During 2020 we experienced a never seen before exponential rise in remote working opportunities. As we have all become accustomed to the ‘New Norm’, the question we now get asked more than anything is what does the future look like in terms of remote working opportunities?

As lockdown measures begin to be eased, we explore this important subject.

Where are we today?

Within the Tech Sector, we strongly believe the opportunities and technical capability for remote working and collaboration were probably accelerated by at least 5 years as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold. This was due to a mixture of necessity and also some amazing work by the tech industry as a whole to produce the advanced tools and apps to be able to deliver these changes in such a short space of time.

Outlook for 2021 and Beyond

The percentage of workers permanently working from home is expected to double in 2021, this is as remote working necessitated during lockdown measures becomes the ‘new norm’.

Current Industry Surveys suggest that only around 65% to 75% of workers will return to physical offices when restrictions are finally eased and further to this, many of those returning to office-based roles will be offered the opportunity for more flexible working in terms of hours and location.

The Pros and Cons of Remote Working for Employees

When we consider the pros and cons of remote working, whilst obviously a very individual preference, there are some common themes that always shine through in any employment surveys.

On the positive, remote working gives us as individuals the freedom to work from wherever we choose and, in some cases, whenever we want. As well as obvious relationship and family benefits, there are also many other important spin-off benefits such as reduced costs (travel, food, work clothes etc) and more time for exercise.

On the negative, many employees miss the social interaction of the workplace and also find it hard to structure their time effectively meaning that they become stressed and de-energised trying to constantly balance the pressures of their work and personal lives.

What does this mean for Employers?

Big Tech Firms across the world including Facebook, Twitter and Square have all announced recently that many employees will work from home indefinitely.

Employers have quickly adopted remote working practices, initially out of necessity and then subsequently because of the significant cost savings they make in terms of offices and facilities.

The parallel advancement of employee productivity tools and apps such as Time Doctor, Timely and TransparentBusiness has meant that employers can now measure workers on productivity and output rather than just traditional measures such as time spent at work (whether in an office or at home).

The ability to offer full-time or part-time remote working also gives employers a stronger position in the employment market as more and more employees look for more work and life balance.

There are however some challenges for employers to overcome. There are some significant advantages of being able to work as part of a team and employers will need to ensure that these benefits are not lost as a result of reduced face-to-face team meetings. Employers will also be required to focus more heavily on employee engagement and well being using tools such as virtual events and online recognition programmes to ensure employees remain engaged and productive.

New Entrants to the Tech Sector

For those looking to enter the Tech Sector, in terms of opportunities for both employment overall and remote working, there has never been a better time to get involved. With all businesses now requiring a stronger online presence, remote working capabilities and the cloud and security infrastructure that goes with these enhancements, whether you are looking to work in Cyber Security, Web Development, Software Development or Network Engineering, the opportunities have never been greater.

Conclusion

Remote working will, for many workers and businesses now become the ‘New Norm’.

However, the way in which remote working is enabled and managed will vary greatly based on the sector, the technical capability of the business and, perhaps most importantly, the strength and willingness of individual leadership teams to adopt the ‘New Norm’ in a positive and constructive manner that benefits employees and employers alike.

The Nuyew Tech Academy can help you launch a new and exciting career in IT and Technology through our Fully Accredited Training and Career Support Packages.