Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional work model revolved around physical offices, face-to-face meetings, and a clear separation between work and home life. Most healthcare interactions were conducted in person, and e-commerce was starting to growth.
However, the the pandemic forced us to adapt to a new way of living and working almost overnight. According to a McKinsey report, the pandemic accelerated existing trends in remote work, e-commerce, and automation. For example, telecommuting rates grew from 20% pre-pandemic to nearly 71% at the height of the pandemic. Additionally, the pandemic has had lasting impacts on industries such as retail and healthcare, as more services moved online and companies adjusted to meet new consumer demands .
Drifting to Immediate Needs
Companies adopted digital tools and platforms for virtual meetings, and telemedicine surged in popularity and E-commerce and delivery services saw exponential growth.
Remote Work and Virtual Meetings: Companies quickly adapted to remote operations, setting up home offices and relying on virtual meetings to keep their businesses running smoothly. According to The Economist, teleworking was made possible by the rapid adoption of digital tools, which allowed for the continuation of work despite physical distancing measures .
Telemedicine: Healthcare providers started offering telemedicine services, allowing patients to consult with doctors via video calls. A report by ABC News highlighted that telemedicine visits increased by 50% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 .
Home Deliveries: Grocery delivery services and online shopping became essential in families in houses around the world. McKinsey noted a 10-year growth in e-commerce within just three months during the pandemic .
E-Learning: Schools and universities transitioned to online learning, ensuring that education could continue despite the lockdowns.
Habits That Endured
Even after the pandemic, many of these new habits remained. Hybrid and fully remote work models continue to be popular around profesional environments. A McKinsey survey found that 20-25% of workforces in advanced economies could work from home three to five days a week, significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels (McKinsey & Company).
As remote work and virtual meetings become a standard part of professional life, the need for effective digital communication tools has never been greater. Closer Meeting is a tool that helps you transform your pen-and-paper note-taking into something you and your colleagues can benefit from. Give order to your ideas, remember important takeaways, invite your team to collaborate, and never, never forget the expected action steps from that client meeting again.
This tool offers you the possibility of:
Have a transcript and translation of all the recordings in case meetings were held in a different language.
A variety of different meeting documents or notes can be attached to the same meeting, facilitating collaborative work between team members.
Flexible and integrated playback allows you to watch and listen to the video while taking notes.
Re-name the speakers of each time stamp, allowing you to keep better track.
Link transcript segments to your meeting notes and track the exact moment important annotations were said during the call.
Explore the Closer Meeting Tool and experience a new level of efficiency and connectivity in your remote work journey.
