According to Business Insider, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has expressed concerns about the expanding trend of flexible employment once more, stating that it may be eroding the tech industry’s competitive advantage. Schmidt said in an interview with the “All-In” podcast that working from home hinders learning and that placing too much focus on “work-life balance” could hurt competitiveness.
Schmidt asserted that success in the tech industry necessitates making compromises, pointing out that crucial components like innovation, mentorship, and teamwork suffer in remote settings. The comments reaffirm Schmidt’s earlier criticism of Google’s flexible work rules, according to Business Insider. He said last year that the company’s remote work culture was one of the reasons it was lagging behind smaller, quicker-growing AI startups.
Even though he later changed his mind, his most recent remarks show that he still believes that face-to-face collaboration is crucial for high-achieving teams.
Schmidt Advocates Work From Office not WFH
Schmidt stated earlier this month at the All-In Summit that he is not in favour of working from home. His remarks were featured in an episode of the “All-In” podcast that aired on September 24.
Consider a 20-something who needs to understand how the world functions, Schmidt said, adding that during his early career at Sun Microsystems, he gained a lot of knowledge by listening to his more senior colleagues quarrel. “How do you recreate that in this new thing?” he wondered.
Schmidt stated that he supports work-life balance and that this is the reason why people are employed by the government. “If you’re going to be in tech, and you’re going to win, you’re going to have to make some tradeoffs,” he stated.
Schmidt Praises China’s Work Culture
Although it is legally illegal, China’s demanding “996” work culture—which operates from 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week—is a major competitive threat to the US tech industry, as the former CEO of Google pointed out.
Eric Schmidt pointed out that even though China has rules prohibiting such long workdays, many businesses and workers continue to follow this taxing schedule, which puts a lot of pressure on US companies to compete. Schmidt’s opinions coincide with the IT sector’s ongoing struggle to manage the long-term effects of the remote and hybrid work arrangements that were implemented during the pandemic.
Quick Shots
•Schmidt
argues that remote setups limit innovation, collaboration, and learning
opportunities, especially for young professionals.
•He
advocates in-person collaboration as vital for building high-performing teams
and maintaining industry leadership.
•Schmidt
believes success in tech requires sacrifices, suggesting work-life balance is
less compatible with high growth.
•He warns
that China’s intense work ethic (9am–9pm, 6 days/week) poses a strong
competitive challenge to U.S. tech firms.
•Schmidt
links Google’s slower growth to remote work policies, contrasting them with
smaller, fast-growing AI startups.
The born of a new work culture has led to the birth of a slightly modified way of working. Be it Remote Working, work from home, or online classes; video conferencing is the basic tool to operate all this. Although in-person communication can’t be replaced by anything video-conferencing is a substitute for it. It can be observed that visual impact remains the same. The main question is how to dress right for the video call and some video call tips can help you out!
Optimizing video chat setup: from what to wear for a video conference to the best lighting for the video call, to positioning the laptop for the video call, using the right mic for the video call, and just staying comfortable.
What you wear speaks VOLUMES about your personality!
“How to dress up for a video conference?” This is the most frequently asked question received this month. To break down the video conference dressing rules which will provide you with specific tips on what to wear for video conference calls. For the most important rule always be in your safest attire because bold colors over stripes and patterns might be too distressed and too distracting.
Choose an outfit that is for your work environment
Choose clothing that isn’t too tight, too oversized, or too revealing
Wear colors that flatter you
Patterns can be tricky and distracting wear bold colours
Consider accessories carefully which should be simple or medium-sized (if you are a woman)
Shirts/Blouses
If you want to create a professional yet simple impression, wearing light-colored shirts or blouses with modest necklines is advisable. Avoid wearing bold colors or patterns as it can detract from the overall sophistication and polished look. Instead, opt for solid colors or muted prints that work best in such settings. This approach not only creates an air of professionalism but also ensures that your attire is appropriate for any occasion.
Blazer
A blazer is a classic and versatile fashion item that can make a bold statement. With its ability to complement various tops, a blazer can help bring an outfit together seamlessly. Additionally, it adds a layer of sophistication to your attire, making it suitable for formal occasions.
T-shirts
While it may not be a conventional choice, wearing a t-shirt appropriate for modern-day meetings is essential. Select a shirt with formal colors, and ensure that it is in good condition. To achieve a clean and sharp appearance, it is recommended to iron the shirt before wearing it. This will help you create a professional image, leaving an excellent impression on those you meet.
Sweaters and Hoodies
During the colder seasons, it is recommended to wear pullover knits, cardigans, or hoodies as they provide a balance between order and comfort. These garments are designed to maintain a structured appearance while also allowing freedom of movement.
Wide-leg Trousers
When it comes to creating a professional look, it’s important to choose pants that coordinate well with your formal topwear. Instead of opting for the traditional slim-fit style, wide-legged or baggier fits provide greater flexibility in movement, allowing you to move around with ease while maintaining a polished appearance.
Dresses and Jumpsuits
For women who want to create a distinctive appearance, formal dresses or jumpsuits can be a great option. These one-piece garments are both stylish and functional, making them a practical choice for busy women who want to save time in their daily routines. Rather than wasting valuable time trying to match a top with the perfect bottom, women can simply slip on a dress or jumpsuit and focus their energy on more productive tasks. With a wide range of styles and designs available, women can easily find a formal dress or jumpsuit that suits their taste and complements their body type.
Complement Your Outfit
The full picture matters. Adding complementary accessories to your outfits can help tie in the overall look and send a non-verbal message. It makes an impression that you treated this as an important, professional engagement worth dedicating proper attention and effort to.
Jewelry/Accessories
If you decide to wear jewelry or other accessories, remember that minimalism is key. Steer clear of big, distracting bits and keep it basic. These include micro pattern scarves, simple rings and earrings, and delicate necklaces or chains. Choose high-end materials like pearls, silver, gold, or semi-precious stones for a polished look. Costume jewelry should be avoided since it can look gaudy or cheap on camera.
