WORK from home (WFH) arrangements has received positive support by majority of the workforce who participated in a survey conducted by KPMG in Malaysia.
In the survey conducted from April 7 to May 19, 2020 during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period, a total of 3,022 respondents took part and 69 per cent say WFH should continue post MCO as part of the new normal arising from the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
However, despite employees' willingness to continue working from home, only 56 per cent of business owners are supportive of the WFH arrangements.
KPMG's Head of Advisory in Malaysia, Chan Siew Mei said, "Thanks to Covid-19, the workforce in Malaysia and around the world was abruptly thrust into a global experiment on remote working. The learning curve has been steep, not just for the employees but also for business leaders as they scrambled to set up the necessary infrastructure and provide the required training and support to keep disruptions to operations at a minimum during the MCO."
The survey further revealed that 64 per cent of respondents faced challenges while working from home, with the top three difficulties being network issues (61 per cent), communication barriers (14 per cent), and lack of technology readiness (10 per cent).
"Irrespective of readiness or desire, this pandemic has boosted the WFH movement to be a required reality for the masses. It's clear from our study that committed leadership from the top is required to help employees quickly overcome the challenges to adapt to this new normal. The faster the company can adapt, the less impact there will be to disruptions in operations," said Chan, adding that from the study they also find that percentage of respondents who agreed to WFH increased by as much as 21 per cent in instances where companies implement clear WFH policies and provided frequent updates for them.
Leveraging on KPMG's INSIGHTS 360 Data & Analytics solutions, a direct correlation was seen between productivity levels and the capacity/ capability of communication platforms and the readiness of individuals to adopt technology (see table below).
Top 3 WFH challenges | % of respondents | Reduction in productivity (%) |
Network issues | 61 | 9 |
Communication barriers | 14 | 23 |
Lack of technology readiness | 10 | 24 |
The survey found that respondents who leverage on collaboration tools (such as Microsoft Teams, Skype, etc) as their main mode of communication while working from home reported the highest productivity levels (77 per cent) compared to other modes of communication. Notwithstanding that collaboration tools are deemed to be most effective in driving productivity, only 50 per cent of respondents have utilised these tools while working from home.
According to KPMG's People and Change Advisory in Malaysia executive director, Sharmini Ann Jacob, tools as well as upskilling are keys for better technology adoption among employee.
"The implications of these results emphasise the need for organisations to provide their people with the right tools. To achieve strong workforce productivity, organisations must invest in effective communication platforms and upskill employees to better adopt new technologies," said Jacob.
KPMG's survey also highlighted the role that Human Resource (HR) departments play in facilitating WFH arrangements. When HR is found to play an active role, employees' perceived productivity increases by 7 percent, while sentiments towards WFH implementation and ease of WFH transition increased positively by 7 percent and 8 percent respectively.
"Our study shows how HR is a key enabler to helping the organisations transition to WFH. Empowering your HR with the right capabilities is crucial to keep employees engaged and productive when implementing new ways of working," she said.