Current and Future Trends in Remote Work
–The desire to pursue a high-paying career and maintain a work-life balance is more unobtainable in the corporate world. For that reason, an increasing number of millennial workers are seeking remote work careers.
The internet made it possible. Today, so many businesses, from stores to casinos, have moved to the web. If you can buy groceries online and play Canadian online slots, why can’t you also work online?
As people shift to virtual environments, new remote working trends are also emerging. Even though it’s not a new concept, it’s changed significantly with the development of technology.
Today, we’re discussing the future of remote working and what it means for employers and employees.
The Current Situation
We’re no strangers to remote work in the present. In the last decade, many employers moved parts of the offices online to minimize overheads.
The developments so far can be handy pointers to what the future holds. Remote work reports show an advent of coworking spaces. Such establishments offer practical amenities such as kitchens, soundproof rooms and nap spaces to push productivity.
Furthermore, travel working among younger millennials is a part of the ‘digital nomad’ lifestyle. It enables employees to travel the world while maintaining and developing a career. Other young workers go for gigging, taking multiple jobs as freelancers.
Finally, condensed weeks are a trend that started in Europe. It became attractive worldwide as the pandemic took place. Combined with increased productivity practices, they allow people to pursue gigging, or family lives with more ease.
All these trends show that flexibility is the number one new demand for the work market. Time will tell whether these practices benefit or damage productivity, but they’re present.
The Possible Future
An influx of a younger population into the work market generates a demand for more remote working opportunities. The evidence suggests that not many new practices will emerge soon, but those existing will become more prominent.
Short-Term Changes
As early as 2019, there was a growth of remote work opportunities on the market.
Traditional office spaces became more challenging to maintain financially, providing employers with incentives to downsize. After the lockdown in most countries worldwide and a tentative opening in most, more companies are following suit.
These changes bring about a much-discussed and somewhat feared 24-hour work cycle. More companies are going global and hiring worldwide, which leads to the infamous (or famous for night owls) third shifts.
Long-Term Changes
Fast Company predicts virtual reality conferencing and mobile work tools for professional communication. AI could also become a vital player in remote project management.
In the past two years, polls on tech company employees showed that most would prefer to work from home or in a hybrid arrangement. However, significant questions arise for those who need physical spaces for their careers.
Gen Z employees would thrive in online environments. However, older workers could find it daunting or even impossible to maintain their productivity after such a shift. A lot of training and a lengthy transition period would be necessary if a company makes the switch.
More importantly, closing down physical companies can lead to a job cut for lower-paid employees. Even reducing the working hours might harm janitors, assistants, and even nearby cafes and restaurants.
Conclusion
Finally, COVID-19 drove even older, traditionally organized companies to test hybrid or full remote work. Most often, they combined remote and office workdays.
The success they have with this approach will likely inform how they continue operating in the future. Still, the evidence so far suggests that people prefer flexible environments. In that vein, these work from home trends could become everybody’s future – pros and cons alike.