Hairstyle
In the virtual world, grooming is still as important as it is in the real world. Make sure your hair is presentable. Women can opt for hairstyles like a half-up, loose waves, or a tidy braid or ponytail. Stay clear of untidy buns and face-obscuring hairstyles. Control flyaway hair and add a touch of style with a solid-colored headband. Men should have regular haircuts to keep their hair from becoming unruly, as well as trim their facial hair regularly to give it a clean appearance.
Makeup
When wearing makeup, choose the elements that enhance your natural features and make you feel confident. A thin eyeliner and mascara can make your eyes appear brighter and more awake. Consider your outfit before you make your choices. If your outfit is bold, keep the makeup neutral, and vice versa.
Posture
During virtual meetings, having good posture is essential to present confidence to your audience and feel confident in yourself. Additionally, it conveys your degree of interest in the conference. The most appropriate one is to sit upright with a small inclination towards the camera. To avoid slouching, you can also pick a chair that is comfortable and provides adequate back support. Good posture influences not only your physical appearance but also your emotions, energy levels, and overall well-being.
Screen Background
In an online meeting, the background you choose can convey a lot about your demeanor and level of professionalism. A plain, neutral-colored wall is a safe and professional option. Stay clear of bright colors or busy designs that clash with your face. A softly blurred background can conceal distracting elements without appearing exaggerated. If you don’t have a designated workspace and work from home, this is a fantastic alternative. Choose a virtual background that is suitable for your job and presents a professional appearance.
How to look good on video call?
A well-researched fact says that people judge you within milliseconds of seeing you, so it’s a lie if someone says that I don’t judge someone based on looks or what they wear. As if, they are going to offer a street-side rag picker the job of product manager, obviously no. DRESS TO IMPRESS.
A nice outfit can help you boost your confidence, help you make an amazing first impression, get the respect you deserve, show your employer that you pay attention to small details, and therefore give you a billion-dollar look.
How to Dress Up For a Video Conference?
What’s Important is Dressing Appropriately For Your Audience
Big business? You’ll probably want to dress to impress. Wear a collared shirt (nothing says “I mean business” more than a crisp collar!) and consider wearing a jacket and tie as well.
IT company? Consider wearing a simple button-down shirt and a pair of trousers.
You’re part of a creative team? You might consider dressing up more fashionably to connect with the artistic crowd.
How about a small startup? A plain, solid-colored T-shirt and long pants might be more suitable. (you don’t have to look Richy-rich!)
Overhead lighting is the worst quiet lighting for video conferences, as a result, it makes shadows underneath your eyes. Sadly, that’s what most of the people have by default. You’ll not care about the lighting if you’re doing a fast snow-day arrival with the team you’ve worked with for four years, except for high-stakes things (like job interviews), once you have to be compelled to look your best. We recommend you 3 natural, soft lightweight sources: 2 behind your digital camera (one on the left, one on the right) and one right behind you.
2. Watch Out Your Angle
Watch out Your Angle
If you are employing a digital camera clipped to the highest of your monitor then the likelihood is that it’s not capturing you from the best perspective. If it’s angular down an excessive amount of, you’ll place your fellow meeting-goers within the position of soaring over you. you would like the lens to be right at eye level. A stand will get you there and hold the camera steady. If you’re exploiting the constitutional camera on your portable computer, it’s going to be too low–and trying up your nose. Whereas it’s not ideal, you’ll place hardcover books underneath your portable computer till the angle’s right. you would like the camera to capture a constellation of your forehead to your left shoulder and right jostle the frame.
3. Look Respectable
Look Respectable on a Video Call
Even if solely your face and shoulders area unit is within the frame, you ne’er grasp if you’ll have to be compelled to rise for a few reasons. Therefore look good from head to toe; Place some ingratiating, solid colors close to your face, similar to what newscast anchors do. Check your teeth for remnants of lunch. Check that the temperature is specified so you won’t be sweating, and won’t have to be compelled to begin popping out layers, that are displeasing for all looks.
4. Look Behind You
The individuals you’re interacting with are treated to the reading no matter what is behind you throughout the whole meeting. Junk and muddle area units are dangerous enough to distress everyone. Your bed with dirty linen thereon is amateurish. Or worse, you’ll have one thing sitting there that’s a part of the scenery to you however jarring to everybody else. We recommend you use “seamless paper” or a clear blank wall, you’ll be doing a great deal of digital interaction.
5. Minimize Distractions
First impressions count once it involves video conferencing. If you’re acting at home and therefore the individuals you’re involved with or concerning people, should know that there should be a minimum of noise. Even Pets can make a great deal out of it because a barking dog or cat running on your table can be a lot of fun with embarrassing moments.
6. Focus On Substance, Than Appearance
What you can bring to the table is more important than your appearance. People might be insecure about how their makeup look or their double chin but do not forget that the outline and goals of the meeting are written well down. A desk organizer can help you out with a great deal. Always know what this conference is going to achieve so, Review, and review, and review… And do it again!
7. Be Ready
Video is nearer to a face-to-face meeting than it is to a phone call, however, most people treat it as a sort of a phone call. Therefore they’re attempting to look at their notes, or area units closed on their laptop screens. this can be very like holding a chunk of paper before your face in a very lively meeting. You bump into not listening so, grasp your details and appearance up, therefore you’ll move commonly and score the advantages of seeing individuals and being seen.
These simple video call tips with the essence of dressing up as a whole individual canboost your charisma.
Many of us might cringe as soon as we hear of video conferencing, or we might fall victim to anxiety, awkwardness, or apathy. But, there’s no need to worry as soon as you’re backed up with our million-dollar tips.
We promise that these tips are worth giving your time to learn exactly how to ace your video conferencing. Video calls are much easier than you think!
