At Elm, we are wholeheartedly committed to bolstering the values of community partnerships with entrepreneurs in times of emergency. In line with that, we hosted our first Elm virtual webinar. Mr. Mazen Al-Darrab explained how remote work has become a lifeline for enterprises. “The World Remotely: Experiments and Tools” explores tools and apps to support remote work, and also examines what the post-crisis phase will look like.
Remote Work... From Alternative to Necessity
Working remotely used to be an alternative work arrangement; however, in this unprecedented pandemic we are witnessing how such arrangements are now often a necessity. Unprecedented circumstances come with uncommon challenges for managers and team members. Fortunately, the world was actually ready and equipped to move to remote work during the crisis, especially in Saudi Arabia. The COVID-19 crisis prompted new meaning and importance to remote work on a daily basis. This pandemic has actually given the world proof that we are ready to work remotely at any time and from anywhere.
Remote Work Enablers
For efficient remote work, we must work on unlocking the potential of:
Mindset: organizations need to adopt the mindset of efficiency in remote working. This can mean for example, moving from measuring achievements by tracking work hours to an impact-oriented mindset.
Procedures: just as significant as mindset, organizations should work on enabling the transfer of procedures to remote work arrangements.
Knowledge: Spurring awareness among employees about the basics of remote work and learning the latest practices of other business n their field.
Enablers: providing all tools and apps to support the transition to remote work, such as by utilizing the internet and video conference platforms like Zoom.
Adoptability: It is important to realize that many organizations around the world are quickly adopting a remote-work approach, and accordingly, we have to join the world in its transition to remote work.
Remote-work Apps
Healthcare
The Ministry of Health pioneered remote work locally even before the COVID-19 crisis. One example is Seha, which is a platform for communicating and receiving advice from consultants. Another example is the 937 service, through which doctors provide consultations via audio or video calls. Additionally, there is Labayh, which is a mental health services platform.
Education
The Noon Academy platform contributed to the continuation of the educational process during the COVID-19 crisis, due to the readiness of its infrastructure to receive a huge number of students at once.
Retail
E-commerce participated in the continuation of the retail stores' work, and applications such as Jahez and Hungerstation have contributed to reducing the vulnerability of restaurants to the crisis.
Post-crisis phase
The goal of remote work is not just to reduce costs, but to also increase productivity, and the possibility of employing capable people in remote areas and valuing their capabilities and highlighting their talents, and the ability to balance the employee's life by giving them the freedom to work from anywhere they please. This is why it is expected that the mindset of enterprise owners will change to support this concept and adopt it as a method of work within their organizations.