Until 3 years ago, the option of working remotely seemed like a privilege. Fully remote work option seemed like a dream, while flexibility in choosing the days when an employee wished to work from home, was considered a bonus on the contract.
And then struck the pandemic.
Several companies across different industries, had to find a way to promote remote work, to be able to survive, in what seemed an already difficult market. Though the adjustment took a while, the past two years have proven two major points:
- It is indeed possible to carry out a number of operations remotely
- Remote work is not a privilege anymore
With that established, what does the future hold?
Remote Work as a part of the culture
Offices have played a major role in shaping any work culture. Physically being a part of an office environment is vastly different from collaborating with colleagues online. The essence of the team is somewhat misplaced.
In sectors which were previously thought to function purely on a face-to-face basis, remote work has had quite a large impact, as compared to those sectors which already offered flexibility as a perk. For the former to conform to the pandemic period, seemed like an additional effort to keep their business afloat, while the latter seemed to not only get by well, but also managed to retain their talent, significantly.
On one hand, we have sectors like law, consulting, and finance, which prefer in-person meetings, but now have been forced to switch to video-calls, while on the other hand tech and digital agencies found the transition to be smooth, and in a way, effective. Remote work largely depends upon the industry, company, and the job-level. For example, companies in the manufacturing industry cannot have much of their workforce working from home even if it is the demand of the current scenario, whereas recruitment industry can ditch the office quite comfortably.
Just because working remotely is possible, does not mean it shall continue to be so in the post-pandemic era. While the “work-from-home” may have seeped into the cultures of many companies, various employers in finance, law, consulting, and retail have started bringing part of their workforce back to office. A hybrid model of working is being tried and tested to see what fits their individual company’s culture the best.
But, even so, the issue lies with the first point that the pandemic has proven: “It is indeed possible to carry out a number of operations remotely”. Especially, the younger workforce. During the pandemic, the younger workforce has experienced successful remote work, and now it shall be a difficult task to convince them otherwise.
A few years ago, location flexibility was a privilege that was added in the “bonus perks”. And now, it has become a pre-requisite for applicants while searching for their next employer. In fact, many young employees are considering leaving their current employers, purely because they are not comfortable with being called back to office for work, they ‘know’ can be done remotely. The past two years have definitely created a shift in work cultures around the world, making hybrid models and complete remote options, a part of their functioning.
It is not only beneficial to the employees, but remote work has proven beneficial for many employers around the world, too.
Some Advantages
For employers, talent is their biggest asset, and recruitment consists of one of their major procedures. Remote working conditions allow companies to hire talent from cities where they do not hold offices, with employees not having to relocate. This not only saves companies rental expenses, but also relocation costs they would need to cover if they hired from outside their establishment.
With the onset of a new era, more jobs have become available across various experience groups, with the applicant pool suddenly becoming larger, purely due to the possibility of working remotely. With the constraint of location out of the picture, employees can actively seek out companies which best fit their job preferences, while companies can hire talent who best fits their changing culture.
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Though many employers are considering (or already have begun) calling their employees back to office, the move is quite bound to be met by some resistance. While the surge of new waves impacts the attendance and occupancy percentage of offices, it is quite safe to say that ‘remote work’ is here to stay. And not just as a perk. But, as a solid part of the contract negotiations between employers and employees in the future.
With so many new jobs coming up, the power of negotiation lies with the employees, as of now. They can demand to work fully remote, knowing that if one employer refuses to agree, there are several others who would gladly sign off on it.
Both – office attendance and remote work, have their own advantages. The former gives the employees a better chance at team bonding, while the latter grants flexibility for employees and cost-saving opportunities for the employers.
In conclusion, it would be right to assume that remote work is here to stay. And for a good reason. Though many employers have misused this option of flexibility by making their employees work longer hours (which earlier were used for travel or transportation), employees have shown little resistance, as long as they aren’t pushed too far out of their comfort zones.
What is your take on remote work? Should it continue in the post-pandemic period? Or are you an advocate of office attendance?
Please let us know in the comments below.