The purpose of this chapter is to determine how to manage the remote workforce in a period that covers during and after the COVID-19 pandemic called the new normal. According to this purpose, the content is as follows: the concept of new normal, remote working and hybrid work as a remote working model, advantages and disadvantages of remote working, managing the remote work and workforce. In this context, the author aimed to show remote working from all sides in the new normal and give an idea for researchers and practitioners about how to successfully manage the new normalization period post the COVID-19 pandemic.
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When the literature is determined, it is possible to come across many studies about remote work or the economic world on the Covid-19 and the pandemic process (Hamblin, 1995; Kurland & Bailey, 1999; Kırpık, 2020; Koirala & Acharya, 2020; Petzer, 2020; Ting et al., 2020). Among these researches, besides academic publications, it is possible to find articles published in popular journals, reports published by various human resource management companies (Entrust, 2021; Levenson, 2020; Phillips, 2020; Prasad & Mangipudi, 2020; PwC, 2021; Zeegen et al., 2020). Although these studies are important for the formation of a general judgment on the subject in the literature, it can be stated that this area is still in the discovery phase. In other words, it is seen that there is no consensus about managing the remote working and workforce in the literature. Therefore, it is thought that new studies in this field will be important in terms of the cumulative progress of the process and gaining new perspectives.
Buheji and Buheji’s research (2020) is about employability competency in post- the COVID-19 pandemic. According to research results, employability competencies are called, “proactiveness”, “preparedness”, “pulling-together”, “problem-solving”, “publishing and publicizing”. These competencies may help employees to overcome the challenges in the new normal.
Koirala and Acharya (2020) stated in their study that the Covid-19 pandemic is a turning point for the workplace concept. It has been mentioned that this transformation, will force human resources management units to change their policies and strategies. The concept of “social distance” draws attention as an important concept in this transformation process. While remote working is seen as a more suitable working method for the service sector, it is not seen as a suitable working method for many production sectors.
Bonacini and others (2020) conducted a study on Italian employees. In this study, the authors explored the potential results in the employee income distribution related to a long-lasting increase in remote work. The results showed that in remote working, an increase in the income of the employees will not be evenly distributed among the employees. It is stated that this increase mostly supports male, elderly, highly paid and, highly educated workers.