American multinational software company Citrix Systems, Inc. partnered with OnePoll to survey 7,250 employees in 12 countries to determine how their attitudes and expectations on work have changed since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Three findings strikingly illustrate how the workplace we formerly took for granted will be unrecognizable in the future of work.

1.The Changes We Thought Were Temporary Are Permanent

Remote work, initially regarded as a short-term workaround to the pandemic, has morphed into permanent workforce and cost management strategic decision making. Covid-19 has forced businesses to fundamentally rethink the who, what and where of work. Stakeholders at all organizational levels have experienced the  benefits more flexible work models can bring in terms of productivity, engagement, and well-being; so much so that the door to returning to what we knew as normal is now closed. When  asked how they would prefer to work post-pandemic, The Citrix-OnePoll data revealed that:

• 52 percent of respondents said they want a hybrid model where they can choose to work remotely or from the office each day.
• 16 percent indicated they have no interest in returning to the office and would prefer a permanently remote role.
• 45 percent noted that if they were to change jobs, they would only accept a role which offered flexible and remote work options;
• Nearly 75 percent said they would likely consider relocating to a different city if they could perform their role to the same level without commuting to a place of work. In a separate Citrix-One Poll survey,  one in four of 2,000 employees said they have abandoned their city dwellings, or plan to do so, because they can work remote.

2.Working Remotely Is Not Nirvana

Two-thirds of employees polled are working the same or more hours with a new lack of boundaries between their work and personal lives and no commute built into their day. But while they have adapted and remain productive, it’s a struggle to do so. According to the Citrix-OnePoll survey:

• 41 percent of employees cited distractions in their home environment (children, pets, etc.).
• 28 percent say they lack appropriate technologies and applications to get work done.
• 36 percent feel isolated and out of touch with colleagues.

Growing fatigue and frustration are the byproducts of the new chat and collaboration tools companies have given employees to make them more effective. The tradeoff to living online has been new distractions from employees’ core work as they struggle to adapt. Persistent interruptions and intrusions into their time are causing employees to get less done, even when working longer hours. App-driven approaches to staying in touch have not been found to be an adequate replacement to engage and collaborate, let alone get work done in a timely and efficient manner.

3.The Oxymoron “New Experience” Drives Hiring

Prospective employees that bring the experience, education, and achievements to the table that enable them to succeed in new roles is now accompanied by an add water and stir prerequisite: the ability to jump into the new world of Covid-19 online communication and collaboration. The honeymoon phase of onboarding is decreasing noticeably. For those job candidates prepared to dive in headfirst and quickly differentiate themselves from their toes in the water counterparts, companies are providing the space they need to succeed in what will be an ongoing distributed work environment. In essence, employers are searching for candidates with the shortest space between competency and the new technology in an effort to remove the distractions from employees’ workdays to achieve meaningful outcomes. Digitally-driven workspaces are an efficient and effective way to accomplish this because they:

• Unify work – Whether at home, on a  plane or in an office, employees have consistent and reliable access to all the resources they need to be productive across any work channel, device or location.
• Secure work – Contextual access and app security ensure applications and information remain secure—no matter where work happens.
• Simplify work – Intelligence capabilities like machine learning, virtual assistants and simplified workflows personalize, guide, and automate the work experience so employees can work free from noise and perform at their best.

More than 400,000 companies around the world use digital workspace solutions to provide a secure and simplified work experience that empowers adaptable, warp speed employees to be and do their best.

About Garrison Leykam, PhD

• Certified Business Coach (Expert Level)
• Certified Remote Work Professional
• Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC)
• Certified Professional, Résumé Writer (CPRW)
• Certified Employment Interview Professional (CEIP)
• Certified Life Coach (Expert Level)
• PhD Marketing, MA Psychology
• LinkedIn profile in Top 25 MA, PhD profiles in U.S.
• Top 1% LinkedIn Industry Social Selling Index
• Author, Audacious at Any Age and Design You