Is remote working reshaping our office?

The option of remote working is both convenient and cost-effective. Does it mean that working from home will be the trend going forward?

The outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020 led to millions self-isolating in their homes. As establishments rushed to secure employees and the spaces, the outbreak changed the situation markedly in the past few weeks as office-based employees around the world are told to carry out their jobs from home. This has rapidly accelerated the existing trend of work from home, as businesses rush to adopt remote working on a wider scale than ever seen before. 
Remote working has been on the rise for decades, thanks to the availability of digital communication and collaboration tools that enable staff to do their jobs outside of physical office. The trend has accelerated in recent years, aided by a new breed of business-focused group chat apps like Microsoft Teams and more reliable, user-friendly video conferencing tools that make it easier to connect and be productive without sitting the same office, or even the same country.

According to a Forbes report, studies are predicting an increase in remote working as part of the "new normal". A survey conducted by Amdocs queried 2,000 consumers regarding their opinions on future 5G experiences and found that 35 per cent of respondents believe the technology will lead to better video conference options, 32 per cent anticipate better video training and development opportunities, and 61 per cent said 5G will create more opportunities to work remotely with ubiquitous success.

Although remote working doesn't suit everyone - isolation from colleagues can be a major downside of having a home office, for example - many welcome it. A survey from job search site Glassdoor showed that 67 per cent of employees said they would support the decision by their employer to mandate employees "work from home indefinitely".

But are employers equally enthusiastic about the trend? A reduction in office costs could be one of the key reasons for businesses to adopt remote working more widely, said Angela Ashenden, principal analyst at CCS Insight. For employers, benefits also come in the form of a larger potential labour pool. When an employee pool isn't geographically restricted, the likelihood of finding the right employee rises. Out of area employees can also be cheaper, saving employees money.

There's also evidence that remote workers are more productive. According to a recent Global Workplace Analytics survey, a full 53 per cent of remote workers reported they were likely to work whenever required. That's compared to 28 per cent of in-office workers.

Mastering remote work is all about finding the apt tools to stay productive and connected. But more than that it is having the right foundation for a strong team culture in place. If your organisation is tapping in the right resources, then you are most likely where you should be. 

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