By Ritam Gandhi, CEO and Founder, Studio Graphene\

In just a few short months, coronavirus has brought our working culture into the spotlight. While flexible working had been an ongoing topic of conversation within the professional community, it was impossible to foresee how close we were to the brink of a working revolution.

The lockdown experience has pushed us firmly towards remote working, and the consequences are going to be substantial. Technological developments have sharply diminished the need for all office staff to be located in a central building, and many workplaces have woken up to the fact that it really is possible – if not more efficient – to conduct business from the remit of employees’ own homes.

The shift to digital, however, has also uncovered a massive tech divide within, and between, businesses. Here at Studio Graphene, we recently conducted a survey to uncover the difficulties that businesses have faced as they made the transition to remote working. Here’s what we found…

Businesses were unprepared

One thousand UK businesses were polled to better understand how they responded to the official lockdown announced at the end of March 2020. The standout finding from our research is that businesses of all sizes were not adequately equipped for this sudden change – from not having the right hardware and software in place, to lacking the digital skills needed to adapt, half of UK businesses admitted they were unprepared.

Over a third (39%) of businesses did not already use technology that made remote working easy when the lockdown began, which meant that many were forced to quickly adjust to the new conditions. 72% of large businesses, those with over 250 employees, had to invest in new hardware such as laptops and smart devices so that their staff could work remotely. This compares with just 19% of microbusinesses and 56% of small businesses.

Large companies were also caught out by a lack of appropriate software, with almost two thirds (62%) having to invest in new software solutions such as Zoom and Slack.

On a more positive note, businesses have also taken the opportunity to upskill their staff to help them better manage the transition. Four in ten businesses have offered digital skills training in light of the move to remote working, with this figure reaching 72% across large companies.

Here’s how to close the digital divide 

There is a big difference between flexible working and effective flexible working. As the research demonstrates, while many companies were able to successfully pivot their operations, many difficulties arose in the process that hindered employees’ abilities to effectively manage their workloads from home.

A big opportunity exists here for businesses to rethink their models. Lockdown has required businesses to invest more heavily in technology and supporting staff, and we must continue to build on this momentum.

As a starting point, maintaining a minimal level of digital literacy across the entire business is key to adopting a long-term digital strategy. All employees should be comfortable and confident using hardware and software that is common to their business operations – whether this is Microsoft Office products or communications software like Slack.

Instead of taking a blanket approach to training, I would also encourage business leaders to tailor their digital training based on the specific requirements of the workforce. Take time to uncover what skills are already present within teams, and understand where gaps might exist in employees’ capabilities.

In this respect, smaller-scale initiatives could prove more effective at helping employees get up to speed in different areas. Managers need to create high quality development programmes that chime with employees’ individual career aspirations, the requisites of the business, and the wider needs of the labour market. For instance, some professions might require higher degrees of literacy; comprehensive training in more complex and specialist technologies such as AI and VR will help those employees nurture their skills and remain competitive.

To create a workforce of the future, the duty to enhance in-house skills should not be viewed as a one-off job. In today’s business environment, continuous learning is an essential tool for developing a competitive workforce. Indeed, according to Deloitte, employees at all levels expect flexible and ongoing learning opportunities from their employer. The digital world is constantly evolving, and successful companies will be those that can adapt quickly and effectively – ensuring that all workers have a solid base of digital skills to rely on.

As companies embrace remote working, there is one final point to note: the importance of connectedness. Studio Graphene’s research revealed that 29% of employees have felt isolated and out-of-the-loop from the rest of their organisation since working remotely, despite keeping in touch through business communication technologies.

This just goes to show that effective digital strategies also require managers to constantly review and upgrade their digital systems to ensure they truly serve their purpose. If they do not foster collaboration and allow colleagues to work together seamlessly, it might be time to replace platforms that no longer meet the needs of the team. With large sections of the labour market potentially seeking more permanent flexible working arrangements, businesses cannot overlook the importance of keeping their teams positive and productive.

Not everybody can work from home and there are some activities that necessitate being physically present on site. I encourage those businesses that are able to facilitate remote working, however, to wake up to the benefits on offer and support their staff as they find working arrangements that work best for them.