Written by Shainaz Firfiray, Senior Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, public service organisations had to rapidly introduce business continuity plans. Services that were typically delivered in person shifted online. Many experts forecast a permanent change to our way of working with a reduction in office space, a shift away from on-site work, permanent homeworking arrangements, and more flexible work hours.

Although many public servants have made a successful transition to remote working, virtual communication poses several challenges which should be considered while designing the public service organisation of the future. I have outlined three major challenges below.

  • The digital divide

The very nature of remote work means that occasionally public servants may not be able to address some of their users’ concerns because of poor internet connectivity or because a large segment of users may struggle to access online service provisions. The pandemic has intensified this digital divide and aggravated existing inequalities. Prior to the start of the pandemic, there was already some concerning evidence that digitalised public services can exacerbate existing social inequalities and generate new patterns of digital exclusion. Although most adults in the UK have access to the internet, approximately 7 percent (3.6 million people) have no online access and this proportion is highest amongst the most vulnerable groups such as the unemployed or people aged 65 and above, who rely heavily on public services. This digital divide is expected to continue in the future so public servants will need to find ways to improve digital accessibility but also ensure their services are accessible to users while they work on these improvements.

  • The complexities of remote work for staff

The pandemic experience allowed many public service organisations to demonstrate their digital agility and dispelled numerous myths regarding the challenges of remote working. Although several workers have made a relatively smooth transition to remote work, there are others who are eager to return to their office because their home environments are not suitable for focused and productive work. Avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach is important so that the workplace of the future can provide a conducive work environment for everyone. In addition, remote work also creates several challenges with regard to putting boundaries around our time. Indeed, a major concern cited by remote working employees over the last year is work intensification and an “always-on” culture. While it is unclear whether this is purely driven by remote working or is a consequence of the pandemic, employees and managers should work together proactively to manage work boundaries and avoid burnout.

  • Challenges for leaders and organisations

The lockdowns and social distancing measures have exacerbated the weaknesses in traditional management styles. In the current circumstances, emotionally intelligent and flexible leaders who do not expect staff to be constantly tethered to their work clearly have an edge over managers who find it hard to trust employees who are not physically within their sight. Managers who trust and show empathy towards their staff will be better positioned to navigate the challenges of the digital public service organisation. Dealing with the issue of digital presenteeism and emphasising trust rather than visible presence is the key to ensuring a positive virtual work culture.

Remote working is also thought to hinder innovation as a lot of innovative ideas emerge organically over lunch or coffee breaks and it is difficult to replicate this in a virtual setting.

Human resource policies may also need to be updated as organisations make a shift to remote or hybrid work. Pay structures should be reviewed to ensure that employees are fairly compensated for their efforts given that many of them may need to assume additional responsibilities. For instance, colleagues who are more technically skilled may need to take up extra responsibilities such as training and coaching less digitally savvy colleagues. Remote working is also thought to hinder innovation as a lot of innovative ideas emerge organically over lunch or coffee breaks and it is difficult to replicate this in a virtual setting. Finding ways to foster innovation through virtual platforms remains a key challenge, although building more resilient networks and stronger social connections might help in fostering a more innovative culture.

The world of work in the years ahead

Looking ahead, it is difficult to predict whether the world of work will be different from what it was prior to the pandemic-imposed lockdown. However, the evidence we have accumulated on remote working since the start of the pandemic can give us insights on which practices should be sustained in the future. The lessons we have learned from the pandemic will be the key to building a more resilient and digitally agile workplace of the future. — Shainaz Firfiray

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