Recognizing the dawn of Remote Work and an end to the pandemic, hopefully, soon, many businesses are considering a formal and "proper" move to remote work for their organizations and businesses.
These organizations, however, need to contend with numerous high-level questions before diving into the multitude of the nitty-gritty. Should they go completely off-premises? Should they follow a mixed model? What would be best in the long run? Moreover, what would prove to be most flexible in the long run?
In a mixed (or hybrid) model, organizations need to contend with more questions. For example, should some employees work remotely full-time while others work from the office full-time? Should it be a combination of some employees working a part of the day from the office and the rest from home? Another alternative is for specific employees to work certain days of the week (or the month) from the office while working remotely the rest of the time. In that case, should on-premise days be pre-decided or left up to the employees' convenience? What if there is too little or too much in-office attendance on a particular day? Can a combination of all these alternatives be followed? If so, what is the best combination and how can it be applied to keep the interests of the employer and employees in mind?
Nishant Shah, Managing Partner, Jackstien Practices and Consulting International says that the answer should be scientifically and data-driven, based on the business, processes, dependencies, legal obligations, entity risks, regulatory status, and inherent risks.
Jackstien Practices has developed extensive expertise backed by scientific methodologies on the complicated area of Remote Work. Jackstien Practices helps transition businesses to remote work in a phased and calibrated manner across processes, technology, security, connectivity, taxation, automation, training, resourcing, culture, team management, and employment law compliances.
Nishant Shah said "Jackstien Practices helps achieve a move off-premises by anywhere from 100% to 65%. We would typically phase this over a few months, using a proprietary methodology to arrive at a scientific and data-driven structure of the model. Needless to say, client preferences and future plans are also an integral part of the data set. To ensure the best results for our clients, our fees are linked directly to the long-term cost benefits accrued by them. While we work with all types of businesses, for financial businesses like NBFCs, Brokerage Firms, and Insurance Companies regulated by RBI, SEBI, and IRDA, we have additionally developed deeply nuanced methodologies specific to each entity."
It stands to reason that with every significant beneficial change, there would be several teething issues. Building consensus and getting the organization to move as one often proves to be a herculean task in the absence of a focused project management team. Even if there is such a team, it would be unlikely to have the requisite expertise. This is where a firm like Jackstien Practices adds significant value to drive the transition.
It's not just about technology, processes, integration, logistics, finance, compliances, and so on. People are primary and balancing the human elements of the transition in the short and the long term is challenging.
Often, the substantial benefits of remote work feel difficult to achieve as businesses and organizations struggle to find and justify the right answers since a transition to remote work should account for future organizational changes too.
With so many views and variables in the equation, organizations may find it easier to stick to the status quo. Of course, there is a large cost attached to the status quo, which bites sharper than ever in the current environment. Smart and nimble businesses can avoid these costs by moving to snap up the best assets at the lowest cost.
"Though there are central authorities empowered to make this decision for everyone in the organization, they also recognize that a consensus-based transition makes all the difference to the long-term success of the transition. Jackstien Practices drives the technical and statutory processes for clients while also focusing on their most important asset; their people," says Nishant Shah
