increases in users will have faced a huge challenge, as their ability to handle this amount of usage is dependent on the capacity of data centres. This is why companies are investing more heavily in data storage, and the data centre industry will grow to create a large volume of job opportunities in this space. Our weekly Data Centre Industry Update outlines the latest in industry advancements.
Regional Development
Due to the increase in remote working with covid-19, employees based in larger cities like Dublin may have returned to their hometowns or cities of origin. This redistribution of talent leads to increased contributions within regional economies.
There is now a huge opportunity to unlock the potential of regions as large organisations are attracted to the cost savings and skills clusters in these areas. This regional development will enrich and enhance local economies.
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