The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed how we live and work. It has reset various work trends, and as a result, HR leaders were forced to rethink employee and workforce planning. Also, employees had to learn how to muddle through changes like online communication with clients and colleagues, teleworking, and dealing with technological challenges. 

It has been two years down the line now, and we have adapted to living with most of these changes. But, what does the future hold after the pandemic ends? Here, we'll look at the pandemic's long-term effects even after it ends and the importance of adopting a digital workplace. 

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic even when it ends 

Once the world reopens, many companies will try to develop new work rules. So, the changes we have seen at our workplaces during the pandemic are just temporary. Below are some of the changes that you can expect in the post-COVID-19 work environment: 

➢ Remote working is likely to continue: - This is an obvious impact of COVID-19. Due to positive experiences with remote labor, some companies consider shifting to flexible workplaces with fewer employees. Therefore, there will be extensive use of videoconferencing and other new aspects of work. 

➢ A work environment with high physical proximity may adopt AI and automation pretty fast: - Even before the pandemic, most businesses were trying to redesign work processes and adopting automation. That way, they could reduce jobs that require routine tasks, mitigate uncertainty, and control costs. A study conducted in 2020 after COVID-19 showed that more and more companies have been investing in AI and automation. Even in the future, we are likely to see a great acceleration in the adoption of AI and automation.

➢ Working from home will shift to working from anywhere: - Even after the pandemic, remote working will remain an attractive option for many workers. As the world starts to reopen, remote workers will be able to work from anywhere as long as they can access internet connection and power. 

➢ Employees might have to switch occupations than before COVID-19:- According to research, there will be a higher concentration of better-paying jobs and a decline in poor-paying occupations. This workforce transition is expected to be challenging in the coming years. 

Importance of workplace digitalization 

A digitalized workplace comes with several benefits that improve the overall experience for both end-users and customers. Also, it delivers a secure, consistent, effective, and efficient employee experience anytime and anywhere on any device. This is especially beneficial during and even after the pandemic. 

Companies that embrace digitalization in their workplace can easily access virtual meetings and eliminate the barriers of location, time, network, and device connections. A digital workplace provides a better work-life balance for employees while also improving their productivity for the company.

When a pandemic and its aftermath is a subject to discuss, most businesses find it challenging to keep up with operations. Since they had adopted new working methods after the pandemic, they need to rethink return-to-work strategies. The good news is that implementing a digital workplace is an option, which is a strategic move for any company.