The way of work for many companies has undergone a drastic transformation over the past year or so, with redefined requirements for workers — at every level — to do their jobs safely and efficiently. Arguably, the biggest change here has been to working arrangements, which have now gone virtual in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Creative Google Meet/Zoom/Teams backgrounds and video calls have become part of many employees' daily routines, and the vast majority of work is now done from the comfort of living rooms, kitchens, or even bedrooms. Work-from-home is no longer a last resort — but a way for employers and employees to thrive.

How to get the most out of remote working?

The new normal calls for a rethink when it comes to work in general. A renewed focus on agility and a merit-based approach is important to improve efficiency, along with a reliance on expertise over hierarchal seniority. And with remote working setups, employees need to be equipped with the right digital tools to ensure productivity, as well as well-being.

For employers and HR professionals out there, the right resources are there to help you navigate this journey. Out with the "Old Normal", and in with the "New Normal".

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One of the key elements of the new normal is workplace flexibility. Besides safety and COVID-19 SOPs, there are many advantages to flexible working arrangements for your employees — with 77 percent of employees calling it a major factor when deciding on a job. For a company to survive and thrive amid the ongoing pandemic, it's important to truly embrace this flexible approach without a fixed working schedule or workspace.

What are the types of flexible work arrangements?

• Remote work
• Hybrid work
• Part-time work
• Flexible hours
• Job-sharing
• Compressed hours

Investment in digital tools like virtual conferencing platforms and workplace collaboration software is essential here, and in general, your employees will have the best chance of success with the proper training, technology, and collaboration tools they need. Other tips to make the most out of flexible working arrangements include designated time blocks, as well as clear expectation setting and regular feedback.

Ultimately, flexible working arrangements centre around trust. Build that within your company, and build a community.

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Employers are human, too — you'll probably make mistakes. But if you already know what the most common mistakes are when it comes to remote working setups, you might have a better chance at avoiding them in the future.

These include a lack of rapport between managers and employees, inefficiently lengthy meetings, blurred lines between work and rest times, and the overall reduced social interaction between colleagues and employees. With the right tools, your employees are primed for success — but avoid these common errors first.

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One of the most valuable things you can do, as a HR professional in Malaysia, is to boost employee engagement. And one of the best ways to achieve this is a gifting strategy.

The impact of gifts, after all, goes beyond simple monetary value. According to the Incentive Research Foundation, a significant percentage of employees feel that a gift card is more thoughtful than cash; peer recognition offers a lot in way of recognition, too. Peer-to-peer recognition programmes are hugely effective, which is why the eGift platform on altHR is such a powerful tool.

How to increase employee productivity and engagement?

A great way to boost employee productivity and engagement is to set up a peer-to-peer gifting programme. Gifts are certainly worth more than monetary compensation in many ways, and peer recognition is an important part of that. Plus, these programmes offer a great way to celebrate the accomplishments of the team!

Ultimately, it's important to celebrate your team and its accomplishments — it's one of the most valuable things you can do to ensure that your employees stay engaged.

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At the end of the day, you want your workplace to be a welcoming and enjoyable place for your employees — creating a great workplace culture is crucial. However, established businesses often have already-implemented workplace practices that were once commonplace. While these may have been useful in the past, a number of such practices are now considered to be outdated, and can run counter to building a great workplace culture.

What is workforce management?

Workforce management is defined as the processes that are designed to optimize employee performance and productivity. Workforce management employs the use forecasting and scheduling strategies to maximize employee productivity. Before putting these strategies into effect, you will want to identify outdated workplace practices to remove them from the equation.

These include an overly rigid approach to dress codes, working arrangements, and even work schedules. Too much focus on hierarchy and ranking of employees, as well as the implementation of policies and the like without any consideration or feedback, can result in poor employee engagement, as well. The gist of it: modernise your workplace and create a great work culture.

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So — are your employees happy at work? It's a simple question, but one that usually draws some complex answers. But a streamlined method to figure out how employees feel bout their work environment is Employment Sentiment Analysis. This involves the collection of large volumes of opinions and feedback, with the aim of capturing, quantifying, and measuring brand perceptions.

How to improve employee retention?

Employee sentiment analysis is a great way to connect with your employees, have them feel like their voices are actually heard and in turn, prevent employee burnout and getting them to be loyal to your company. Overall, engaged staff shows fewer turnovers, less absenteeism, less apathy, and make fewer mistakes. Plus, you'll have a significantly better chance at retaining top-performing employees.

Work-from-home arrangements don't look like they're going away anytime soon, and there are many benefits to the flexibility now offered to many employees in light of the pandemic. However, there are a still a number of misconceptions commonly associated with working from home. These include misguided notions that remote work decreases productivity, compromises data privacy, and that remote workers are on-call around the clock.

How to manage my employees when working from home?

It's important to keep any open mind and setting expectations early and often when it comes to managing employees who are working from home, or remotely. If implemented correctly, flexible working arrangements can help to reduce costs, increase productivity, and even protect public health (due to the global pandemic).

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Stress, undeniably, is an inevitable part of work. Mild work-related stress can actually be helpful in keeping employees motivated and focused — but too much stress, and you start to see adverse effects. This can be due to overly high demands, highly stressful environments, or even a lack of control over work processes or schedules by employees.

How do I take care of my employees?

There are a couple of methods that can be utilised to convert unwanted stress into better performance at work for your employees to ensure employee wellbeing. This is particularly important, as too much stress over an extended period of time can lead to burnout, and can even affect the physical health of your employees. Find out more about how to take care of employees in order to improve employee wellbeing below.

The New Normal is one which is full of distractions and challenges for the average employee. If your employees are having a tough time adjusting, they are not alone. There are many reasons why your workforce could be having trouble performing in this new business landscape.

How to improve employee performance?

Even as companies implement flexible work-from-home arrangements, there are obstacles that can affect an employee's performance. Here's some of the top tips you can do to increase employee efficiency while working from home.

• Play to their strengths
• Communicate often and effectively
• Set expectations early and often
• Have an open mind
• Be flexible with timing
• Reskill and upskill employees
• Incentivise and reward employees

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