A survey has shown that a vast majority of Slovenian companies are considering increasing the share of work conducted from home also in the long-term, meaning in post-corona times. The poll also showed companies are more optimistic than during the spring coronavirus wave.
The study, carried out in September and October by consultancy Kearney in cooperation with AmCham Slovenija, had 96% of the polled companies saying they fully or partially agree that work from home will remain more frequent also in the long-term.
The second poll of this kind, following the one in the spring, moreover showed companies are more optimistic in their forecasts than during the spring coronavirus wave, AmCham Slovenija said on Monday, while noting that the survey had been completed before the epidemic and lockdown had been declared for the second time.
According to the survey, companies on average expect revenue to fall by 3% this year compared to 2019, which compares to a 15% drop forecast in the spring. The expected drop in employment fell from 6% to 3%, and the expected drop in investment changed from 13% to 4%. The pollsters believe most companies took the likelihood of a second wave into account when making these forecasts.
Meanwhile, the pandemic has encouraged managers to develop new competences for facing the challenges on the market. More than half of the companies polled report of partial or significant changes in competence and the manner of operations.
Most companies are pursuing measures that strengthen labour process flexibility and digitalisation. Listed the most frequently among measures that had positive effects were flexibility measures (64%), business digitalisation (40%) and internal debureaucratization (32%).
Work from home turned out to be a positive measure for more than a third of the companies involved in the survey. 37% reported greater productivity, 54% raised satisfaction levels and more motivation among staff.
“Six months into the pandemic companies entered a ‘new normal’. This means that most of them did not return to the old tracks but are changed today because of the measures introduced and better equipped for the current and potential next crisis waves,” Marko Derča, a Kearney partner, wrote.
As many as 84% of the companies strongly agree that there will be more work from home in the future long-term, which is a 31 percentage points increase compared to the spring survey. Another 12% agree with this partly.
Almost two thirds or 65% expect a further strengthening of digital forms of work within organisations, which is marginally more than in the spring. Companies from the manufacturing sector moreover highlighted a greater focus on robotisation and automation (44%).
Also, 82% of the companies polled expect a rise in sales through web channels and the same share expects more intensive use of digital tools in their communication with clients.
The study involved 48 companies, all members of AmCham Slovenija. More than two thirds deal with professional and business services.