What kind of dress is appropriate when attending a video conference?
Dress your best- Choose solid, light colours. Simple jewelry is best. Ladies, avoid earrings that dangle or any accessory that makes noise when you move. For most conference calls, you can wear whatever you want from the waist down – unless you think you might need to stand up for some reason.
What is the best color to wear for video conference?
Wear colours that flatter you. This should probably go without saying, but avoid colours that tend to wash you out or don’t flatter your skin tone. Also, avoid colours that are pale or close to your natural skin tone, as they can wash you out on camera, and you run the risk of looking nekkid.
When attending a video conference what kind of dressing is appropriate?
While it’s not necessary to dress quite as well as you usually do, try not to take it down more than one level from your normal office attire. “If you’re a person who just wears a button-up shirt, you can wear a casual T-shirt kind of thing.” If you’re wearing a tank top, you’ve gone too far and need to dressup a bit.
The budding idea of office spaces that took shape in the last decade was reimagined with the advent of the pandemic in March 2020. The hitherto notion of offline offices was expanded to virtual spaces where only a good internet connection was a prerequisite.
Interestingly, after office spaces entered into a hybrid model, many startups mushroomed taking advantage of virtual spaces over physical spaces. This article will look into these aspects that have strengthened the popularity of online office spaces.
Human resources are the prime factor that drives any business forward. When ideas and plans are worked out together, it leads to the efficient usage of technology and raw materials.
When a business is limited to physical offices, the proximity of employees to the office is an important factor. In many cases, companies, especially startups are forced to compromise on recruitment just because of the incompatibility of locations of the parties involved.
The prevalence of virtual offices has made a positive intervention in that regard. Companies with a virtual office now have the liberty to employ the best talents from anywhere in the world without location, transportation and accommodation becoming a problem.
Many startups have made use of this benefit extensively during the time of the pandemic. This benefit has worked both ways as employees who otherwise had concerns with travel and accommodation were now able to get better opportunities as virtual offices thrived.
2. Heightened Productivity
Studies have shown that employees work better remotely in virtual spaces than in physical offices. According to a study by Stanford University, working from home has increased the productivity of employees by 13% as the number of calls per minute increases owing to quiet work environments.
A similar study cites that 70% of people prefer hybrid meetings and work from home. Studies have also shown that since virtual offices cut the time spent on commutes and breaks, employee efficiency has also increased tremendously.
3. Democratic Space
It is a fact that certain places give specific facilities to the entities there. The reason why companies spent a fortune in setting up their offices in cities like Bangalore and Mumbai is due to the competitive edge that these places will give to the business. However, virtual spaces have been successful to a great extent in reducing the unequal opportunities that physical offices provide for various enterprises.
Virtual offices mean that the organisation functions online. At a time when a business has become chiefly an online affair, there is nothing that an infrastructural facility at a specific location can add to the well-being of the company.
Irrespective of where you are based, virtual offices provide an equal pedestal for all the competents in the market where the only criteria of growth become performance.
4. Easier Expansion
As virtual spaces waves off the burden of location and infrastructure, it becomes easier for companies to expand their business into newer places. All they would need is the technological backup and entrepreneurial vision to sustain in a new location.
When compared to the traditional methods of expansion, virtual spaces allow a cost-effective, hassle-free and stress-free expansion. Even if the companies have the financial reserves and other necessary resources to set up a new office, it will only be wise, to begin with, a virtual office before expanding physically so as to understand the feasibility that the business in the new location would bring.
5. Environment Friendly
One of the biggest advantage that virtual spaces bring to the table is that it is environmentally innocuous. In fact, all of its benefits boil down to this major advantage.
At a time when air pollution and land management are becoming grave concerns, the popularity of virtual office spaces will help significantly reduce the contribution of the business world to environmental degradation.
Virtual spaces not only reduce the contribution of physical spaces in polluting the environment but also cuts down the carbon footprint of each and every employee of the organisation.
The amount of difference that online office spaces can make is very significant in the face of humanity. At a time when the business world is trying to develop sustainable ways of doing business, prioritising virtual offices will be a great initiative.
6. Short-Term Commitments
Unlike physical office spaces, the companies are no longer required to enter into long-term contracts with real estate owners for office spaces. Most of the software services that support the functionalities of virtual office space are based on a monthly subscription or an ad-hoc basis. It gives the owners the flexibility to opt for better options more often. Such short-term commitments also mean that the companies need to pay for what they use and only for the time they need.
7. Better Business Support
There is no doubt in the fact that virtual spaces have made work easier. It also has the additional advantage of the tremendous amount of technical and business support that companies receive through these spaces.
There are a plethora of other companies that specifically work for helping others set up their virtual office spaces to such an extent that such assistance cannot be found in a physical office. Co-working spaces and meeting rooms are two recent examples of such support. It helps companies focus solely on their business.
8. Cost Cutting
Virtual offices cut down the cost that companies have to spend on office spaces to a great extent. At a time when only physical office spaces were prominent, a large part of their revenue goes to the maintenance of infrastructure which includes rent. It further takes a financial toll on the company if these offices are in prime locations like Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune or Delhi.
Virtual spaces, in that regard, are a big relief to the company as it only demands a technologically sound office space which in many cases is relegated to an efficient communication platform and Google services.
Apart from that, virtual spaces also give the liberty to the companies to longer provide allowances for transportation for their employees. Thus, virtual spaces play a significant role in reducing the overall expenses of the company. In fact, such spaces have given an impetus to a lot of startups which would have never rolled out in the first place if they had to set up an offline office.
Conclusion
As the world inches into a global village with advanced technologies reimagining businesses by the minute, the possibilities of virtual offices have become abundant. If utilised properly it can even be a feasible alternative to physical office spaces. However, depending on the nature of businesses the opportunities that virtual spaces offer will differ.
FAQs
What is a virtual office?
A virtual office is a space with a physical address but it is less expensive than maintaining a traditional office.
