The future of remote work: trends and predictions

The prevalence of remote work increased steadily over the years and skyrocketed in 2020 due to COVID-19. Since then, it has more or less become the norm for many employers and employees. 

Remote working conditions are already quite widespread, so will they remain the same, or will we experience little changes from time or a drastic change like during 2020? It’s hard to predict the future so we can’t say for sure, but we can make some educated guesses. 

Taking into account the changes we experienced in the past, and the current situation in the present, let’s explore what the future holds for remote work, including trends and predictions. 

The emergence of remote and hybrid work conditions

The digital age brought great change and made the impossible possible. From the 1990s to the 2000s, the widespread use of the internet meant that everyone across the world was connected, which made communication much easier. With the internet, the possibilities were endless, and remote work became a reality.  

Though more popular and advanced now, remote work dates back centuries. Even before the internet, people still worked from their homes, but it was never as convenient as we have it now. 

The biggest change ever recorded in history in regards to remote work was in 2020 due to COVID-19. Tens of millions of people worldwide were forced to work from home due to quarantines, lockdowns, and self-imposed isolation, which has accelerated a workplace experiment that had been sluggish to gain pace before the pandemic.

The advantages and disadvantages of working remotely are now more apparent. Remote and hybrid work conditions are here to stay, even if many people went back to work as economies reopened— a significant portion of employers and employees chose to stick to remote work. The virus has caused a structural change in the workplace, at least for certain individuals, by overcoming technical and cultural constraints that previously prohibited remote employment.

Current trends

Over 20% of employees could work remotely three to five days a week just as well as if they would in an office. If remote work were so popular, there would be three to four times as many individuals working from home as there were before the epidemic. This would have a significant effect on consumer spending, transportation, and metropolitan economies, among other areas.

Things are no longer as they used to be in the past, the norm has evolved and new trends have emerged. Let’s explore the current reality of remote work:

1. Not everyone can work remotely

Though many workers would prefer remote working conditions to in-office working conditions, there are little or no opportunities for remote work for almost half of the workforce. 

Numerous manual or physical tasks, as well as those involving fixed equipment, are impossible to do remotely. These include handling medical care, running machines, using laboratory apparatus, and handling consumer transactions in retail establishments. On the other hand, it is theoretically possible to carry out tasks like data coding, teaching and counseling, communication, and information collection and processing remotely.

2. Quality of work may be reduced in some cases

Employers have also discovered during the pandemic that although some jobs may be completed remotely in an emergency, they are completed considerably more efficiently in person. These activities include coaching, counseling, and giving advice and feedback; establishing relationships with clients and coworkers; hiring new staff; negotiating and making important decisions; teaching and training; and work that benefits from teamwork, like creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. To get results comparable to those obtained in person, for example, onboarding would need to be significantly rethought if it were to be conducted remotely.

For example, both parents and instructors claim that quality has decreased as a result of the shift to remote labor during the pandemic. Similar to this, courtrooms have operated remotely but no longer do so due to concerns about equality and legal rights—judges are concerned about losing nonverbal signs in video conferences.

3. Some industries are more successful than others in adapting to remote working conditions

The opportunity for remote employment is concentrated in a small number of industries. Remote work will not work in industries like healthcare where the majority of the time spent working is in direct contact with patients. Whereas, others like finance and insurance have the most promise since a majority of their work can be conducted remotely. 

4. Developed nations are more successful in adapting to remote working conditions

Employment in developing nations is disproportionately concentrated in manual labor-intensive areas such as manufacturing and agriculture. Hence, the possibility of remote work is greatly reduced in these countries. 

Connectivity might be one barrier to productivity while working remotely, which is usually an issue in developing countries. Having fast enough internet access to facilitate feasible video chats, while connectivity infrastructure is either nonexistent or very limited in many poor nations. A substantial amount of both public and private funding will be needed to develop digital infrastructure.

5. Hybrid work models

While some professionals can seamlessly perform all their work remotely, others cannot. This does not mean that they should give up on the prospect of remote work entirely. To get the best of both worlds, hybrid work models have been developed, giving professionals to opportunity to work both remotely and in the office. 

6. Diversity and inclusion

Remote work takes away the barrier of location, so employers have access to a worldwide pool of talent. This means companies now have the opportunity to create a diverse workforce with people from various backgrounds and experiences. This diversity means a greater perspective in gathering ideas, creativity, and innovation. 

7. Asynchronous communication

Working remotely may mean having to work with people from different countries and time zones, so it might be impossible for everyone to be online at the same time. With digital tools, teams no longer need every member to be online to communicate effectively.

Future predictions 

Remote work is the future; it is here to stay. We don’t know exactly what the future holds, but there is great promise for remote work. Let’s explore some future predictions:  

1. More workers will advocate for remote work

The current workforce is made up almost entirely of Millenials and Gen Z’s, who grew up with technology. The next generation of workers is born into technology. These groups will be more comfortable using technology and might not appreciate the old way of doing things.  

Because remote work gives them more freedom and flexibility, employees desire to work from home. They may adjust their work environment as necessary and plan their hours to accommodate personal preferences or family obligations. 

Without having to worry about their supervisors attempting to monitor their time or analyzing their outfit choices, remote workers may focus on their tasks. They are not subjected to as many work-related distractions, such as long meetings or talkative coworkers. Employees who work remotely also save time and money by not having to make the daily drive to the office. 

2. Hybrid work conditions will be widespread

Although many workers prefer working remotely, fully virtual workplaces aren’t always feasible for firms. Nevertheless, workers will be hesitant to give up the independence and flexibility of remote work. 

A hybrid work style may benefit both businesses and workers when a fully remote work environment is impractical.

3. Greater diversity and inclusion

Employers are recognizing the benefit of having a diverse workforce, and because remote work makes it possible for cultures to interact more than ever before, it is more important than ever for businesses to prioritize diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI), have varied corporate cultures, and use inclusive recruiting processes. 

4. Greater prevalence of scammers and internet fraud

Despite all of its advantages, working remotely has drawbacks. There is a growing need for improved security measures since remote workers represent a higher cyber security risk than onsite workers. 

Good intentions combined with poor execution are often the cause of cyber security failures. The majority of remote workers use their own devices for work, and by using inadequate cyber security practices, they unintentionally endanger their company. Both businesses and employees often lack knowledge on how to secure corporate data and personal information.

Businesses must put strong security measures in place and teach their staff safe digital behaviors if they want to protect their data and platforms from viruses. By limiting access to critical data and establishing in-app permissions to prevent workers from endangering that data, businesses may also lower the chance of a security breach. 

5. Increased remote work and international recruiting

Because of increased employee engagement and productivity, more businesses are becoming entirely remote. The reasons why most workers prefer working from home include freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to work from any location. The list could go on forever. Companies like having access to international marketplaces, localized knowledge, and competitive global talent. 

Conclusion 

The continuous growth of remote working opportunities relies heavily on technological advancements. Though companies acknowledge the many benefits of remote, they are unwilling to compromise quality. For remote work to completely replace on-site work, adequate technology and training will have to be in place, to ensure the utmost efficiency, productivity, and work quality that will exceed on-site operations.