2020, The Year of the Remote Worker
Digital Nomads and freelancers across the globe have suddenly found themselves fielding calls left, right, and center from friends who overnight turned into remote workers. While a small majority (18% of the population) of us are far too familiar with the pros and cons of remote working, the vast majority of the population has had it forced upon them with little or no choice, all thanks to COVID-19. So, what does the future of remote working look like in a post-COVID world?
What is remote working?
To clarify, remote working is a working style where employees and professionals conduct their business outside a traditional office environment. Whether you’re working from home, or perhaps a campervan on the road, remote working offers a level of freedom otherwise unheard of by an office worker.
Why was remote working rare before?
Before COVID-19, the majority of the global workforce would be found onsite or at an office. While some companies allowed remote working one or two days a week, others (around 44% of companies) didn’t allow remote work. But why?
One of the main reasons companies refused to allow home working was the misconception that working from home (or elsewhere) is less productive than sitting in an office. For some, this is true. Employees that aren’t disciplined enough to sit down and tackle their work while surrounded by familiar distractions are nothing short of an employer’s nightmare. However, some thrive from the comfort of remote working and excel in their roles for an abundance of reasons. Take the results of a recent experiment performed by travel company Ctrip who asked employees to volunteer to work from home. In the experiment, those who worked from home reported higher satisfaction levels and were more productive than those stuck in the office.
Is remote working the new normal?
COVID-19 could potentially change workforce patterns worldwide, and we could see a real shift towards permanent remote workers becoming the new normal. As we begin to control the virus, companies are starting to create a return-to-the-office plan, but many are finding little or no benefit of doing so. The thought of bringing back thousands of workers to sit in one room in a small building during a pandemic makes most company executives shudder. Between passive government guidelines and endless health and safety reports, is it really worth the effort? Whats more, staff working from home, and doing so successfully, are questioning why they ever had to work in an office at all.
Another big factor to consider is cost. While businesses are hemorrhaging money and still reeling from the ongoing financial effects of COVID-19, the thought of shutting the office and saving on commercial real estate costs is incredibly appealing.
Can remote working be successfully implemented?
Overnight companies had to move their workforce out of the office, with little or no preparation time to ensure a smooth and successful move. If remote working is to be the new normal, a structured approach is required, along with a hefty investment to ensure the homeworker’s wellbeing and productivity.
A companies infrastructure must also be adapted if remote working is to be successful. Prior to COVID-19, companies managed data centrally, but this is no longer the case. In-depth security changes, structural adjustments, and a commitment by each employee are required to ensure data can be managed and handled remotely.
Boundaries between private lives and work also must be set. At the start of the pandemic, many new remote workers struggled to enjoy the pros of working from home without compromising their productivity. Employers might consider investing in employees’ mental well-being and physical tools, such as providing office chairs or headsets to manage this.
In short, for remote working to be successfully implemented, a whole new company rule book should be created. Company guidelines on working from home and doing so successfully are needed, along with an updated Human Resources policy. The corporate culture is shifting, and the changes need to be managed and recorded accordingly.
Can tech companies handle the shift?
Since the age of the internet, many technology giants have been lobbying to shift to online working to enjoy the potential that home computers and remote working offers. But can the internet handle it? Most likely, yes. At present, the majority of the population is familiar with tech communication startups, including Slack and Zoom, and ways of communicating with employees have quickly shifted into the digital medium. However, some systems are struggling under pressure, with corporate networks struggling with the number of VPN connections and internet service providers have had to remove bandwidth caps. On the whole though, the internet will thrive from this move.
Conclusion
While the productivity of remote working has gone through peaks and troughs for many employees since February 2020, the likelihood is that more than 40% of workers who switched to remote working during COVID-19 will remain working remotely once the crisis ends. With structural changes implemented correctly, support available for employees, and a process of tracking productivity in place, remote workers really could be the new normal.
Originally published at https://kareempjackson.com/. Let’s connect to discuss SaaS, product development, startups and blockchain. Follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook.
