A year after most employees were sent home to continue work, we can still see the harsh effects of COVID-19. Several businesses had to reduce their operations in scale. Others had to suspend work indefinitely and even shut down completely.
Although painful to many, the pandemic has taught us several lessons and practical business applications. Among these is the importance of communication to keep everyone updated on the latest memos and give employees a platform to share their grievances or difficulties.
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However, the most notable learning from the pandemic is how and where work can be done.
Remote working is now being recognized as one of the best and most viable options for companies. Half of the Irish businesses have fully committed to the remote work set-up. Employees worldwide have reported they can manage work effectively even outside of the traditional working space.
Despite certain roadblocks in remote working, such as toxic workplace behaviors, we can still observe the overwhelmingly positive effects of work flexibility. The choice between lifestyle and career is now a thing of the past. Career and personal life have grown closer throughout the pandemic.
The reasons why the future of work is remote seem to be endless. In this newsletter, we discuss why remote working is on pace to become the future of work and its possible drawbacks in the long term.
Remote Working – Flexibility
Remote working creates a flexible workspace in terms of a working environment’s ability to allow changes in the workflow or work process dynamics. With most of the industries and economic sectors seeking digitalization, the integration of remote work is a necessary and logical outcome.
Offices have become redundant or obsolete because day-to-day transactions now only require the requisite software and hardware, and internet connectivity.
Remote working is also an opportunity for both employers and employees to recalibrate existing work systems. This places the spotlight on important work-related factors such as:
– Talent and recruitment
– Diversity
– Employee engagement and morale
Is Remote Working the Best?
Is remote working truly the best option for the future? Is it as good as people say it is? There are differing opinions on this matter, with some saying that remote working is overhyped.
In an interview with Ken van Someren, of Boost Cognition (The brain power people: enhancing performance in the workplace). Ken walks us through remote working, the difficulties entrepreneurs face nowadays, and the importance of employee trust. In the video, he raised several important points, including:
– What is employee trust, and what does it look like?
– The challenges of business owners in this day and age
– Remote working – overhyped or a needed tool?
If you would like to check out the full interview and learn more about remote working, employee trust, and entrepreneurship, have a listen over at our YouTube channel by clicking on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxxK9OIsv-E
What are your views on remote working? Do you think this is an effective option for major businesses and corporations in the long run? What are its possible effects on small and medium enterprises?
Join our discussion on our Discord server via the following link: https://discord.gg/gbJ9Ta78JG