Is a virtual office a good idea?
Yes, a virtual office is great for small businesses. It also boosts productivity among employees as they don’t have to travel to the physical office.
How do I start a virtual office?
Focus on communication, invest in the right tools, hire the right people, and make sure you establish a proper organisational structure.
Job seekers have long been drawn to remote jobs because they provide flexibility in the form of greater personal and professional control over their private lives and careers. With the start of Covid-19, when people got confined to their homes, they want for Remote work increased. With the situation due to the virus, companies started offering Remote work refers to work that is being done by individuals who are not in the same physical place but still work effectively and productively on the same projects.
Remote work is about location, ‘flexible hours’ focuses on determining your schedule. Getting remote work is not tough there are many jobs available in the market. One of the advantages of remote work is that you’re able to handle most of what life throws at you—including the moments that might have previously put your job at risk.
One of the biggest benefits of remote work is reducing costs. It Improved work-life balance. Also increased productivity and cross-team collaboration. The considerable benefit of working from home is having access to a broader range of job opportunities that aren’t limited by geographic location. In this article, we will talk about some websites from where you can get remote work and the pros and cons of remote working. So, let’s get started.
FlexJobs was created in 2007 to provide a trusted, more effective, friendly, and overall better way to find professional remote and flexible jobs. FlexJobs has more than 50 job categories featuring telecommuting and remote work opportunities at every career stage. These include freelance projects, part-time jobs, and full-time remote work. The FlexJobs Team is dedicated to helping people find remote and flexible jobs.
Benefits of FlexJobs
It has over 29979 jobs from 5697 companies to choose from.
Remote and flexible jobs in 50 career categories can be found.
All the companies and the jobs are hand screened by the FlexJobs team to avoid any kind of scam.
Upwork is a great place to find more clients, and to run and grow your own business. Upwork is a global platform where businesses and independent professionals connect remotely. Freedom to work on ideal projects. On Upwork, you run your own business and choose your clients and projects. Just complete your profile and they will highlight ideal jobs. Also, search for projects, and respond to client invitations. They provide a wide variety and high pay. Clients are now posting jobs in hundreds of high-paying skill categories, paying top prices for great work. The greater the success you have on projects, the more likely you are to get hired by clients that use Upwork.
Benefits of Upwork
Upwork takes pride to be backed by payment protection for job seekers.
Upwork offers higher-paying jobs to job seekers.
You get hired quickly with the help of Upwork as most of the time employers want to start with the job quickly.
Indeed
Indeed Logo
Indeed.com is a job board that aggregates postings from many sources, allowing users to search for specific positions. You can also upload your resume to let employers looking for remote employees to find you. The main aim of Indeed is to help get people jobs and over 10000 employees are working to achieve that aim. Indeed strives to cultivate an inclusive workplace where all people feel comfortable being themselves in a safe and supportive environment.
Benefits of Indeed
Indeed allows the job seekers to build their CV online with help of their Resume Builder
All the job alerts for jobs are provided to the job seekers through their email.
Indeed is very easy to use as it provides a Google-like search engine, through which one can look for jobs.
Jobspresso
Jobspresso Logo
Jobspresso is a website that provides you with an opportunity to find remote work. Jobspresso is an established remote work job board trusted by some of the world’s top startups and remote companies, such as WordPress, Zapier, and Trello. It is a site offering some job opportunities in design, development, marketing, support, writing, and project management, these are some sectors that get benefits by making their employees work from home.
Benefits of Jobspresso
All the jobs that are uploaded on the website are legitimate as the companies and jobs are screened by the team of Jobspresso to be sure of their authenticity.
Jobspresso is completely free for those who are seeking remote jobs.
A wide range of employers is looking for job seekers on this website.
Fiverr
Fiverr Logo
Fiverr is a company built on the model of listing temporary work positions. Freelancers work in a variety of workplaces, ranging from home to office. Fiverr serves as an e-commerce platform for freelancers & companies to sell their services by using their gigs. The gig is an advertisement for services.
Benefits of Fiverr
Lots of job possibilities for job seekers.
High earning is possible with Fiverr.
Fiverr provides great payment security.
Pros of Having Remote Jobs
Remote Jobs are now the new trend, they provide some benefits that make people want to get remote work. Some of those benefits are:
You don’t have to wait in traffic for hours to get to your workplace.
Work according to your own schedule.
You can work from anywhere even while travelling as long as you have your laptop and internet.
You can enjoy your own personal time as well as family times as you get to work from home.
You can work without any distractions that you might face while working onsite.
Cons of Having Remote Jobs
Remote work has some disadvantages as well, some of which are:
One can feel lonely and isolated while remote working, as you are away from the typical hustling and bustling of the office environment and culture.
One can get distracted at home due to cries of babies, ringing of doorbells or any other household work.
Communication gaps between colleagues.
The Internet connection can be a problem while working.
Conclusion
If you have decided to work remotely, getting remote jobs won’t be an issue. With the sword Covid still hanging on our heads, companies are still offering remote jobs. Working from home has become a new trend and this trend is not going to end anytime. People look for flexibility and working remotely offer them that, so it’s quite normal that job seekers nowadays look for an option where they can work remotely.
FAQs
What is meant by working remotely?
Working remotely is all about working from a preferred location of an employee instead of a proper office.
Is remote means work from home?
Remote work means working from anywhere apart from office.
What are some top websites to look for remote works?
Some of the top websites to look for remote works are:
The COVID-19 pandemic has effectively brought normal life to a halt in the whole world. So, Indian government has used the formula “break the chain” to stop the spread of this disease. Indian government has ordered for lockdown and 1.3 billion residents of country to stay home. As a result, employees of many companies are working from home. But they need to follow best practices for working from home to be productive.
