Home office remains part of everyday working life in Switzerland

Nearly half of Swiss workers were working from home at the height of the crisis. Before Corona had only about 10 % made use of this form of work. Now home office has established itself - about half would like to work in a home office even after the crisis. Regardless of this, both employees and employers are currently having many positive experiences with working from home. Zerrin Azeri, Associate Director at Robert Half, explains exactly what these are and why home office has become an integral part of everyday life even after the Corona crisis.

For many employees, suddenly working from home is unfamiliar. How do employees deal with this new situation?
Zerrin Azeri: We have observed that employees have quickly become accustomed to the new situation and appreciate the advantages. First and foremost, there is the time flexibility that comes from not having to travel to work. Travel costs can also be saved. Even those who used to work in open-plan offices appreciate the peace and quiet at home and can concentrate better if necessary. Of course, this requires a certain amount of self-discipline and effective time management. If you can manage this, you will work at least as well in a home office as in an office.

Keyword "discipline": What is the best way for employees to organize themselves so that they can also do good work from home?
It has proven effective to set up a schedule and prioritize all pending tasks for a workday. Setting time deadlines for yourself to meet all timings is also important. And don't forget: Take breaks, too. What often happens by itself in the office at the coffee machine with colleagues, tends to fall down in the home office. That's why it makes sense to take a walk in between and then take a fresh look at the to-dos that are still pending. If possible, set up a separate room or area as an office that blocks out all distractions as much as possible. In this way, you separate work and private life, both spatially and mentally.

Doesn't a home office run the risk of individual employees isolating themselves in the long run?
Both employees and employers have experienced that communication has become much more important - on a business as well as on an interpersonal level. Employees should regularly talk to their supervisor and also other colleagues and exchange information about their projects. And not only that: simple conversations with questions about personal well-being also need to take place. They promote trust and prevent uncertainty in times of corona. Fixed appointments between boss and employees are suitable for these conversations, where they can bring each other up to date and ask questions. Regular virtual team meetings via video conference also make sense. This keeps colleagues in touch. For a private chat, teams can also arrange to meet for a virtual coffee or an after-work drink.

For virtual meetings to be possible at all, all the technical requirements have to be right. What are the experiences of employees in this regard?
This may sound trivial, but it is an important basis for home office to succeed at all. In practice, the best way to avoid these problems is for the employer to create a stable, digital infrastructure. This includes not only questions about necessary hardware and software, but also about data protection. It's best for employers to set up a plan with IT and train employees accordingly. As a rule, however, many companies are already well positioned in this regard and have had to adapt quickly to the new circumstances right now.

In the meantime, not only job interviews are taking place via video call, but also digital onboarding. What is the best way to train new colleagues from home?
This works very well if a few rules are followed. First, the company must be aware that digital onboarding is also important in order to be able to fully deploy and integrate the employee as quickly as possible. In addition, the new employee must have all the technical requirements, such as a laptop or smartphone, and be able to access all the necessary programs. The right software, such as Zoom, Skype or Slack, are also the basis for good communication. Once all the prerequisites are in place, regular contact is important. It has proven beneficial if the newcomer has a trusted person who can assist with questions. Supervisors are also invited to be present at onboarding meetings on a regular basis. In this way, many questions can be clarified directly.

In the meantime, some Corona regulations have been relaxed. In the long term, many employees will return to the office. Will the topic of the home office change in the long term?
Many companies and professionals have had positive experiences with this in recent weeks. Even though most employees are expected to return to work in the next few weeks, working from a home office will be more firmly anchored in everyday working life than ever before after the crisis. Video calls, in particular, will be a high priority. They can replace scheduled meetings, interviews or on-site onboarding processes. Employees and employers will have to adapt to this in the future - and many employees have already proven that it works in recent weeks.

Source: Robert Half