The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing financial services executives to reimagine the workplace of tomorrow while simultaneously scrambling to ensure they can operate safely today. The moves they make in the next few months in shaping how colleagues return to the office could have ramifications for years to come.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, firms have learned that some, but not all, of their business functions can be carried out remotely, whether they be customer interactions, back-office operational tasks or talent management. Firms have also learned that many of their employees have come to appreciate remote work because it allows them to avoid commuting, better serve as caregivers or carve out extra time in the day for themselves. But which tasks, and which people, should be remote, and which should be together?
One of the central challenges of the next 10 years in financial services will be to strike the right balance between organizational imperatives and employee wellbeing. The simple answer may be hybrid working arrangements. But finding the right mix isn’t easy, according to Antonios Christidis, Partner, Oliver Wyman and Jessica Marlborough, Principal, Oliver Wyman.