How WFH became a reality & why it is here to stay!

For almost three months now, much of the world has been in the lockdown and working from home. Connecting through the Internet, people are working on their companies. But it has not been a cruise; there are much learning on WFH that has emerged both on the part of the employees and the corporate.

Traditionally, there has been a negative sentiment that has been associated with WFH; it has been often stated that people working from home tend to be low on productivity. It is only through constant monitoring that employee's work. People continually sitting at their workstations, tapping away on the keyboard are considered to be more productive than those at home. Yet, this belief does not take into account the kind of distractions that exist in a typical workplace, from tea-breaks and smoke-breaks to stretchy meetings and socializing, all these factors add up and bring down productivity.

If done correctly, an employee working from home could be more productive than the one at the office because of several factors like fewer distractions, lesser stress due to commuting, comfort at home. Employees that work from home are fresher and willing to take more on their plate than the stressed ones at the office that complain of overwork.

Among the countries, the US has been at the forefront of embracing a WFH culture.

In 2017, about 3.7 million employees worked from home worldwide

Around 86 percent of employees in the US report they're more productive when they work alone.

16 percent of all telecommuters are employed at managerial positions.

82 percent of telecommuters say they feel less stress.

Companies that offer even part-time remote work collectively save USD 44 billion per year.

Only in the US remote workers avoid the release of 3.6 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions by not commuting.

The COVID-19 epidemic has pushed these numbers through the roof, according to Statista before the pandemic, 17 percent of US employees worked from home five days or more per week, a share that increased to 44 percent during the coronavirus pandemic.

The spurt in WFH is recorded in India as well. India had one of the most stringent lockdowns in the world, also the longest. Inevitably, working from home got a big boost in India. Employees across states and cities of India are connected to their workplace via the Internet.

To be honest, the feasibility of WFH is dependent on two factors; it is the vertical that a company belongs in and the job profile of the employee. For instance, companies in the IT, BFSI, Education, Telecom, are more amenable to shift workloads to remote working than say companies in Mining, Construction, Transportation or Agriculture. Also, work profiles like finance, admin, marketing and sales, communication, etc. can be migrated to a WFH model.

Two factors are working in tandem to promote WFH in India. First is the broadband connectivity in India. Thanks to players like Jio, Airtel and Tata Sky, high-speed internet connectivity to homes is no more an issue.

Second, it is the IT infrastructure. To enable WFH safely and securely, companies are ramping up their IT infrastructure. Considering the importance of data, it is pertinent that all communication networks to the corporate database are securitized and encrypted. Also, a lot many employees are moving to a new digital interface; the workplace needs to be seamless and straightforward. And most importantly, all the applications and software should interface with each other and not function in a silo.

WFH might seem easy at the front, but there's much work and thought that goes at the back. And this is where experts like Hyperlink InfoSystem come into play. The Ahmadabad-based company is one of India's leading providers of IT services. The company is renowned for creating mobile applications for international and domestic clients. In addition, the company is using its IT prowess to enable WFH for corporate employees.

Hyperlink works with clients to chart out a WFH strategy that works seamlessly over the cloud. Based on the need on the client, the company offers digital workplace services and integration of various apps like CRM that connect employees and help scale up the business.

Harnil Oza, founder & CEO, Hyperlink InfoSystem, is bullish about the prospects of WFH. "While the mass adoption of WFH in India happened under duress because of the COVID epidemic, we have quickly adapted to the model.

Today, scores and scores of companies have not only shifted their work to a remote-working model but are also making long-term strategies to include WFH in their work sphere. A lot many companies in the days to come will realize the productivity gains of WFH and opt for it out of choice and not force. We at Hyperlink are ready to help such companies' transition without any hitch or glitch."

In the end, WFH is a win-win for all. While the employees can work and cut down on their travel, the companies too gain in terms of lesser infrastructure spend. They can cut down on their leasing costs by having a portion of their employees working from home. Little wonder, WFH is going to stay with us for a long-long time, even though the COVID epidemic won't.