Deadline of Return to Office in 2022 for employees of Information Technology is further extended in the wake of the Omicron variant of SARS-Cov 2. Multinational companies have those in the leadership roles working from office while medium and small sized companies have developed a model of working from home and office for their employees.
Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association (HYSEA) has carried out multiple surveys in 2021 at different stages of pandemic where the Hybrid model and Return to Office was planned from January 2022.
But with the Omicron variant, these strategies are on hold, explained Bharani Aroll, President of HYSEA in an interview with IndiGlobal Media Network.
Q Return to Office was planned from January 2022 and with the emergence of Omicron what is the IT industry strategy?
We have done a lot of surveys in the insights and pulse of the industry. The impact on employees, work culture, productivity and their coping mechanism with no human interface. We have found that small and medium companies have successfully got 80 percent and 30 percent of their work force back to office. There is proper social distancing between workstations, wearing of masks during human-to-human interactions and following hygiene protocols. These when followed properly show that the Work from Office mode works. At the same time, there are employees who have continued to Work from Home in both these sectors due as they were keen to continue till pandemic subsides. Hybrid model of working is one form which will continue in future as employees and organizations opt for it.
In terms of multinational companies, the decisions are taken at global level and they were looking at Return to Office in January 2022 but with Omicron there are concerns raised and they want to wait. Their leadership team is working from office and there are 5 percent of their employees who are working from office in rotational work mode or when projects require them to work from office. The original thought process was to get 50 percent of employees back to work in January and 90 percent by March 2022. But with the Omicron variant it is now a wait and watch situation.
Q With small and medium sized companies having employees back, what are the learnings in terms of their safety?
We have not heard of a single incident in Hyderabad in the last six months where the office was a source of infection. Touchless systems are created. Biometric has been replaced with face recognition and there are other technological interventions to make it as safe as possible. Having said that, it must be noted that there are social gatherings in the society and people are participating. Offices can be challenging as they are there for longer hours but following protocols will provide the required safety net. The IT industry has stood strong in their commitment to employees and their extended families. Apart from insurance, wellness is of paramount importance and there has been constant counseling and support extended to the employees.
Q With work from home, in the next quarter of 2022, which segment of the IT industry is most impacted?
There is now an understanding and an ease of working from home. There is a comfort level for some while others are stressed working from home as they have to face the computer for 9 hours. This is getting difficult for many and they want to return back. The challenges faced are in client interface and collaborative work environment. The ability to learn, reskill and observe others has taken a back step in the work from home profile. We have a huge number of trainees who have spent the last one year working from home. They have not stepped in their offices. The transition from educational institutes to office environments requires skill building, interpersonal interactions, observations and learning. This is completely missed out and we will have to evaluate how this shapes up as time goes by. Workforce has to return to office on rotational basis, requirements of projects and for collaborative work environments in future.
Q In terms of productivity, employees are looking at work from home as a good option and there are some who want to continue it?
There are many factors which are driving this thought process in employees. Those who are non-locals and working from different parts of the country are looking at the cost-factor of relocating back to cities. The comfort factor is also pushing them to continue with it. But work etiquettes demand a structured environment and with fatigue setting in, there are a sizable number who want to Return to Office. The driving force will be upskilling and human interface along with safety precautions as some examples in small and mid-sized companies show us.
Q Attrition rate in IT sector is highest during pandemic worldwide? How has this impacted the sector?
Attrition is at 20 percent which is the highest in the sector. It is a worldwide phenomenon as it increased from 11 percent to 20 percent. At the same time, the demand in the sector has peaked in 2021 as digital technology was required in education and health. There is phenomenal growth in block chain, cyber security from 8 percent to 26 percent. We are looking at further growth in 2022. In 2021, one billion people were sitting in front of computers across the world from different sectors.
Q What is the forecast for the year 2022?
Digital technology is the future and in India it has leaped during the pandemic. We are looking at hiring 2 lakh freshers in the year 2022 in all the big and medium companies. There is bound to be good growth in 2022 as new sectors will require solutions, security and better management as digital markets will occupy more space.
By,
Kaniza Garari
Senior Assistant Editor
