The remote work revolution

During the pandemic, the remote work trend is on its unstoppable path.

We believe that the remote work trend will continue even after the pandemic and that many companies can no longer do without remote work in order to increase their competitiveness in the future.

This article dives deep into why remote work is a must, the changes it will bring, and how employees and organizations can leverage remote work to achieve their goals.

First of all, a brief explanation of what Remote Work is not

• Working at home like in the office on site (= home office)
• lock themselves at home and socially isolate
• Zoom calls all day long

In a world of information overload, rapid changes caused by technology and the efficiency-driven economy, productivity and maximum focus are a must.

Productivity today is no longer a result of presence, but is the result of the combination of focus and flexibility. And this is where remote work comes into play.

Remote work not only requires new ways of working, but also new ways of thinking.

For companies that support their employees with remote work, this means that they no longer have any influence on the employees' environment.

The changes that come with remote work are reflected in the following points:

• work ethic
• Communication
• social bond
• equipment and digital tools
  
  

The company's role as a provider of a local working environment is changing into a role as an enabler of free time management and task-oriented work.

Companies are responsible for providing their employees with the necessary equipment and the right tools for remote work.

For employees, remote work offers a high degree of flexibility in planning their everyday life, which increases satisfaction.

There is more freedom for remote workers. Without commuting, they gain more valuable time and can devote themselves to the things that are close to their hearts. Stress is reduced and the remote worker has more freedom to pursue their own happiness.

More freedom goes hand in hand with more responsibility.

This is an important point that companies should consider. Increasing the competitiveness of your own company requires employees who are able to work independently and, above all, on their own responsibility: You need the ability to efficiently manage time and focus more than ever.

With their support of remote workers, companies not only create trust, but also a more self-determined corporate culture. 

Remote work is changing the way employee retention is built.

Employee retention is no longer built on social events, but is more focused on mutual trust, personal accountability and effective communication. 

Remote work does not allow micromanagement. Instead, leaders are being challenged to now rely on their effective communication skills and ability to give their people the freedom they need to excel.

dr Michael J. Breus identifies several chronotypes, all of which are represented in society. Each chronotype relates to a specific diurnal cycle. Each type has different times when they are most productive, most creative, and most active. With remote work, the classic era of the nine-to-five, in which everyone follows a specific nine-to-five cycle, comes to an end.

In comparison, remote work accepts the fact that everyone has their own daily cycle and takes it a step further: 

With remote work, companies can use this knowledge to help their employees succeed, whether they are at their best at night or early in the morning.

Remote work is a game changer when it comes to recruiting.

Aspiring young professionals, also known as Generation Y and millennials, want to work more independently. No wonder: this generation has created new jobs such as influencers, social media managers and content creators in the online world. These jobs can be performed from anywhere and do not require a permanent workspace.

Remote work leads to cost savings — for companies and employees.

Costs for work and parking spaces are eliminated. company like Officery rely on 100% remote work, so that expensive office rents can be saved. 
People who live far away from the company location do not have to commute and can save months of their precious lifetime. This also has a good side effect for the environment.

Remote work expands the existing possibilities for creative work.

But what about collaborative work? Creative work only takes place when everyone meets and discusses in the same place.

This question cannot be solved by being dependent on a certain place or space that everyone has to go to. This mindset needs to change.

The solution-oriented approach consists of adapting the current possibilities and always looking for new ways to promote creative work.
Creative work occurs when everyone can contribute their ideas and more importantly: can visualize the idea directly, so that the competition for the best ideas can begin.

Nowadays tools like monday and I look Various templates for collaborative work, so everyone can visualize their ideas and see each other's ideas in real time. Some video conferencing software also offer the option of collaborating on a document or presentation in real time.

Remote work means quick adaptation to change, which increases competitiveness.

Looking to the future, only those companies that are flexible enough and can adapt quickly to changes will be competitive. With remote work, flexibility begins with the employee and runs like a red thread through the entire company.

Remote work is a matter of mindset.

Remote work is a mindset that combines flexibility in thinking and the ability to adapt with a focus on effective communication so that both parties — company and employee — can achieve great goals.