Five Years Later: The Lasting Impact of COVID on the Way We Work

It’s hard to believe that we just passed the five-year mark since COVID-19 turned the world—and the workplace—upside down. March 2020 still feels fresh in my mind: offices shuttered, calendars cleared, and “business as usual” quickly became anything but. At the time, many of us assumed the disruption would last a few weeks. We had no idea just how enduring the effects would be.

Now, five years later, I find myself reflecting on what’s really changed in the business world. What was temporary, and what turned out to be transformational? The answer, at least from my vantage point, is that COVID didn’t just interrupt the way we work - it rewrote the script.

Work from Home: From Perk to Paradigm

Before COVID, remote work was often seen as a fringe benefit - something offered by progressive tech firms or companies with global teams. Most executives I worked with saw “being in the office” as synonymous with productivity and commitment. There were exceptions, of course, but the dominant workplace culture still valued face time.

That changed almost overnight. When the world went into lockdown, remote work went from being optional to essential. Companies had no choice but to trust employees to work from home. And for the most part, it worked. Productivity didn’t plummet. In many cases, it actually increased.

Today, five years later, the hybrid model has become the norm. Few companies are fully remote, but even fewer have returned to a five-day in-person workweek. The “butts in seats” mindset has softened - though not vanished. I still encounter CEOs who long for the days of spontaneous hallway conversations and full conference rooms. But I also see leaders who’ve come to appreciate the flexibility, inclusivity, and cost savings that come with remote work.

We’ve learned that people don’t need to be in the office every day to be engaged, effective, or committed. And perhaps more importantly, we’ve discovered that work-life balance isn’t just a buzzword - it’s a competitive advantage when it comes to retaining talent.

The Office Itself: Still Here, But Different

The physical office hasn’t disappeared, but its purpose has evolved. Pre-COVID, offices were where work happened. Post-COVID, they’re increasingly where collaboration and culture-building happen. Many companies downsized their square footage, rethinking the need for private offices and permanent desks. In their place came hot desks, collaboration zones, and “we-space” instead of “me-space.”

I’ve walked through a lot of office spaces in the past five years, and the difference is striking. The sterile rows of cubicles are giving way to casual lounges, whiteboard walls, and natural light. Offices are starting to feel more like co-working spaces or boutique hotels- places designed to attract people, not just house them.

This evolution isn’t just aesthetic. It reflects a deeper shift in how we think about the purpose of the office. It’s no longer about clocking in and out - it’s about connection, creativity, and alignment. The office is now a destination, not a default.

Zoom and the Normalization of Video Communication

Pre-COVID, video meetings were reserved for specific use cases: international calls, board members dialing in from afar, or last-resort options when someone couldn’t make it in person. Most business conversations still happened face-to-face or by phone.

Then came Zoom.

At first, video meetings felt like a novelty. Then a necessity. And now? They’re just part of how we work. Five years in, we’ve gotten comfortable seeing ourselves on screen, managing digital backgrounds, and even conducting interviews, performance reviews, and board meetings entirely over video. It’s hard to imagine going back.

There’s a flip side, of course: “Zoom fatigue” is real. Many of us have felt the mental drain of back-to-back virtual meetings and the awkwardness of trying to read body language through a screen. But even with those challenges, the efficiency and accessibility of video calls can’t be denied.

The smart companies have learned to be intentional - choosing video when it makes sense, but not defaulting to it out of habit. And for global teams, it’s become an equalizer. Everyone, regardless of location, is now just one click away.

What Else Changed? Everything—and Nothing

COVID forced companies to reexamine not just how they work, but why they work the way they do. It sparked conversations about mental health, burnout, equity, and trust. It accelerated digital transformation and pushed leaders to get more comfortable with ambiguity.

And yet, in some ways, human nature hasn’t changed at all. People still want to feel connected. They want to do meaningful work. They want to be recognized, heard, and supported. The difference now is that businesses are being asked to meet those needs in more flexible, authentic ways.

As someone who spends his days advising companies on leadership, culture, and succession, I’ve seen the organizations that adapted most successfully are the ones that listened—to their people, to their customers, and to the changing world around them. The ones clinging to the “old normal” are struggling. The ones building a new normal, rooted in trust and agility, are thriving.

Looking Ahead

If the past five years have taught us anything, it’s that resilience isn’t about bouncing back - it’s about moving forward with clarity and purpose. COVID changed the workplace forever, but it also gave us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reinvent how we work, lead, and live.

The question now isn’t when things will “go back.” It’s: What do we want to build next?