4 keys to the evolution of teleworking in Spain

Two years have passed since the Government of Spain decreed the State of Alarm, as well as the establishment of teleworking as one of the key measures to prevent Covid-19.

Until then, teleworking was a poorly established modality in Spain, with barely 3M workers able to telework. In this context, Keepler Data Tech has presented four keys that have marked the evolution of teleworking.

“Telecommuting is part of Keepler’s DNA, as we have always facilitated 2 days of telecommuting per week. The pandemic has made us go further and today we consider ourselves a remote first company”, explains Adelina Sarmiento, Marketing Manager at Keepler Data Tech.

Evolution of teleworking in Spain

Although, at present, the data indicates a decrease in the number of employees who work remotely, going from 19.1% after the outbreak of the pandemic to 13.6% at the end of 2021. These data show that the The promotion of teleworking in Spain seems to have been a consequence of the pandemic, but it will not continue in a generalized way, the model adopted by the majority being the one that allows flexibility and the possibility of teleworking, but without reaching a 100% model, which is known as hybrid model.

These are the 4 keys that have marked teleworking:

• Have the right tools. The adoption of technological tools that allow synchronous and asynchronous work have been key to successfully making the transition from a job that until before the pandemic was essentially face-to-face, in most organizations. But in addition to facilitating these synchronous and asynchronous communications and tasks, these tools must replace, as much as possible, aspects that were previously achieved in a face-to-face context. With the arrival of the pandemic, the workspaces provided by cloud providers (such as Gsuite or Teams) were a quick solution adopted by a high volume of companies that skyrocketed the number of users. Currently, there are trends to take this to the extreme, creating virtual worlds that allow simulating meetings and work boards.

4 keys that have marked the evolution of teleworking in Spain

• Agile and adaptable organizations in the face of change. The pandemic has drastically disrupted professional environments. Many companies went from zero to one hundred in terms of remote work from one day to the next, with the need to maintain processes, relationships and results. The term “resilient companies” began to sound, understood as those flexible and agile when it comes to implementing changes in the face of unforeseen adverse circumstances. At this time, the value of agile methodologies and Management 3.0 organizational models could be seen. Those companies capable of operating under these models are able to adapt more easily and quickly, maintain more cohesive and coordinated teams in the development of projects and not see performance and efficiency diminished in context changes. Innovation also plays an important role in this type of organization, since it makes companies more competitive, profitable and better able to adapt to changes. A study by the Cotec Foundation points out that, if Spain dedicated sufficient resources to optimizing the innovation of its companies, the GDP would grow an additional 1.8% per year until 2025.
• Paradigm shift in the physical work space. Associated with the rise of teleworking and flexibility in face-to-face work, the spaces for offices and workstations have been altered. With the pandemic in our lives, we are left in an uncomfortable situation: large investments in jobs that could directly lead to losses. The lesson here is that perhaps we should start to refocus how we look at company offices, what function we give them. We are no longer talking about a place to work on a daily routine basis, but rather one-off workspaces, with uses on demand, and meetings more geared towards teamwork, the promotion of creativity and the exchange of ideas. .
• Data to analyze performance and efficiency. One of the most valuable assets of a company is its customer data, but also its internal data, generated by the organization’s own operation and performance. The months of the pandemic have forced teams to be managed in a different way, more focused on results, establishing KPIs and any type of index that would allow performance and results to be measured. This information is also a great asset for companies that should not be lost sight of in the face of the trend towards a recovery of attendance. Increasing data analytics capacity will help improve processes, facilitate flexible work environments and allow for an organization capable of operating in scenarios of change with greater guarantees of efficiency and effectiveness.