Insights into the forces shaping our industry.

What’s the best post-pandemic working model — remote, hybrid or in-office? Workers and their employers don’t always agree on how to answer that question. The “we’ve always done it this way” approach has worked in the electrical industry for what seems to be forever, but it isn’t going to work for long.  I hear my clients say, “My team can’t work from home…You can’t do this role from home”, etc.  But what about those who can? Many sales and operations roles have been done remotely at some point in the last two years…the more forward-thinking companies have made the switch to a full-time work from home strategy, or hybrid flex schedule and are just now starting to quantify that switch. Roles such as sales, marketing, project management, operations, finance, human resources, legal and IT have made a significant shift to a work from home model….and it is working!  I’ve recently seen a shift in even engineering roles being successfully performed remotely.  Surprisingly, the adoption of this strategy has paid off most for the mid-sized organization (less than $500M).  Over the course of 2022, my clients who embrace this new strategy are seeing everything from improved productivity to overall job satisfaction. Some companies have taken advantage of this shift in business to free themselves from real estate that is no longer necessary and, in turn, have seen marked improvements in profitability. I’ve seen more office consolidations and the emergence of new regional technical centers than at any other time.

It’s interesting to note how quickly things have changed. Companies have been forced to redefine how they conduct business. Before Covid, these nontraditional work models were more likely to be viewed as employee perks.

Lack of workplace innovation, insufficient oversight and cultural shifts can be identified as barriers to successful hybrid or remote work, but they’re certainly not insurmountable. With investment in strategy, building culture remotely and the application of technology, organizations can transition to a successful hybrid or remote work environment.

The landscape is changing, the industry will certainly not escape those changes. Are you ready?