But, it’s not easy for the company to let all employees to work from home. Company has to take permission from its client if employee can work on client’s information at home. Employees need laptop, a good internet connection, communication gear, work-related hardware & software. Of course, technology has made it easy as you can do everything online like meetings, attendance, etc. But, all companies have to make plans how they can make it efficient.
We talked to few companies about their planning to have “Work from Home” and effective best practices for working from home which they have applied for maximum output in the time.
Founded in early 2015, upGrad offers online programs for working professionals. We talked to Mr. Mayank Kumar, Co-founder & MD of upGrad, about their planning to make work from home effective.
At upGrad ever since we have switched to the Work-From-Home model, the leadership team has been on their toes to make sure that their respective teams are communicating enough amongst their colleagues, maintaining the team bonding and synchronization. We have active video/audio calls and group conferencing to make sure that everybody stays updated.
We’ve ensured that remote IT infrastructure (hardware and software) are made available as much as possible. To ensure that the work stays uninterrupted, employees can discuss with their manager and mail to IT help for support anytime.
We will be using hangouts, zoom or other software for official meetings or calls.
Employees are encouraged not to step out of home for a meeting, event, public gathering etc. unless absolutely necessary.
We suggest them to exercise caution while using public transport for travelling inside the city and minimize your inter-city and intra city travels.
At upGrad, we will be monitoring the spread, taking inputs from industry and govt. bodies and take appropriate decisions keeping your safety and business continuity in mind. We will keep employees posted from time to time about relevant updates.
Casa Exotique
Casa Exotique has been exploring the depth of Interior Designing and Styling with the help of a remarkable team of professionals who takes each and every turn to make your vision come to life. We talked to Ms. Bhawana Bhatnagar, Interior Stylist and Founder, about the plans to make work from home effective.
Ms. Bhawana Bhatnagar- Founder, Casa Exotique:
Given that we’re currently at stage two of the infection, we are actively separating sick employees and contractors from the healthy ones to prevent the infection from spreading any further. Also, sick employees have been given the Flexi leave benefits as well. As of now, we are waiting for the government directives and updates on the situation. If there is any indication that we are moving towards stage 3, then work from home will definitely be implemented.
121 Experiences
121 Experiences specializes in experiential brand communicating solutions to drive behaviour changing consumer habits. We talked to Aniket Sharma, Co-founder & CEO, about their planning to make work from home effective.
Aniket Sharma- Co-Founder, 121 Experiences :
We have urged all our employees to work from home during the current crisis unless absolutely necessary to work from office.
We also understand not all employees can work from home due to their respective reasons, for them we are following a rotational policy. If there is a team of 4 then only 2 people have been asked to come on a single day.
Further we have encouraged car pooling amongst our employees instead of taking the local transport to and fro to work.
We have also relaxed office hours from 11-4 to ensure those who have to take public transport can avoid peak hours both ways.
My Star Hub
To create the most authentic and memorable fan experiences across the world, My Star Hub came up with the platform where fans can book personalized video shootouts from their favorite celebrities. We talked to Swapnil Mahajan, Founder & CEO, about their planning to make work from home effective.
Swapnil Mahajan- Founder, My Star Hub :
We have chalked out a comprehensive guideline to keep remote working effective.
Besides maintaining a focus on clear communication, we have kept things flexible as we know that the one-size-fits-all formula doesn’t work when people are working in different settings.
We are relying on online tools and digital meeting platforms for discussions, clarifications, and progress tracking.
We have full trust in our people and are working on creating a support structure for effective remote working.
Co-founded by Swati Nathani and Ranjeet Kumar, Team Pumpkin, a 360 Degrees Marketing & PR agency commenced its operations in 2012 with a clear mission to help brands win in the Marketing and PR space. We talked to Ranjeet Kumar, Co-founder, about their planning to make work from home effective.
Ranjeet Kumar- Co-Founder, Team Pumpkin :
As a precautionary measure, we have rolled out remote working directives for all our employees across regions until the situation settles down.
Team Pumpkin has always been a flexible organization, even before Coronavirus forced people to work-from-home, we had implemented the policy in our company. With our long-tested policy and a supportive environment for remote working, we are effectively maintaining our productivity levels.
With daily work reports and progress updates, we are making sure that the deliverables are not affected and business continuity is maintained as normal.
We are connecting with the teams and clients through teleconferencing and video conferencing on a need basis.
To manage daily attendance, employees have been advised to download the app and do remote clock-in and clock-out throughout the remote working period.
For those who need to visit the office for any urgent requirement, we are ensuring complete hygiene within the premises.
Headquartered in Hyderabad and Singapore, Ozonetel has several industry firsts to its credit in the area of Cloud Communication. We talked to Chaitanya Chokkareddy, Co-founder & Chief Innovative Officer, about their planning to make work from home effective.
Chaitanya Chokkareddy-Co-Founder, Ozonetel
Ozonetel Communications is a pioneer of cloud communication solutions and as per Dept. of Telecom (DoT) regulations, calls can be converted to VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) and connected to agents’ phones within the OSP sites’ local network. This will allow organizations with OSP license to extend the call from OSP site to be connected to agents’ phones at their home over VPN.
VPN will allow access of all applications that are accessible to an agent at OSP site. Since Cloud Agent delivers all agent tools including a phone call in browser, it’s a seamless transition.
We are helping all our clients/customers to set up this model of WFH. All those running IP based contact center like Cloud Agent can implement this, but for now it is limited by DoT for only who has the OSP license.
Dineout is India’s largest Dining out and Restaurant tech platform, helping more than 17 million diners monthly discover new restaurants, reserve a table, pay for their bills and get offers and discounts combined with a SaaS product offering to its restaurant partners manage their operations. We talked to Ankit Mehrotra, Co-founder & CEO, about their planning to make work from home effective.
Ankit Mehrotra-Co-Founder, Dineout :
Work from home as a policy is commonly followed by our teams in times of personal need but when we implemented self quarantine policy for the necessary folks, it seemed almost difficult to function. And a time like this where the entire office across all cities, including our Sales team who are majorly on field, to work from home is something we never imagined!
