As businesses begin to tentatively reopen their offices, it is certain to say that Covid-19 has changed the way law firms work, forever. ‘Working from home’ has become the norm for millions, and striking a new balance between work and personal life is now at the forefront of discussion. Harnessing lawyers’ ultimate formula for productivity, in this new online era, seems unfamiliar territory. This leads to the question: are law firms more productive during a pandemic?
Looking back four months ago, when lawyers around the world were told they were to go remote, many managers feared that productivity would swiftly decline. It was anticipated that the lack of a fast-paced immediate office environment, paired with the distractions of home — from television to homeschooling — would have disastrous consequences on the work day. Indeed, when Chegg, the online learning company, started working from home in March, its senior executive Nathan Schultz was convinced that productivity would drop 15 to 20 per cent.
Yet, a large number of law firms have stated that productivity has remained at pre-pandemic levels, or even gone up. Without lengthy commutes, the inclination for small talk around the office, or leisurely coffees in the break area, it seems that those who aren’t under any pressure concerning childcare are getting more done. Many law firms’ management teams are also discovering that time-consuming formalities and procedures which previously were the norm — from dragging meetings to regular ‘one to ones’ — are less ‘essential’ to staff’s productivity and wellbeing than once considered.
Face-to-face meetings and interviews are replaced with Zoom © (c) Cateyeperspective | Dreamstime.com
Interestingly, the pandemic’s impact on productivity differs on an international level. A Deutsche Bank survey of employees in countries badly affected by Covid-19 found that on average, those in the United States felt they were more productive than before the pandemic, whereas those in Europe felt they were less productive.
Nonetheless, it important to consider the underbelly to the gleaming statistics of productivity in isolation, which appear maintained or even boosted. Indeed, consequent harmful effects of employees’ ambition are slowly surfacing, especially concerning mental and physical wellbeing. ‘Burnout’ remains a hot word on everyones’ lips, with many employees finding themselves blurring working hours with time in the evening when they usually decompress. Yet, companies around the world are enjoying their heightened productivity — for now. It is difficult to anticipate how long-lasting the increase in efficiency will be, and it’s even harder to measure burnout, or indeed mental health, especially on a Zoom call.
“There was a period of high energy, high output, where nothing could stand between you and the tasks you want to accomplish,” commented PayPal’s founder and Affirm’s chief executive, Max Levchin. “All of us went into this hyper-productivity drive. It was like we were back in a start-up.”
Four months after ‘work from home’ was imposed, Levchin revealed a juxtaposition of opinion concerning productivity within the workforce; employees felt they were less productive than they had been in the office, whereas managers felt their employees were more productive. Levchin himself is now concerned this productivity surge can only crash. “My primary worry productivity-wise is pacing,” he said. “The mangers are telling me that there’s a real possibility of burnout.”
The lack of office interaction has been noted as a significant loss for businesses’ health, contributing to a possible sense of fatigue.The chief executive of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, lamented this new void of in-person interactions, even though he affirmed productivity was still strong.
Working alongside colleagues in a physical office still seems a distant memory for some © Doodle Blog
This loss of office culture has a greater impact on young legal professionals than on established senior members, as it is more difficult for lawyers starting their career to impress partners over Microsoft Teams than it would be in person. This obstacle to career growth looms over junior legal workers, revealing a unique challenge their superiors have not formerly faced.
One thing is clear: this uncertain situation sheds light on the need for strategic planning when it comes to legal career growth. Mentoring and consultation has never been more paramount.