Work isn’t a Place

>>Work is no longer a place we go is a foundational way of thinking of the potential of remote working. People want flexibility and companies that provide this do enjoy a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining key talent. But to get the most from new ways or working - including remote working - it’s critical that companies have a clear value proposition, and have a culture that supports the success of people working outside of a traditional office environment.<<

The shift to flexible and remote working has accelerated in the last few years, particularly since the pandemic lockdowns proved to us that ‘remote working worked’, new ways of working have continued to evolve rapidly. In this interview published by The Irish Times - ‘Adapting to a World Where Work is No Longer a Place We Go to’ - I talked about some of the key changes that we were seeing at my former company, G-P.

This wide ranging interview - which was a precursor to a panel discussion I participated in at Talent Summit in Dublin in March 2023 - focused on trends we were seeing as a company through our own teams, but given our unique position of employing people on behalf of your customers, also from those customers and their teams.

For me, the technology that enables remote work, and compliantly employing great talent across the world is key, but companies must be very clear on what they offer, and the culture they want to thrive under new ways of working. Given the ever evolving world of work this continues to be a challenge for companies, some flip-flopping between support for remote and hybrid working, and a need (for some) to get their people back to the office. For me there really isn’t one solution that works for every company, or every individual, but being clear and effectively communicating both internally with employees, and externally with potential candidates and other stakeholders, ensures that companies are best placed to take advantage of the benefits and balance out any downsides.