We are leveraging on technologies like Google Hangouts, Slack and Zoomfor work from home arrangements and ensuring continuity of the work.
The start and end to our day is just like before with regular communication and synergy within teams and with clients via video conferencing.
It continues to be challenging and we’re learning on the go, one day at a time with effective and ethical work practices virtually.
Bridged
Bridged uses a combination of AI and 13,000 strong highly skilled workforce to develop unique and vast data at scale significantly improving the quality of data models. We talked to Ashwin Chalam, Founder and CEO, about their planning to make work from home effective.
Ashwin Chalam-Founder, Bridged :
Employees at Bridged have recently started working from home, and we’ve put measures in place to ensure productivity does not decrease. We made sure that all employees have access to requirements such as a laptop, an internet connection, communication gear, work-related hardware & software, etc.
Concerning best practices, employees need to prioritize communication. This involves multiple video chats and protocols for communication and escalation.
Employees should update their teammates on the status of tasks at hand and inform them when they won’t be available during lunch breaks, casual rests, etc.
CarveNiche
CarveNiche is an innovative edtech startup, which is using latest technologies such as machine learning and advanced data analytics to personalise learning for K-12 education. We talked to Avneet Makkar, Founder & CEO, about their planning to make work from home effective.
Avneet Makkar-Founder, CarveNiche :
Have dedicated Work Space while working from home and setting a work schedule and sticking to it.
It is very important to not get distracted and be disciplined about your work as this way, one would be able to finish tasks at hand effectively and efficiently.
Docttocare allows the users to schedule their surgery appointment with the right doctor or hospital, which is best for their health and which is cost-effective. We talked to Sugandha, Founder of Docttocare, about what advice/suggestions she has for effective work from home.
Sugandha-Founder, Docttocare :
Hit the shower- To set the tempo, prepare as if it’s a normal day at work. Take a bath and get dressed.
Communication: Video call is must.
Never work where you sleep.
Set up a workplace at home.
Don’t forget to log off- When the day ends, log off completely and take rest.
Work for 6 hours, that are more productive when WFH.
NowPurchase
NowPurchase offers a curated B2B e-commerce platform with over 50,000 industrial goods. The company has also developed a unique NowPaaS (Purchasing as a Service) for regular buyers where it combines its e-Commerce offering with a purchase management SaaS platform. We talked to Naman Shah, Co-founder, about their planning to make work from home effective.
Naman Shah-Co-founder, NowPurchase :
Understanding this and also the fact that with Work From Home employees can only spare 3-4 hours/day, we decided to start an initiative to complete the ignored but important work- CRM and Management Software implementation.
AppViewX
AppViewX is a modular, low-code software application that enables Certificate Management as well as Network Infrastructure Automation and Orchestration using an intuitive, context-aware, visual workflow. We asked Anand Purusothaman, Founder, about their planning to make work from home effective.
Anand Purusothaman- Founder, AppViewX :
Giving our team the flexibility to define work hours based on their family priorities, especially in this situation, has helped immensely. With kids off from schools and the mounting household chores, we made it clear that we understood this unique situation and supported it. This has gone a long way. We also conduct frequent virtual connects with leaders, informal coffee chats with the team, wellness initiatives and business updates to keep the team reassured that the business is on track, to ensure that they stay connected.
LegalWiz
LegalWiz is focussed on helping early-stage startups and small businesses stay compliant and maintain legal hygiene while maintaining the highest transparency on deliverables. We asked Shrijay Sheth, Founder, about their planning to make work from home effective.
We had planned well and hence were prepared. Team leads were giving full responsibility to ensure that operations and work protocols are maintained. That said, a team of 3 has been deployed to assist any team-member with any problems they may face. I am personally available to any team member who wants to connect and we have frequent discussions on coping with confinement and making work easier.
Tips for Managing Remote Teams effectively
Excess2sell
Excess2sell is India’s Premier and leading b2b excess inventory marketplace which covers multiple verticals. We talked with Mr Rajan Sharma, Founder & CEO, on about their planning to make work from home effective.
Fortunately, we are a tech based start-up and are fully geared to take our work home. So in terms of technology WFH is not much of a problem area for us. However, the complete lockdown has ensured that there is no movement of goods and hence not many fresh deals will happen during this period. We will definitely see the effect on our bottom line this quarter and probably in the next quarter too.
ZingHR
ZingHR is one of the oldest HRM providers. ZingHR is one of the few global ventures which offers almost all web/mobile-based modules from Hire to Retire Solutions with state of the art tech supporting those applications. We talked with Prasad Rajappan, Founder and CEO, about their planning to make work from home effective.
Prasad Rajappan-Founder, ZingHR :
Work from home is an unavoidable situation which we think can be utilised to focus on performance and achieve outcome-oriented results. “Results are the only true sign of excellence.” We think the best part right now that everyone can do irrespective who they are as follows:
Inspire people
Ask them to stay indoors
Practice hygiene
Unlearn and Relearn
Support peers and family
Not to spread Fake News
Pray
Primus Co-Work
We are a hyperlocal, proptech, consumer business which partners with restaurants, that open only during the night, to convert them into co-working places from Mon-Fri/10am-6pm, and have an mobile app using which the customers can look up a co-working place across multiple pincodes, make payment online and book a seat. We talked with Shardul Bayas, Founder, about their planning to make work from home effective.
Shardul Bayas-Founder, Primus Co-Work :
Talk to the team members over a call 2-3 times a day, do a zoom call every alternate day, checking with the team to ensure things are normal, doing followups on the work and preparedness.
Mamaearth
Mamaearth is Asia’s first Madesafe certified brand that offers 100% toxin free & natural baby and mama care products. We talked with Ghazal Alagh, C0-founder, about their planning to make work from home effective.
