Why Work From Home is the future of the corporate workplace?

If you cast your mind back a year or two, the prevailing image of a "work from home" employee was that of a back-end analyst or a part-time consultant. They were working out of a makeshift home office in support of the general office going population. But as with so many other things, the coronavirus pandemic has drastically altered this perception.

COVID-19 has left businesses and companies around the world facing an unprecedented situation. Given the ease and rapidity with which the disease spreads; with multiple governments implementing nationwide lockdowns; many firms had to implement mandatory remote working policies.

The current global pandemic has also created uncertainties that surround available vaccines. Further, the numbers rising are globally every day. So, we can safely assume that work from home will be the new normal. In less than a year, remote working has gone from a term that managers universally shunned; to an inescapable reality of modern life. One that will continue to be the norm for the foreseeable future.

Add to this mix the advent of new-age technology, increasingly porous borders, and improved global talent, and today’s remote employee has turned into a highly sought after asset that companies use to scale their operations and add specialised skill sets to their repertoire.

To their credit, many companies have been quick to take advantage of this situation. Talent is abundant for different skillsets across industries. Potential resources are widely distributed across the globe. Thus, work from home is the fastest and most cost-effective way to leverage their talents.

This trend will only accelerate in the years to come.

Reports suggest that Gen Z will comprise 36% of the global workforce by 2020. As the first truly digital generation, the ability to work remotely will be especially important to this demographic. Accepting and building upon this reality not only serves to benefit both companies and employees but also magnifies the opportunity for relationship building between companies and their employees. This results in the good health of a company's growth and vastly improved employee satisfaction.

However, it’s understandable for employers to be hesitant at the idea of hiring remote employees. One of the primary reasons many companies resisted implementing work from home before the coronavirus outbreak, was the lack of clarity of guidelines. The absence of face-to-face supervision, and the assumption that employees wouldn’t work as hard or as long without a manager overseeing them, were insurmountable challenges. The implementation of remote work has directly resolved many of these issues. A well-implemented system makes employees more accountable and efficient self-managers. It also empowers businesses to employ a highly skilled workforce from amongst a massive global resource pool.

Employees at every level are now faced with the challenge of going about their daily work routine in an unfamiliar environment – their own homes. In this time of crisis, companies must act swiftly and decisively to ensure that their work continues uninterrupted. The traditional 9 to 5 working day is an increasingly outdated notion, with employees prioritising flexibility, mutual respect, and a work-life balance above all else. In the face of these changes, any business that hopes to recruit the top global talent needs to embrace the opportunities offered by remote working, and gain an unassailable competitive edge.