Remote Working And Hybrid Work Models Dominate Predictions For The Future Of The Workplace
Apr 28, 2021
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The recent pandemic has hit hard in several areas. It has cut city budgets, accelerated digital behaviors, and redefined the future of the workplace. In the past year, we have witnessed the world’s largest remote working experiment to date. The result has been announcements by several major companies like Amazon and Facebook on shifting their workers to remote working permanently. In fact, three in four CFOs said they plan to shift at least 5 percent of their on-site employees to remote working, according to a Garner Inc survey. As businesses begin to contemplate what the future of the workplace will look like in a post-Covid world, many are faced with making changes to their workplace model to find the perfect balance for them.
Remote Work And Video Calling Will Remain - With Help From Hands- Free Technology
Facebook’s Infinite Office and other innovations have spurred companies to consider new ways to keep remote work engaging. For instance, by incorporating the use of augmented reality. One good example of this has been Spatial and Facebook’s alliance to offer social distanced meetings using augmented reality. Before now, hands-free technology was already taking a firm bite out of the smart home market - along with a long list of others. Fast forward a year, and it is predicted that remote work and hands-free technology will help employees to use voice commands and translate seamlessly between work and mobile networks.
There is also ample opportunity for in-store applications. With in-store foot traffic down dramatically, consumers are expecting engaging experiences from their online or video transactions. Incorporating virtual browsing and remote shopping behavior into easy modes like voice alerts can keep consumers engaged and interested.
Employee Wellbeing Will Take Center Stage As More Shift To Remote Working
According to the Harvard Business Review, the shift to having a remote workforce has allowed business leaders to re-examine how work is done. However, it has also hastened the importance of focusing on employee wellbeing. As more employers recognize the strong link between employee wellbeing and productivity, they are now rearranging their wellbeing policies to incorporate employee burnout, presenteeism, and training modules to help employees present their best self while working remotely. This includes awareness training on their body language during video calls and tips on employee dress codes, including video-friendly outfits and tips on choosing accompanying accessories for live streams, taking into account the type of jewelry that works well on camera. A survey by CouponFollow found that remote workers that dressed in business or smart casual attire experienced 80 percent productivity compared to 70 percent for those who were dressed in gym attire.
In SimplyHealth’s Health and Wellbeing At Work report, 89 percent of respondents observed employees working when unwell, while 79 percent worked while on annual leave or outside of their contracted hours. In fact, it has become a rousing downside for remote working arrangements, as employees unconsciously either find it difficult to separate work from home, or feel they need to work longer hours to compensate for their flexible working arrangements.
Zoom Fatigue Will Drive The Case For More Hybrid Working Models
The novelty of remote working and Zoom business calls has worn off. Although 84 percent of workers say they enjoy working from home, many are experiencing Zoom fatigue. In response, CEOs are moving their companies to a hybrid working model. Citi recently announced hybrid working and Zoom Free Fridays in a bid to counteract Zoom fatigue and declining work-life balance for their employees. The company hopes their moves will encourage employees to retain a healthy work-life balance and enjoy their vacation days.
These are just a handful of ways that the workplace is changing thanks to an acceleration of remote work. What you can be certain of, however, is that the transformation will continue for years to come as both employees and businesses have a much-needed discussion on what the ideal workplace looks like. After all, the one constant is change.
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