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As we move into August it’s hard to believe how much has changed since the majority of us walked out of our offices back in March. Many of us had barely heard of Zoom or MS Teams let alone relied on them as part of our everyday lives and whilst flexible working was becoming ‘a thing’ the thought of a fully remote workforce would have been laughed at. But how things have changed - unprecedented you might say! In a period of time that will go down in history and which in my opinion will change the way we live and work forever, I wanted to share some of my experiences, in particular how Covid-19 has shaped and in many ways changed the landscape of the tech market forever as we slowly but surely see the road to recovery on the horizon. I’m no economist nor would I claim to be however following ‘lockdown’ the immediate aftermath was palatable and despite the tech market historically being more resilient to change than others (and in many cases being the catalyst for change itself) even it couldn’t withstand the initial barrage that Covid-19 brought. Uncertainty, panic and leaving many companies and people wondering, “what do we do?” After all, there’s no textbook for this (well not one I’ve come across). Having lived through the crisis these last few months and seeing first-hand the devastation it’s had on so many people and businesses across the board, rather than digging up what we already know (i.e. vacancies down, recruitment spend down, etc) I want to focus on the future; what we’ve learned and where we’re going as an industry (well as I see it anyway) and in particular the positives we can learn as an industry and how we’re all adapting and redefining industry standards. After nearly four months of navigating some fairly choppy waters, we’re now starting to see the mist clearing and companies talking with far greater optimism than ever and looking to the future with more confidence – and hiring! After all, until a successful vaccine is developed, Covid-19 won’t disappear so in the spirit of ‘getting on with it’ that’s exactly what we’re doing and in so many ways are embracing technology to enable the industry and the economy to get going again. ​A huge part of the recovery and which I’m sure will continue to re-shape working practices has without a doubt been our adaption (whether we wanted to or not) to remote working - and what a seismic shift that’s been. I don’t look back on balancing the running of a business with homeschooling with great fondness (just ask my wife!) but if it taught me anything it’s been the importance of ‘effective’ remote working over a prolonged period, something that would have been alien to so many people before this crisis hit. It’s also taught me and so many people I’ve spoken to the importance of having a clear purpose to our days, managing both our physical and mental well-being and over and above everything, supporting each other, both in our personal and professional lives. How companies have adapted to the new ways of working has shifted beyond recognition, with the likes of tech giants Google, Twitter and Fujitsu offering remote working permanently and many others following suit. Office space is also under further scrutiny and with many companies building even greater flexibility into their workforce planning for the future, including increased use of hot desking, the days of the traditional physical office expansion have changed. In a recent poll, we ran around the future of working from home, 50% of responses said that post-COVID they’d want to be in the office 1-2 days per week, 44% fully remote and only 6% saying they’d want to be back full-time. That in itself tells a story and it’ll be the companies who adapt to the post COVID world who in my opinion will thrive whilst others less willing to adapt will find themselves going backwards. The rules have changed, and employers need to embrace them. And with this shift, the approach to hiring is also changing. Remote interviewing and remote onboarding across so many organisations has broken down the barriers that would have existed before and in many ways make the recruitment process from both sides much quicker and simpler than ever. It has also opened up a whole new talent pool for companies looking to hire with far fewer restrictions on location as a barrier and in turn, providing even greater options for the rich tech talent out there too so a win-win for everyone – well almost. Tech talent now more than ever needs to be nurtured and supported and the winners will be those companies more willing and able to engage and provide a community (in many cases remotely) that keeps people feeling valued and with a clear sense of purpose that goes well beyond their day to day job, invigorating their Employee Value Proposition (EVP) at every opportunity. There will, of course, be challenging times ahead and tough decisions for companies and people to make however the comeback is on and it’ll be the tech businesses and the talented professionals within the industry who will be a huge driving force in us coming through the other side better than ever before. What do you think?  Would you like to share your opinion on the above topic? Connect with me on LinkedIn to start the conversation. 

