Why Remote Work Trends Are on the Rise
Only decades ago, workers had no other choice but to spend the next 40 years of their lives commuting to a workplace to earn a living. Employers who needed to fill a vacancy also had to search for talent locally. But things have changed in recent years, thanks to technological advancements.
Remote work or telecommuting is on the rise and has become the new norm for businesses around the globe. Between 2005 and 2017, the number of remote workers in America increased by 159%. A recent study reveals that in 2020, remote workers will exceed 105 million. The state of remote work has dramatically improved over the last decades, and we can expect the trend to keep rising for the following reasons.
Technological Advancements
Technology has contributed to the growth of remote work trends and will continue to do so for years to come. Years ago, the only problem remote work posed on employer and employee was a lack of necessary tools to facilitate communication. High-speed internet access didn’t exist, and so allowing remote work was detrimental to an organization.
In 2019, those problems no longer exist, thanks to faster internet connections and recent technological advancements. Maintaining contact with one’s remote team is now made easier. Remote teams now have in their arsenal a good number of reliable tools for file syncing, team chats, sending out instant messages, and making a video conference.
For employers, building and successfully running a firm remotely has become much more feasible. One only needs to have the right collaborative software and project management tools, and everything could go smoothly. Employers no longer need to rent ample office space to contain all their workers; allowing them to work remotely helps firms cut rental costs.
Employees Are Leaving for Remote Work Opportunities
Based on recent statistics, 51% of employees said they wouldn’t return to a traditional job for any amount of money. The same statistics also show that 95% of remote workers would encourage people they know to ditch their regular 9-to-5 office jobs and join the remote workforce.
As the acceptance for remote work grows, lots of employees around the world are beginning to wake up to the benefits of remote jobs. In fact, about one-third (35%) of employees from a traditional work environment have said they would quit their current jobs for a remote work opportunity.
The stress from commuting to work, amongst other things, has caused a good number of employees to quit their jobs. For this reason, most employers have had to implement a remote work policy to retain existing employees.
Remote Work Boosts Productivity
Remote working is often associated with increased productivity among global professionals. In fact, 79% of remote workers have stated that they are more productive when they work from home as they are more focused and less stressed from commuting.
Numerous studies have shown that remote work enables employees to be more productive. They are, after all, free from the usual workplace pressure and distractions.
It was once thought that allowing employees to work from home would kill their productivity, but studies have shown that the opposite is the case. Firms have given remote working a try, and they’ve been super impressed with how productive it makes their employees. This has resulted in most employers implementing remote work policies in their organizations to enjoy the benefits.
Growth of the Freelance and Gig Economy
The rise of freelance platforms like UpWork, Fiverr, Freelancer, and PeoplePerHour has made the process of acquiring remote workers easier. These platforms provide employers with a wealth of top talents to choose from. Some of these talents may have been utterly impossible to find in their locale or via traditional employee models.
Most firms would find hiring a full-time web developer an overkill and would instead choose to hire a freelancer as it is cost-effective. With the growth of the freelance economy, employers can now outsource jobs for a fraction of the cost.
Lots of highly sought-after professionals are choosing to work gigs rather than commit to full-time employment. A firm looking to hire a top talent who prefers working from home would have no choice but to accept her terms. This has made most employers implement a remote work policy.
In years past, employers struggled with allowing employees to work remotely because they couldn’t trust them to work diligently without supervision. But with the growth of the freelance economy, employers around the world are now beginning to realize what one can achieve with an efficient remote workforce.
Today, the number of companies utilizing remote workers has increased by 24%. A good number of projections even state that this number will reach a staggering 168% in a decade from now.
Jobs and Industries Are Changing
Initially, telecommuting couldn’t work in some industries, but technology has changed the narrative. In the last few years, we have witnessed most of these industries come to implement favorable remote work policies.
From 2012 to 2016, remote work trend has seen an 8% growth in industries such as manufacturing, education and training, health, real estate, marketing and sales, virtual administration, travel and hospitality, and finance. More professionals from these fields are taking up remote opportunities.
In the past, remote workers mostly came from the computer and the IT industry, but that has changed. Tools and technology to facilitate remote working are now available for every sector that wishes to evolve.
Assembly lines in previous years required employees to avail themselves to complete tasks. Today, robots and AI can now accomplish most of those roles, allowing employees to take up only managerial positions – a position they could perform remotely in some cases.
Conclusion
Remote work puts employers at an advantage and offers employees loads of benefits. Remote work trends are on the rise, and may eventually lead to the collapse of a traditional office model in decades to come.
