The trend toward remote work has gained great popularity among employers and employees over the past three years. In 2024, the debate regarding remote (or flexible) work will heat up more. There are going to be new opportunities and difficulties, and as they appear, it will be even more crucial for businesses to be clear about where they stand on this issue.
While some businesses have embraced remote work to the fullest, others are still hesitant or even unwilling to accept it as the norm. Employees who work remotely instead of in an office on-site get some advantages, and it also benefits the company. Still, a lot of people are confused about the potential of remote work. To make it clear whether working remotely is a good option or not in 2024, In this article, we will talk about remote work, outline the top advantages, and discuss some common problems with their practical solutions for enhancing the experience.
The Industry Insights on Remote Work
Even before the pandemic struck, there had been an increasing need (or desire) for flexible work schedules for many years. Before the pandemic, studies consistently indicated that employees desired to work from home at least some part of the time.
As per Global Workplace Analytics, “Five percent of American workers (or roughly 56%) have a job that allows for some degree of remote work.”
Thus, 97% of office workers in North America were working from home at least one day a week when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. In the end, the pandemic led to a notable rise in remote work, with 5% of days worked from home in 2019 increasing to 25% in 2023.
A similar thing is visible if we look at the data that is currently available for the UK market.
In 2022, the Office for National Statistics reported that between 25% and 40% of working people reported working from home at some point. This data indicates there is no discernible trend and that remote working has demonstrated resilience in the face of pressures like the removal of restrictions and rising living expenses.
Therefore, it is fair to assume that, because of developments in enabling technologies, the amount of flexible and hybrid work will increase more quickly over the next two, five, or even 10 years than it did in the decades before 2020.
Virtual Teams Remove silos
Teams may have been seated together in the office or on different floors. Perhaps they even had different places of work. After the elimination of physical obstacles, the leadership of the organization should assess how well the current work units are working.
Cross-functional collaboration and swift thinking are necessary for surviving the current financial crisis. Teams react and adjust to new knowledge more slowly when there are information silos. Establishing cross-functional tiger teams with well-defined strategic goals dismantles organizational silos and focuses on crucial corporate goals.
WFH Enable Flexible Schedules
The most obvious benefit of working remotely is getting the freedom to schedule your own routine. With remote working, employees are no longer restricted by the constraints of rush hour traffic and rigid schedules from spending significant working hours traveling. While working remotely, employees can still find time for their families and themselves.
Additionally, as time zones become less important, companies can now access worldwide talent pools. Making the shift to remote work opens up options to grow into new markets by hiring people for customer service and sales in new regions of the world.
They can be released from schedules that interfere with their other roles when they work remotely. Flexible work schedules may help employees who have kids or are late risers be more effective.
Remote Work Encourage Deep Work
Distractions at work have a substantial financial cost. Data says that around $650 billion is lost annually by American firms due to workplace distractions. Physical offices are full of obstacles to calm, concentrated work, whether it is the noise from nearby desks or the hours lost in conference room meetings. Although working remotely can bring with it a new set of distractions, it can also give workers the time and space they need to finish deep-focus tasks.
The secret to creating a deep work habit is to go beyond having great intentions and include routines and rituals into your workday that aim to reduce the amount of your limited willpower required to enter and stay in a continuous state of concentration. Teams working remotely have the option to cut down on unnecessary meetings and save time for important tasks.
Teams in WFH are more Productive
There is a lot of data to support the idea that remote workers are more productive. Research that was published in the Harvard Business Review indicates that remote workers see 4.4% gains in productivity and are, on average, 35–40% more productive than those who work in offices. Additionally, absenteeism is 41% lower for remote workers.
Win-win Situation for Both Employees and Employers
Working remotely clearly saves money. Companies spend thousands on office space maintenance for each employee, with no assurances. Companies report a 21% increase in profitability per person and save an average of $11,000 annually per remote worker. The global economy is still struggling in many areas, so these lower costs are good for the bottom line.
Get Away from Workplace Politics
The performance or experience of an employee in the workplace might be adversely affected by office politics. Mostly, remote workers are not affected by office politics. Since they no longer interact with coworkers during the workday in the office, the remote nature of their job offers them a distinct edge. Alternatively, conversations can take place electronically, which reduces the likelihood of rumors spreading, disputes, and other unfavorable experiences.
While working remotely has many advantages, there are drawbacks as well. You can become ready to work remotely by analyzing possible obstacles and creating a strategy to overcome them.
Major Challenges of Remote Work
The following are some of the obstacles faced by those who work remotely:
- Longer hours: Because their schedules are more flexible, some remote workers unintentionally put in longer hours. By setting a specific time to log off your computer, you can make sure you follow your work hours.
- Increased workload: As a remote worker, you might have more work since your productivity is higher than it is in the office. You can deal with this by discussing your duties and how to reorganize your priorities to keep your workload manageable with your supervisor.
- Insufficient Investment in Employees: Although it could be easy to take advantage of remote work’s cost-saving possibilities when things are hard, investing in employee experience shouldn’t be sacrificed in the process. Despite the flexibility to work remotely, executives still need to invest in the productivity of each person. When working from home, it is beneficial to offer compensation for high-speed internet and a cozy workspace over time.
- Mistakes in communication: Since remote workers interact with colleagues online, miscommunications may happen. If this occurs, think about arranging a meeting so you can address the communication problem with each other directly.
Thus, even though your employer strongly promotes remote work, you must be aware of the drawbacks and understand the importance of finding a healthy balance. A productive home office and well-defined work-life boundaries are essential components of a successful remote work environment.
All things considered, we have a clear idea that the advantages of remote working are mind-blowing, and this trend is going to stay for a long time. Hence, companies should embrace this work setting to save money and get the maximum outcome from the team. That’s it on benefits and drawbacks of remote work.
Happy learning!