What I've learnt during the lockdown in the UK is that there are many who have thrived in the environment of remote working. I have seen colleagues work on a more intense and productive level than within the walls of our office. However, for some, working remotely can be a very difficult and lonely experience. Personally, I have sat between these two camps. There have been days over the course of the last 3 months that I have been able to complete multiple tasks that would have otherwise taken weeks to get round to. Nevertheless, after the first couple of weeks of working from home, I did find myself staring at my kitchen walls or at the same email for 15 minutes at times. This style of working is not going to be short-term. As social distancing continues in the UK and across the world, remote working will be our safest way of containing the virus when ‘going to work’. Additionally, as workers have been given the opportunity to work from home more regularly, the demand for this will ultimately rise in employment requests. As a recruiter, I have already seen a huge rise in this demand even after the pandemic comes to a close.  I spoke with industry leaders within the Machine Learning & AI space about what advice they would give to get the most out of working from home. So whether you love working from home or despise it here's what they said... Senior-level Data Scientist - UK based Medical Research Organization Create a daily working routine at home: start your day with planning the tasks and deliverables for the day and try to maintain your working day organised and structured (including lunch/coffee breaks). Remain in contact with colleagues via Zoom/Microsoft Teams, even outside of scheduled calls. It can help to reduce the feeling of being isolated. Exercise every day: sitting at home working all day long can be frustrating and stressful, even from the comfort of your home. Get your daily endorphin boost to avoid those negative side effects. Leading Computer Vision Scientist  Try E-lunches (on video) with different colleagues including people you don't normally have lunch with. Enjoy short sessions of playing computer games with colleagues like skibbl.io. Try to reduce meeting durations by 25%. Reena Singh HR & Recruitment Manager - iProov  Communication is key - tell your manager or HR that you are struggling with the transition. Together they can look at what exactly it is that you're struggling with and what support measures can be put in place. Book in a daily break in your diary for the same time every day and be sure to step away from your laptop/computer.  Most importantly, remember, it's OK if you're not OK. We're all going through a very unusual time that none of us has experienced before. There will naturally be a lot of anxiety, struggles working from home, strains on the relationships at home - all these feelings are normal and it's OK to feel like this. This is a very small fraction of our life in comparison to the rest of it; things will get better.  Founder of a leading start-up organization in London Exercise! Switch-off somehow with an activity. (I cook) After that activity, absolutely no more working. Use the flexibility to make your life easier than it was before (go do the groceries at 10 am if it makes your life easier). Charles Ball, COO at Chronomics Charles has been working remotely during the pandemic and is keen on keeping the team communication levels up. Chronomics organizes regular quizzes in order to keep social interactions consistent. He also explained that there should be an emphasis on employers looking towards the future, rather than solely at the situation right now. He has been actively reviewing where his company is going to be in a year’s time and then discussing that with his current team. These conversations are helping to soothe anxieties about the pandemic, with an honest and open approach to staff. He has also been hosting regular Webinars about producing tests for employers to use on its staff to relieve the pressures of working back in an office, especially in areas such as central London where public transport is more frequently used. Here are a few links where employers can look at options produced by Chronomics for testing and risk assessments: https://www.chronomics.com/coronavirus https://covid.chronomics.com/risk-calculator If your company is interested in Coronavirus testing please contact charles@chronomics.com His top his are as follows: Test your company to instil employee confidence. Provide regular communication to staff, no excuses. Exercise – do not work without leaving your desk, even if it’s a walk to grab a coffee. For more working from home tips check out these blogs:​ 7 Effective Ways to Work From Home During the Coronavirus Outbreak 6 tips to make anyone more successful at remote work, from a reporter who's been doing it for 20 years 5 Tips to Successfully Work at Home ​I would say, all in all, it is really important to separate your working life from your home life. So if you are not a seasoned professional in remote working, it can be a very new and tough challenge. However, what the professionals I interviewed all had in common are the following points: Exercise or just walking in breaks Communicating with colleagues Creating a structured routine that you stick to This ‘new normal’ will undoubtedly cause anxieties and feelings of uncertainty for many, however, it is important to reap the benefits of working from your home as well. For example, you might have a shorter commute or more flexible working hours. Or it could be simply saving a bit more cash than you typically would be able to. There is a light at the end of the tunnel with remote working and I hope these tips will help you cope in the meantime! You might also like: Your guide to remote onboarding Dump the Slump 5 ways to stress less at work Use the 80/20  rule to beat procrastination 5 tips for better work eating Any questions?  Feel free to reach out to me via LinkedIn, email at aheneghan@understandingrecruitment.co.uk or phone 01727 809 403.