“Viewpoint” is a new series of opinion posts from WorkSync that spotlight our take on the big ideas affecting today’s workforce and businesses.

The past year and a half have seen a transformation of the workplace unlike any other in recent memory. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the closing of countless offices and other worksites, ushering in a rapid shift to remote work that radically changed the way so many of us do business.

Now here we are, and the end of the crisis seems to finally be in sight. More and more people are getting vaccinated. Workspaces are opening back up. Hiring is accelerating. So does that mean everything is just going to return to “normal”?

No. Because the lessons of this unprecedented period are still with us, and one of those lessons — perhaps the most valuable of them all — is the vital importance of flexibility in how we work.

The truth is, now that employees have seen the promised land of the flexible workplace, there’s simply no going back to the status quo. And employers need to start stepping up by offering the kind of fluidity and adaptability that tomorrow’s workers will be seeking.

Business leaders must take stock with an open mind: How much of the work of their organization really needs to be done on-site? Can remote labor remain an option for employees who prefer it? What might a hybrid workplace look like — one that seamlessly blends in-person and off-site experiences? And for those workers who may not be present in the same physical location, what can be done to keep them feeling engaged, connected, and a meaningful part of the team?

Flexibility doesn’t end there, though. It extends to scheduling, too. Shift-based employees have long struggled with unpredictable top-down scheduling that doesn’t adequately take into account factors like their availability, travel limitations, and work-life balance. But leaders can strive to make scheduling a more dynamic, interactive process in which employees play an active role — enabling them to communicate in real time, pick up shifts that suit them, and easily swap shifts when life gets in the way.

It’s exciting to be getting back to work, and going back to the workplace, but let’s make sure we’re also taking the time to apply the powerful lessons we’ve learned from these extraordinary circumstances. Let’s join together to build a more flexible future.

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