The vicissitudes of history have significantly changed the world of employment • Remote communication, utilization of employees' capabilities and a window for employing disabled people • Towards a second wave? These are the lessons

• Work from home // Photo: GettyImages

The world of employment has been severely shaken and many will still be discussed. Meanwhile, with many employed still in the US, there are many estimates of the sequel. Among the predictions made possible by the "zoom world," a forecast suggests that the Corona will affect more and more workers from home. The pioneer who announced a dramatic announcement on the issue was Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey, who informed his employees that they would continue to work from home regularly, and that a $ 1,000 grant would be awarded to each. Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook have also informed their employees that they can continue working from home throughout the fall of 2020.

Factors in the field we discussed agreed that the work from home would be expanded, but agreed that it was still marginalized. However, quite a few changes are expected in this area that we will all see soon.

According to Professor Momi Dahan of the School of Public Policy at the Hebrew University, "Throughout history there have been major events that have affected the labor market such as the black epidemic, the Spanish influence and World War II. This is a major event that created a structural change in the process of accelerating, which we began to see. "It was the acceleration of women's entry into the world of work. The power of change depends on whether there will be a second and third wave, and then it will change the job market in a very significant way."

According to Dahan, these are changes that manifest themselves in all walks of life: "We have already seen that malls are shuffling before the corona, we have seen beyond the consumption of banking services and branch closures.

Dahan also explains that Corona has a potential effect on increasing the volume of work remotely, but is not suitable for all employers and all employees: "Some employers will continue to work in the workplace, and some employees will continue to come to their workplace. There are activities that require more than a desk and a computer. The worker's voice or tofu will have to reach his workplace. Work from home is not suitable for all employees. Some workers' homes are very small and they will not be able to allocate suitable space for the benefit of work. The same goes for people who live in a distracting, noisy environment and more. There are also people who need social interaction and they don't want to work from home. Another thing the epidemic opens up is options for people with disabilities, postpartum women, or those who want to work part-time. That is, technology allows more people to enter the workforce. "

Understanding the personnel

Noam Mordechai, VP of Business Development at Gloat, says: "The first wave caught most organizations by surprise and with a lot of uncertainty: Should I be fired? Should I Freeze Recruiting? And many more questions. Today, not only are these organizations preparing for another wave, they have already developed new practices that include remote work. Many companies have predetermined that return to offices will be only after the summer or towards the end of 2020, so for many companies, even if a second wave breaks out, they continue in business as usual. "

Mordechai says the fundamental change lies in understanding that this situation is here to stay, and companies need to make long-term changes because the world of work is changing rapidly and Corona has accelerated that understanding.

"The two strategic points that companies deal with today are: First, understanding the depth of their existing workforce. There is less significance to defining the traditional role, and the question today is what skills the employees have in the organization and how to leverage them for changing needs. The second question is how to respond quickly And the most effective job market that is constantly changing, with reference to truth-based data. The bottom line - how to best utilize the skills of existing talents in the organization? Here, we at Gloat come into the picture.Our system helps large organizations locate their employee skills in order to Optimize work internally and connect them to projects and jobs that are in focus and high profile, "he concludes.


Quick adaptation

Doron Aaronson, Jolet's CEO in Israel, says: "In the current period, we are seeing an increase in the number of infected persons, and accordingly the public concern about additional measures will make it more difficult for the economy. Even without any actual steps, the mere fear of a second wave raises the element of uncertainty and reinforces all the points we have been talking about. In such an atmosphere, managers make short-term decisions and avoid making long-term consequences. "

According to him, in order to survive and prosper, "companies must adapt quickly to changing situations. Employers want to be sure employees are capable of being flexible: being able to move quickly between work from home and away from home, without compromising productivity, and knowing different tasks that traditionally have not been their responsibility."

Tal Daskal, CEO of Easysend, says: "The Corona crisis has been a catalyst for the expected trend and is - the cessation of paperwork. One can observe that consumers expect fast and available digital services, and as a result we are also seeing a change in bodies that have been considered very bureaucratic - such as banks and governments. The transition of organizations to digital is no longer optional. The digital dimension has become a factor that customers expect to receive as part of the services offered by the companies. It is clear that in the next three years digital will become the new normal. "

Chen Freder, NSO's human resources VP, says that they are currently preparing for a second wave scenario. "We can say that successful coping with the outbreak of the first wave has prepared us well for the tightening scenario. Firstly, it is our duty to maintain the health of the employees arriving at the office, so our offices are well maintained and we adhere to daily conduct in accordance with the Ministry of Health's guidelines, from daily heat examination upon entry to the office, to office seating arrangements, to wearing masks, hygiene and disinfection in all office spaces. '. Also, maintaining continuous contact with employees throughout the first wave period has shown that transparency and communication allow for a routine experience even in such absence, so that even if we have to return to part-time work from home, I am sure we will be prepared for such conduct, ”she concludes.