COVID-19 Opens Newer Possibilities for Companies and Employers
COVID-19 has brought some major and permanent changes in the way we had been working. While some industries like pharma, healthcare, e-retail have found their ways to flourish during the crisis, unfortunately, some other industries have been trembling. And these diverse effects have impacted most of the people in the society. But as I study the pitfalls and challenges of the current times, I can't help but notice the emerging opportunities that may help many crippling businesses. One of the affected sectors is the construction market in India. Because of the unprecedented labour dilemma and the extant lockdowns in the country, the entire scene of ongoing constructions has somewhere become uncertain, even though I see that the construction projects in the urban cities haven't halted and only delayed.
Not just that, several other sectors are now hanging in between the unknowns. But does that mean these businesses will see a prolonging breakdown? Call me an optimist because I don't think so!
Belonging to a somewhat similar sector such as construction, more specifically, architecture and interiors, I see many newer dimensions that may lead to a changed path for companies but may also lead them into a good future. I and my team at Zyeta have been constantly researching the different dynamics of workplace design post-COVID-19. Although the pandemic is continuing, I see a lot of people and several companies trying to get back to work. Now, that is something very positive amidst a surviving crisis.
I see employers putting their efforts in understanding the several aspects of workplace design just to make sure that when offices return, they come back with a revised plan. With a design outline that makes workplaces safe and reliable more than ever, for the employees. This led us to explore the several advanced avenues of workplace design which majorly pivots the entire workplace wellness scene.
So, what started as a possible nightmare has opened some better paths for companies like ours. There are now debates and discussions on workplace safety in a way that was never seen before. Now people are understanding the values of reliable design, the benefits of futuristic planning and these have made it easier for firms like us which had been trying to take workplace design to another level. For example, certifications like WELL for workplace design weren't too popular, but now, employers are investing in such global standard design so that their offices can stand the test of time. Now every sector, from IT to finance, are paying more attention to detailing of designs. I can tell this because I can personally see how design-discussions are steering from general biophilic concepts to energy-sustaining concepts, from visually inclined ideas to purposeful design strategies. For my company, this time has given us an edge to include more detailed wellness considerations in design. We have, therefore, made different amendments in our design thinking to include all that we are facing now to make workplace architecture and design more visionary than ever!
What I'm trying to say here is that the pandemic may have brought us to our rock bottoms; however, it has somewhere unlocked parallel realities which we need to decipher and use them for our businesses. There will be different new routes for different industries. For example-- for the architecture sector, human health and wellness will become the prime criteria of design thinking. For the construction sector, the wellbeing of the workers, along with the well-being of the users will find significance, and for the education industry, it will be the advent of latest virtual learning software that will redefine online teaching. The disease has surely crippled us, both economically and mentally, but there has been no war that we cannot win with determination. If we work on the chances that we get and we work on them every day, there will be a time that humanity will get over this too! Won't we?