The first thing we did was to define a tiered policy. We figured out how much of each job role could be done from home (if at all). We then defined goals and deliverables— first as an organization, then on a team level, and finally at the individual level. We continue to do break this down on a monthly, weekly, and even daily basis. This helps everyone at the organization become much more aligned with their goals as we work from home.
Other than that, we realize this is a time of a lot of panic and fear. As a parent myself, I know that having children at home constantly, and not having access to domestic help, can also interfere with productivity at work. So we’re enabling more flexibility within the organization.
We’ve also allowing space for people to articulate their issues – we’ve defined a specific time when people can just talk about what they’re going through. At the same time, we’ve also made space for coming together as a community and sharing positivity — whether it’s through online games, contests, or just sharing photos and videos of our home office, and the small joys of coming together in this challenging time.
Metro and Metro
Metro & Metro is one of the leading manufactures of shoes and allied product in india. We talked with Meenakshi Kalsi, Business Partner, about their planning to make work from home effective.
Meenakshi Kalsi- Business Partner, Metro & Metro :
We can only handle the communication with the customers and the suppliers. But the manufacturing part is totally at the standstill as that requires labour to be present. To assist my team we are supporting them financially and taking care of their needs. There’s a regular meeting done through zoom video calls to check up on them.
Simply Fresh India
Simply fresh AI technology in farming for growing, nourishing, picking and processing. We talked with Sachin Darbarwar, Founder & CEO, about their planning to make work from home effective.
Sachin Darbarwar- Founder, Simply Fresh :
Almost all our corporate employees are working from home which includes teams like – HR, finance, IT, marketing, sales and legal. All our department heads are doing a wonderful job of connecting with their teams virtually and making sure the workflow is smooth as much as possible. We are making use of technology to stay connected and have video calls and group conference calls to maintain the business continuity. It is important during these time that we stay connected virtually and make sure we adhere to needs of our team as required.
Cosmo Films
Cosmo Films is a global leader in specialty films for packaging, lamination and labeling applications. We talked with Mr. Pankaj Poddar, CEO, about their planning to make work from home effective.
Pankaj Poddar-CEO, Cosmo Films :
We being a continuous process plant and also film suppliers to the food packaging industry; come under essential services and hence we have obtained permission to run operations with minimal manpower. Our remaining functions like Sales, Marketing, IT, Finance, Purchase, and HR are working from home to provide backend support to the plant for smooth operations.
As employees are working from home due to COVID 19, we have made necessary arrangements for our employees like the availability of laptops and systems, printers, required stationary and internet connectivity.
Ecolab Digital Centre
Ecolab Digital Centre focuses on finding solutions to real-world problems around water safety, energy conservation, food security, and healthy environments. We talked with Malahar Pinnelli, MD, about their planning to make work from home effective.
Malahar Pinnelli- MD, Ecolab Digital Centre :
We have always been using Video Conferencing to work with the US team, now we have started using those with the team here. Each manager connects with their team every day and that rolls up to the Managing Director. We have every 2 days a week, a mandatory video call to make sure people are still visually connected.
Surmount Business
Surmount Business practices targets to become a strategic partner to entrepreneurs and enterprises to help expand businesses beyond their existing roots, professionalize their operations and enhance their Capital Efficiency. We talked with Niraj Bora, Founder, about their planning to make work from home effective.
Niraj Bora-Founder, Surmount Business :
We organize long video calls instead of just audios, play some games online weekly with the team, and keep in touch more often in order to keep the enthusiasm alive. We have also increased training sessions online in order to keep learning ongoing. People also get more negative be reading and hearing daily cases and hardships on media, so I have tried sharing cover-19 recovery stories discussion with teams as well. A piece in last Sunday’s ET covered that very well and sharing with everyone gave positivity to the team mindset.
For some out of office chats, we have WhatsApp group where team posts any new thing they do like cooking, new indoor game, etc.
FAQs
What is a work from home model?
The Work From Home model allows employees to work remotely. Employees get the flexibility to work from anywhere. It is location-independent.
What essentials do you need to work from home?
Computer/Laptop with webcam and mic
Proper Internet Connection
Essential Software/Tools as per the work/business requirement
How do you connect with employees working from home?
In the WFH model, a virtual office for employees is set up. Offices use the best video conferencing and team collaboration tools to connect with employees. A shared portal for employees is created to share personal as well as professional updates.
The coronavirus pandemic has led mostly all the companies to ask their employees to work from home. This was not possible few years back but now it is a reality. Recently, Google had announced about it plan for a new working policy for its employees. Let’s look at Google’s new working policy and the effectiveness of it.
Sundar Pichai who is the CEO of Alphabet and Google has announced a new working policy for the company’s employees that is a hybrid model. The new working model will allow most of the employees to work out of their office for 3 days in a week and the rest employees to work remotely every day.
As the company is shifting to the hybrid work week model the company is expected to provide employees with more choices which include more global locations and remote work.
According to the model, around 60 % of the Google’s employees will have to come to the office at least a few days a week, the other 20 % will work in new locations and the final 20 % of the employees will be able to work from home.
Sundar Pichai conveyed in a blog post that majority of the employees would want to be on campus sometime since Google’s campus has been at the heart of their community. He added that still some of the employees would like to have the flexibility of working from home or spending time in another city for a part of the year or some would even prefer moving there permanently.
He said that Google’s workspace in the future would have enough freedom for its employees to explore all these possibilities.
The main focus of the hybrid model is that the employees will get an option where they can work in the office for about 3 days in the office and for the rest 2 days, they will get an option to work from where they would prefer working from.
He added that it may vary according to the roles of certain employees as the job would demand them to be on-site for some projects.
The company is expecting to provide access to employees to choose from the options such as being able to apply to move to another office by the mid of June. The company is also planning to offer opportunities for the employees to apply for a complete work from home option.
