Is Remote Working the Future of Workplace?

Remote work is becoming more popular. Nowadays, people don't only work from home. Employees are working outside the office a few days a week from several locations and freelancers are permanently working in co-working spaces. 

The future structure of work is changing, and companies including start-ups are trying to keep up. A shocking study by Upwork among more than 1,000 hiring decision makers shows how widespread remote work is becoming:

• 63% of companies now have remote workers, but 57% of companies have no remote work policies.

• 48% of firms use freelancers (since 43 years ago), while work done by freelancers increased by 168%.

• 6 times more hiring managers believe agile team structures will become the standard.

• 3 times as many believe offices will become temporary anchor points versus daily travel destinations.

Some hiring managers even think that remote work will change the way we work more than Artificial Intelligence.

Imgur.com's research shows the diverse nature of remote work, with the most common remote jobs being those in:

• Client services,

• Business development manager,

• Speech-language pathologist,

• Nurse,

• Accountant,

• Writer, and

• Account manager.

This leads to the rise of companies that serve these remote working people. Selina is a company that houses people who work remotely in a massive co-working space, providing amenities such as Wi-Fi, free coffee, meeting rooms, and quiet spaces. 

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Yoav Gery, CEO of Selina, says:

Digital nomads come in two types, those dedicated to travelling and working and those in more traditional jobs (banker, lawyer, designer) who are looking for more purpose in life. Companies will recruit Millennials by saying "Come work in our offices for 10 months, but for two months, work from wherever you want. We have a deal with Selina; go travel the world."

The 2018 State of Remote Work Report indicates that 90% of remote workers plan to keep working remotely for the rest of their career. This does not come as a surprise with great benefits such as:

• Flexible schedule,

• More time with family,

• More pleasant work environment, and 

• Avoidance of office politics.

Does flexibility prevent burnout?

According to Gallup research, employees are 43% less likely to experience burnout when given a choice in how and when to complete their tasks. But, this research tells that flexibility can lead to burnout because employees feel grateful to their employer for the flexibility, and so work very hard to return the favour.

What we need is balance. The key to successfully encouraging flexibility is to make it apart of the culture. This means tackling some of the unwritten rules of many work cultures such as:

• Being seen at your desk assures the manager knows you're working.

• Arriving later or leaving earlier must equal a lack of commitment.

• Recognition/promotions go to in-office workers.

• "Hard work" equals time on the clock versus net outcomes.

• Critical discussions (even on career) happen in the hallways and are missed at home.

There are three simple steps to counter this and create a culture of flexibility: 

1. Prioritise objective, not observation. 

Seeing is not believing. Show trust to your employees. Seeing them in the office isn't a requirement for having faith. Focus on the results. If the employee delivers, who cares how it's done?

2. Clarify goals and expectations

Based on Gallup's research, 50% of employees don't know what's expected of them. As a leader, clarify their expectations and goals. When you're managing remote workers, "out of sight" is far more likely to mean "off the mark" without clear expectations.

3. Encourage flexibility.

Give employees remote productivity and collaboration tools. Be careful not to overdo it, because it can destroy productivity..

Remote work doesn't require a remote control. Be flexible, ask for flexibility, and make the evolution of work for everyone.

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Source: Inc.com

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