Back in the day, employers and popular notions put remote work in a negative light. The majority of employers thought that this type of workplace culture could cause a lot of distraction to their employees.
A few decades ago, the concept of doing work was very different. It was office-bound, cubicle oriented, and the lifetime employment concept.
This old work culture led to the belief that it would be impossible to handle teams remotely. As such, working at the office is the norm, while remote work is an aberration.
Remote work was a rare arrangement even three years ago. It was an arrangement for individuals who had exceptional cases.
But with the help of technological advancements in recent years, many enterprises found ways to utilize remote teams and achieve their desired results.
Virtual calls are now the first option instead of face-to-face meetings. Work delivery and business processes have successfully incorporated software and collaborative tools.
At present, remote work has grown in popularity. Workers can now work anywhere and deliver services without being physically in an office.
Since remote work has grown tremendously in recent years, what else can we expect for its future? Will this relatively new setup greatly benefit us as we keep up with the times?
To dissect why remote work is seen as a mainstay in the foreseeable future, let’s first understand its benefits to entice more people better to have a go at it.
Table of Contents
Benefits of remote work
1. Remote work is an excellent preventive measure against the spread of serious ailments.
Health is wealth. It especially rings true for employees and employers alike.
No amount of skill set and compensation could ever measure up to the guarantee of one’s health and safety.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a big curveball for humanity. Even 21st-century medicine could have never perceived a pandemic in this proportion.
With the world on the brink of economic collapse, many establishments opted to follow the remote work setup. The outbreak of COVID-19 prompted many employers to shift to a remote work model to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
It led many businesses to become more dependent on communication technology as it was the safest option to combat the viral surge while still being productive.
Remote work can also help prevent the spread of illness, helping companies avoid lost productivity and protecting public health.
2. Remote work has been proven effective.
A few years ago, most employers would deem remote work incomprehensible. The biggest concern was that employers back then believed working remotely would make more people unproductive.
Employers fear that the lack of supervision from someone on the ground may curb employee efficiency. With the growing workforce trends now, this isn’t the case anymore.
Results found in one research that got remote employees to answer a survey indicate that productivity for remote workers shot up exponentially, which showed that they got more work done compared to counterparts who still report to work in an office.
3. Remote work is constantly evolving.
Embracing change is one of the many beauties of being human. With change comes the chance to start anew and explore expansive possibilities.
A decade ago, people associated remote work as something that solely had to do with customer service or telemarketing at an unbelievably unsatisfactory wage.
The depressing work shift and setup in these lines of work were also quite upsetting. There are the cubicle workstations that are constricting and the routinary nature of the jobs.
But thanks to today’s technology, it is much easier to handle data, transactions, and lines of communication with the help of a button at any time of the day.
You don’t have to fret about being unable to talk to colleagues or be scared about missing a meeting since video conferencing is all the rage now, and it continues to show improvements in recent years. It proves that it is accessible to keep tabs on anyone, anywhere. This type of feature would only be around because of the rapid growth and expansion of the internet.
Technology has grown so fast that many companies have bid goodbye to traditional office setups and said hello to the modern coworking space, an ideal haven for remote workers. Many cities have already welcomed the expansion of the coworking empire.
4. Remote work is safe.
In the face of a crisis, remote work is the best bet for anyone anxious about the outside world. Remote work is for those looking to avoid danger by working from the safety of their homes.
Personally, working from home works best for me. I get to avoid the horrendous traffic jams in my home country while still being able to provide services to my clients. I feel secure inside my home while juggling my remote career and earning a decent living. It’s undoubtedly a win-win.
Now that we know all the benefits of engaging in remote work let’s have a bird’s eye view of its future impact on society.
Future impact of remote work on society
1. Remote work will become a permanent fixture in the workforce scene.
2021 has seen a dramatic increase in the percentage of workers who work from home, based on a survey conducted by Enterprise Technology Research (ETR).
The results proved that remote work had been a practical arrangement for workforce members. With the pandemic still lingering, the rate of people working from home will significantly increase.
Company policies have also released the possibility of working from home indefinitely.
2. There is no more need for bigger office spaces.
To the delight of minimalists, there is a need for less office space with remote work. Many experts in the field of business believe that there will be less and less demand for huge physical office spaces in the coming future.
It would be beneficial for both employers and workers. On the employer’s side, the lower overhead cost due to the reduction of office spaces would be significant. Working outside of offices allows for more flexibility for the workers regarding location and work schedule.
3. Remote work will require you to engage.
Earlier on, we highlighted the benefits of remote work but let’s also give some room to acknowledge one of its cons, the difficulty of putting your professional achievements in the forefront.
Remote employees need to expect to up their game to show their prowess in their chosen field. The virtual setup changes the ballgame on how to stand out and be competitive with your peers and workmates.
The remote setup calls for individuals to communicate through email, which is not the most personable mode of communication.
But virtual meetings and events can also help bolster your likable traits even when you’re miles apart.
Showing your enthusiasm and zest for your job can help you stand out while working at home.
4. Cybersecurity will be of utmost importance.
While many establishments ride the wave of remote work, knowing fully well that the internet will keep the business running, cybersecurity could become a focal concern.
More than ever, data handling is becoming a significant concern for many.
It is highly recommended that organizations strategize hard on protecting their data, workers, and overall system. With the business world slowly leaning towards remote work, many titans of the industry place significant investments in cyber security, a reasonably new predicament for business owners today.
5. Remote work can change the landscape of performance appraisal.
Remote work has significantly shifted how companies execute their performance management. Many companies would instead check on the output rather than the hours an employee gives out.
Companies can track how well their team is doing by using apps and tools that help view performances. We can also expect more jobs managing virtual teams, and agile project management will rise.
Companies and workers adapt based on available tools and working arrangements they’d see fit to achieve organizational goals and objectives.
