A Whole New World

The way we work is constantly changing. Sometimes this happens with a paradigm shift, such as the industrial revolution or the rapid rise of computers and IT, while other changes are more gradual, taking place over generations. But fast or slow, change is a part of the working world, and it is happening faster now than ever before.

Covid changes

Most changes in working practice are gradual and take time to truly alter the corporate landscape. For example, the idea of a ‘job for life’, starting with a company as a young apprentice and working your way up until you reach retirement, took decades to slowly fade, but is now very much a thing of the past.

The changes from Covid, on the other hand, have happened much faster, radically rewriting the rulebook on the way we work in just two short years. Millions of workers who were once totally office-based, and who had never considered any other way of doing their jobs, are now working from home, or operating a hybrid of home and office work.

Although these changes were made in response to a crisis, for many companies, they have become the ‘new normal’. At least fifty of the top UK companies are sticking with the new arrangements, with no plans to bring staff back into the office full time, and thousands of smaller companies are following suit..

Does home / hybrid working work?

Most home workers enjoy a better work/life balance, save time and money on their commute and report improved wellbeing, but not everyone is happy with this arrangement. One study showed that while around a fifth of people want to work from home full time, the same number never want to do so. The feelings on productivity were equally split, with around 30% saying they got more done working from home and 30% saying they felt their productivity had fallen.

Even for the happiest and most effective homeworkers, there can still be downsides to the new arrangements. Around two thirds of homeworkers said that they felt less connected to colleagues, while a sixth experienced loneliness and the same number reported difficulties with collaboration and communication.

Keeping your team onside

Clearly, companies have a challenge ahead if they want to to meet workers’ demands for home and hybrid working, while still keeping their teams connected, engaged and collaborating. And that means more than just a weekly Zoom meeting or the occasional check-in phone call. Companies have to find ways to keep staff talking, about work and non-work subjects, to maintain that feeling of teamwork that they once enjoyed over coffee or lunch in the office.

Staff engagement games, such the Noise 2022 World Cup Predictor game, are one way to bring everyone together, keep those friendships fresh and make remote workers feel part of the team, even when they are working alone at home. Online fantasy football games like this get your team talking, working together and having fun. Noise can set up your World Cup Predictor game exactly how you need it, to suit the size, locations and structure of your company. What’s more, we can brand it with your own colours, logo and lines, so that it looks like it has been personally created just for you, making your team feel truly appreciated by a company that cares.

With most workplace changes, you have plenty of time to adapt, but the new home/hybrid working has happened incredibly fast, leaving many organisations struggling to stay connected with their teams. Online fantasy football games like the World Cup Predictor are an easy, affordable and effective solution that you can put into place right now to encourage, engage and entertain your team.

To find out more about the Noise World Cup Predictor online fantasy football game, get in touch today.