The COVID-19 crisis has caused a major upset in the present-day business world. In the first group, a lot of people have lost their job. The second group, deemed as essential workers, are still doing their job only under much tougher mental pressure and personal protection requirements. There is, however, a third group – the remote workers. Even in the past, some people worked in industries that allowed telecommuting. A lot of businesses opted for this business model because it was clearly superior to its traditional alternative. Now, we see businesses that have this option massively shifting to this model. Here’s what you can expect about the future of remote work.
Benefits for everyone
The first thing worth mentioning is the fact that the future of remote work benefits virtually everyone. Employees benefit from the fact that they no longer have to commute. They also have the privilege of setting up their own workstation for maximum comfort and productivity. Naturally, employers also get to benefit a great deal. They no longer have to compensate for the commute. They also get access to the global workforce, which brings massive benefits to their talent pool. Other than this, it’s also worth mentioning that they get to keep a massive workforce without even leasing an office.
The productivity
One of the greatest debunked myths about remote work is that this method is usually inferior in productivity when compared to traditional workplaces. Now, as many as 51% of people surveyed responded that they were able to maintain their productivity even on collaborative tasks. Bear in mind that these tasks are the most difficult of the bunch, seeing as how they may require the on-spot approach. In terms of employee satisfaction and overall performance during these four months, the results have been overwhelmingly favourable.
New work model
The next thing worth discussing is the importance of remote work as a new concept. This means adapting to new tools and ensuring that everyone comes on board. People need to set up their own profiles and learn how to use them properly. Also, working remotely has its own workflow. Some people don’t function well with remote employee monitoring software. Others have problems when deadlines replace work hours. All in all, by adopting this new work model, certain adjustments will have to be made.
Suitable alternatives
There are a lot of business aspects that you need to take into consideration when it comes to the future of remote work. For instance, there are certain tasks that, in the past, required in-person attendance. We’re, of course, talking about things like live events and seminars. In order to make up for this, a lot of businesses would have to switch to suitable alternatives like webcast production. Because similar tools and methods can also be used for hosting all sorts of meetings and online collaboration spaces, it might be a great idea to try and master it as soon as possible.
Reasons for going back to work
A lot of people have a hard time getting accustomed to this work model from a sociological perspective. You see, people are social creatures and it is unnatural for them to work or spend too much time isolated from others. Others have trouble with a lack of structure for their daily routine. For a lot of people, it’s quite easy to find the purpose when they have those 8 hours of work to organize their day around. They know when to depart home when to work out and more. This way, things can get quite confusing. On the other hand, this may force them to establish a healthier work-life balance.
Hybrid solutions
While a lot of people make comparisons and try to make it as if we’ll have to choose between one and the other, the truth is that hybrid solutions seem far more likely. For instance, your employees may be allowed to work two days from home every week or they may be allowed to choose between these two alternatives. You can also have a part of your staff working from the office while others being employed under the status of telecommuters. You can even mould your salary model according to this principle.
Higher standards for online tools
The last thing worth mentioning is the fact that, as more and more people start working online, standards of working in this environment will also grow substantially higher. For instance, online traffic, in general, will increase on average, mostly because people spend more time online. This is why website optimization is a priority. This goes for everything, starting with platforms that your staff is working on, all the way to business websites. A proper speed enables a proper workflow. This is why these things are so important in the long run.
In conclusion
The greatest advantage of remote work in 2020 is the fact that the sample of people dabbling in it is higher than it was ever before. This also means that any conclusion made on this “experiment” is more reliable than before. Institutions and individual entrepreneurs alike had a chance to experience the full extent of these advantages which, once again, leads to an inevitable question. After this problem is put under control and people are able to return to work, are they really supposed to? Depending on the future results, we may have our answers.