Top 6 Remote Working Trends You Cannot Ignore

The majority of businesses around the world have made the abrupt shift to working from home (WFH) due to the spread of COVID-19 in 2020. The trend of remote working remained unchanged in 2021. In fact, the proportion of employees who work remotely has doubled since 2021, and this trend is still on the rise.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, almost 50% of people now work from home and most of them are enjoying WFH. After almost 2 years of working from home, employees still prefer working from home rather than working in an office. Now, as there is a significant decline in the number of Covid cases, some businesses across the world have announced to end work from home.

But employees still prefer to work from home. While there may be numerous reasons for people to choose to work from home. One common factor is that it has allowed for a better work-life balance without impacting their working efficiency. According to a recent survey by recruitment and staffing, out of every ten employees, at least six are prepared to quit their work rather than go back to work from an office. This prompted us to research current trends in remote work.

In this blog, we will walk you through the top 6 remote working trends that you cannot ignore.

1. Hybrid working model:

The trend has begun to shift towards onsite and remote work together. Many people have started to skip office visits, while others enjoy going to work to engage with their coworkers and resolve problems in person. The fact is that a hybrid working model allows for employee flexibility. Additional advantages include higher productivity, enhanced collaboration and working relationships, and improved outcomes for workers’ mental health. As a result, several businesses have begun using the hybrid approach.

2. Remote working promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion:

Most companies are now hiring people from diverse pools of talents as remote working has given the option to work from anywhere. Employees are not limited by their local demographic. You as a professional can attempt to take advantage of the enormous opportunity as this scenario offers professionals to work from anywhere. For those who have physical limitations, remote work eliminates the challenges of commuting and faraway workplaces.

3. No more extended working hours:

In the remote working trend, most people lose control over their work-life balance. The extra hours worked during the pandemic are not a major concern if they were just a temporary factor like a blip on the screen. However, overwork is a problem. Employers need to wake up to these facts and set clear rules to overcome this. Recent polls also revealed that more employees were “staying on” without being aware of the difference between working and breaks, and that remote workers were taking shorter lunch breaks. A business person who wants to protect their employees’ health and reduce stress, must explore ways to help their employees work smarter, not harder and longer.

4. Increase in video-based communication:

Every company must strategize how to communicate with remote workers to increase their productivity. Apart from increasing productivity, we need an option to utilize the whole team and keep them updated by giving instructions, and information on upcoming activities. To do this, we can use video-based communication platforms. Video-based communication platform improves communication and engagement between employees as well as clients and creates a better working environment and caring implications.

5. Greater adoption of cloud-based HR technology:

For businesses of all sizes, cloud-based HR technology offers a variety of solutions. HR technology makes it possible to automate time-consuming procedures like monitoring time-off requests and approvals, answering inquiries about health insurance, onboarding, etc. The COVID-19 pandemic refocused HR on the need for workforce planning data and analytics, including real-time data on absence and employee sentiment, as well as the ability to plan and execute furloughs and return-to-work events,” said Kelly Will, director, ISG HR Technology, and report co-author.

Integration of cloud-based HR technology into operations facilitates numerous advantages in various fields such as,

• Recruiting
• Employee training and continuing education
• Performance reviews
• Health and wellness management
• Employee satisfaction

6. Cost Effective:

Remote working is a cost-effective approach for small businesses. Already, many established businesses have enjoyed savings due to telecommuting. Since the majority of the crew works from home, the company won’t have to pay for greater space. Rent and utility costs are consequently decreased and cleaning services bills are also reduced significantly. With minimal staff on site, there is a reduction in cost for cafeteria service or serving refreshments during meetings.

Conclusion:

In the past, working from home was challenging for many companies. But today’s technology has made it easier to make this transition. Telecommuting will be a big part of the future of work. So, make sure to adopt remote working tools, tips, and best practices. Staying updated on the future of remote work and embracing it will present several exciting opportunities for your business.