In an effort by the company to allow more flexibility, the employees will get an option to temporarily work from another location which would exclude their main office for up to 4 weeks in a year. This would be possible only if there is an approval.
Google is said to always have been the leader when it comes to working conditions and practices related to people said Sandeep Das who has worked as a Strategy Consultant with Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Marico and Accenture. He added that the other companies will have to follow them.
He added that he finds Google’s model more effective, sound and realistic as its main focus is flexibility and choice with reducing the time for transportation of the employees, collaboration at work, time to log off and also the control over an individual’s life.
He adds that this would let working women continue their work and build their career and not to drop off in between their careers.
Bhavna Dalal, leadership development specialist and executive coach to Bloomberg, American Express, Google, HSBC, Oracle and Morgan Stanley said that in the long term there will be an improvement in the productivity when individuals choose to work from a place or surrounding which makes them feel comfortable and the best.
FAQ
What does hybrid work mean?
A hybrid team is a flexible work structure where some employees work remotely and other team members work from a central location or office.
Who is the CEO of Google 2021?
Sundar Pichai is the CEO of Google 2021.
What are the benefits of hybrid working?
A hybrid workplace helps keep employees safe during the pandemic, Also it eliminates the time consumed in commuting during peak hours.
Conclusion
Work from home will soon become the new normal as not only Google but many other companies are working towards finding the possibilities of continuing it even after the pandemic. Companies such as Infosys, TCS and Spotify have already begun testing the possibilities of these hybrid working models.
The global pandemic has left an impact on the people and business in certain damaging ways. It has made the industries go through a tough patch of time experiencing uncertainty in jobs due to salary cuts, layoffs, unpaid leaves, etc.
Before the lockdown, the Indian economy was expected and supposed to see exponential growth. This speculation was based on the changing buying behaviour of the consumer when it came to purchasing furniture or other necessities. The demand for rental furniture was on the hike making people choose to rent the furniture rather than buying it. But, with the global pandemic, even the furniture industry was impacted.
But the culture of Work from Home adapted and implemented by the companies in India have revived the growth of Furniture market. Making people buy more and more comfortable furniture to work effortlessly at home.
Furniture generally refers to movable/immovable objects that support various human activities such as seating, eating, sleeping and majorly working on the desktops, laptops, etc. They are used to hold objects at an appropriate height for work or to store things.
The popularity of home/traditional furniture has strengthened the demand for its manufacturing in India. Over the past years, the utilization of wooden furniture at home has increased. Apart from this, the demand for engineered wood furniture is rising significantly in metro cities and other places too. The reason behind is the rising popularity of ready to assemble work like home furniture in these cities.
Adding more to it, the demand in India for modular furniture is growing exponentially. The development in the housing sector is changing the living standards of the population. The growing trend of home décor and home furnishing with innovative and stylish furniture is the major factor behind the growth of the furniture industry in India.
There are more than a few numbers of market players in the furniture industry. Organizations like Featherlite, Godrej, Durian, and others have a good market presence in the Indian furniture industry.
India furniture market growth is driven by various factors such as rising demand for state of the furniture among the population living in urban cities and fancy seating furniture. The market is forecasted to expand at a rate of 12.91% during the period of 2016-2023.
Moreover, the rising growth of the furniture industry in India compensates the price of furniture. On the basis of these likeable factors, the furniture industry is expected to propel in India. Further, the rising trend of online Various furniture companies such as Woodenstreet, Furniturewalla, Pepperfry, Rentomojo, Urban ladder and others are creating huge demand from these online channels.
The furniture market size in India has increased a lot. Also, the demand for furniture is increasing in the commercial sector. In addition to this, these growing numbers of small and medium businesses further boost the demand for low-cost plastic furniture products. It is believed to foster the growth of the Indian furniture market over the forecast period.
Future Demand of Furniture market in India
Current Scenario of Furniture Market
The furniture buying and rental industry are trying to make the best of the challenging circumstances. With the evolving environment, the furniture industry can speculate online selling and buying through digital marketing to be the key to any industry’s success, giving opportunities to the furniture rental startups.
The basic need of the situation for the Furniture market is to develop an active supply chain response plan to alleviate the risk that the COVID-19 outbreak has caused.
The furniture industry will have to look at various aspects like creating and anticipating new demands through social media, creating campaigns that focus on the industry as a support product rather than an asset, response with risk transparency, analyzing product capacity, need and optimization, logistics capacity, prior booking, route optimization, and supplier management.
Demand and Future of Furniture Market
The new normal work from home has created a huge demand in the market for work from home furniture, helping the furniture rental industry to begin with the business establishment. The furniture in this sector includes desks, chairs, comfortable seating, and multipurpose household furniture.
The furniture industry witnesses a spike in demand for multifunctional furniture as one of the prime reasons driving the work from home furniture market growth. As people are habituated to work on a proper setup with desks and chairs. The new form of working has a high possibility to make people tired and get distracted. Almost 90% of the Indian companies have asked their employees to work from home, this situation is expected to go on the entire year, and furthermore.
India Work From Home furniture market is speculated to grow from a $2.22 billion in 2021 to $3.49 billion by 2026 majorly on a rising number of companies providing an option of working from home to their employees adopting cloud-based solutions.
Consumer preference for premium quality products, increasing urban population, and rising disposable income are a few other factors that are positively influencing the furniture market. It will change the lifestyle of consumers, especially due to lockdown, are some the major factors of Work From Home furniture industry in India.
The India Work From Home furniture market is segmented into Furniture Retail Outlets account for more than 70% of the market share in India WFH furniture market in 2020. The Furniture Market by Competition, Forecast & Opportunities has evaluated the future growth potential of India till 2026.
Conclusion
The Work from Home furniture is an aspect of creation for the rental industry. The market is also anticipating the future of the furniture industry as people are becoming more aware of their home furniture layouts, being able to spend maximum time at home.
