Virtual Work: Remote and Hybrid Work

The world of work has changed. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, remote and hybrid work have gained significant importance. These forms of virtual work appear to be more than just a temporary solution, and their implementation requires effective change management.

It’s important to understand that remote work, hybrid work, and home office represent different aspects of virtual work, although all these forms enable working from home. They differ in their legal bases and require different approaches and processes in management.

Virtual work has wide-ranging implications, including costs. An example is office spaces that are used less. There is also the challenge of compensating for a possible loss in effectiveness and managing the fear of losing control.

Remote work was formerly telework and has been around since the ’70s, but it’s more relevant than ever since the pandemic and is being rethought.

To ease the transition, new processes and tools are necessary. For instance, companies must implement virtual onboarding processes and new learning methods. New software solutions are needed so that communication, for example, functions. All of this requires careful change management to ensure that these are adopted and used by employees.

A central challenge of virtual work is the lack of social contact. The well-being of employees greatly depends on social interactions, and companies must find ways to enable these in a virtual work environment.

The needs of employees vary greatly. Some prefer to work entirely remotely, while others prefer a mix of home office and in-person work, or even just in-person. Companies face the challenge of flexibly responding to these needs and shaping this together with the employees. It is always necessary to keep a balance between the needs of the employees and the economic requirements of the company in mind.