The “remote work” meaning is widely known for everyone. Broadly speaking, it implies that you can work from anywhere in the world with a computer and an internet connection. Over the past year we have witnessed an exponential growth in digital transformation. The pandemic has had a lot to do with this new scenario that has relegated this “remote work” meaning to something obsolete, going one step further: the birth of Smart Working.
What is Smart Working?
The exponential growth of new technologies, the limitations of the current law and the refusal by some groups and unions, has led to a new labor scenario known as Smart Working.
The organizations must get adapted to all these changes and make their teams feel comfortable, motivated and safe.
Ultimately, Smart Working represents a new work model that brings together remote work and new digital technologies. The goal for professionals has turned into reaching the maximum level of productivity regardless of where they are.
Trust: The Key to Smart Working
In this work system, the employees must have access to all digital tools of the company they are working for.
Some of the keys to the successful development of Smart Working are the following:
- Efficient technological tools and effective support service behind them.
- Promote communication channels within the company – not only with management but also for employees.
- Mandatory registration working hours, as required by law, but with flexible hours.
The philosophy behind smart working is to meet objectives, not schedules; that way, the organization gets greater commitment and motivation.
Undoubtedly, this is a challenging goal for the organizations, mostly taking into account how we were used to do our work so far.
Main advantages of Smart Working
Let’s analyze what the main benefits of this new philosophy are for a company.
Freedom and flexibility
The employee can decide where he wants to work from every day: his house, another city, a bar on the corner…
According to a recent survey, “92 % of Gen Y participants identify flexibility as a top priority when selecting a workplace” and, as another study reveals, “81% believe that flexibility would make their job much more attractive ”. They want to be valued by results and not by their office time.
Far but near
The distance between teams is part of this new way of working, but it is only physical since the smart working bets on more meetings that promote relationships between the different members of the team, not only for work purposes but also for leisure.
Schedule a meeting every morning or at the end of the day to chat about how the day has been, organizing leisure or relaxation activities (online mindfulness), also through online communication platforms, are some of the smart working initiatives.
Implementing a multichannel platform for your employees (employee portal) would be a huge help for the HR department.
Technological bet
Technology is definitely the queen of this innovative scenario. Companies will have to bet on new digital tools with information in real time and cloud hosting. Anything out of these parameters, should be discarded.
Reduction of absenteeism and retention of talent
The fact is that the teams have more choices and autonomy regarding how they organize their own work, get a sense of well-being, reduces stress, promotes commitment, and facilitates a better work-life balance. It translates into an increase of loyalty and a significant reduction in the employees turnover and absenteeism rate.
Sustainability and environment
Smart working achieves the same or better results with fewer resources. In addition, avoiding unnecessary trips minimizes the business carbon footprint.
However, in order to carry out this new work approach, the support of new technologies is crucial. Feedback tools like Happyforce provide the best information in real time, reducing organizational costs and contributing to the conciliation and well-being of your teams.
