Why Company Secretaries Should Work Remotely

Posted by Green Field Search on December 30th, 2020

The impact that the novel coronavirus pandemic has had on all jobs can’t be overstated: it is disrupting all work as we know it. This includes Company Secretary jobs as workers are having to learn how to work remotely rather than from the office. In order to comply with social distancing measures, these employees are working from home setups and creating home offices to stay just as productive.

On the bright side, the Company Secretary role is a job that can be done remotely without a lot of unexpected issues arising. The job was also included when Gartner, one of the world’s leading analyst firms, predicted that 41 per cent of workers are likely to work from home, at least part-time, in the future. Thankfully, the advent of video conferencing technology and secure access to a company’s network is allowing Company Secretaries worldwide to work remotely without missing a beat. It’s still possible to do great work away from the office and that is being proved in these difficult times.

While the Company Secretary position is lucky that it is able to be done remotely without major issues, this is still a huge adjustment period for all workers. There are personal and professional skills that help remote workers stay effective and this has been a learning process for many employees. Here are three important qualities that Company Secretary Recruitment will have to look for in candidates as they continue to adjust to the new normal as working remotely becomes more commonplace worldwide:

1) Flexibility; Working remotely removes several restraints that come with a regular working day. As research shows, employees are now working different hours and for a longer stretch of time that includes weekends and evenings since there is no separation from the office and home. While this means company policy will have to change in the future to reduce burnout in workers, it also has implications that Company Secretaries will have to be more flexible on when they are expected to work as a regular 9–5 is less feasible.

2) Technological Knowledgeable; Working remotely means dealing with plenty of technology, which inherently creates a security risk. From using the correct video conferencing tools to secure connections, Company Secretaries will need to understand this as they deal with sensitive data that needs to be protected. They need to know the best practices to use the internet safely.

3) Shifting Management Responsibilities; Company culture is in a state of flux and that means many businesses are changing how they operate. That means the Company Secretary will need to be a leader that is able to deal with change as the role adapts and is able to come up with policies that help the company move forward.

It’s also important to note that those appointed to Company Secretary are expected to become advisors to the board of companies, which often includes many non-tech savvy members. They will have to be able to explain the governance and minimise risk during this time where we all adjust to living in a world impacted by the novel coronavirus. The basic roles of the Company Secretary job are still the same as before but as organisations continue to shift, recruitment will have to focus on making sure they find leaders that are adaptable and can deal with the ever-shifting landscape we find ourselves in.