The future of remote work is bright. It’s getting easier to work remotely, and it’s becoming more common too.
That’s why we’re seeing new companies emerge that focus on remote work, while older businesses that were once resistant are now embracing it.
We’ve put together a list of 12 trends and predictions for the future of remote work that will help you stay ahead of the curve as an employer or job seeker:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| The future of remote work involves changing trends and new technologies |
| Remote work policies are becoming more socially acceptable |
| Remote work offers employees flexibility, productivity, and work-life balance |
| Remote work introduces new challenges such as managing collaboration and communication |
| Remote work is here to stay, and companies must adapt to remain competitive |
1. The Rise Of Job Sharing
Job sharing is a trend that’s gaining momentum as more companies recognize the benefits of it.
Job sharing is when two people share the same job. This can be a great way for employers to hire more people or reduce their costs if they have one position open and are able to fill it with two employees instead of one.
It can also be a good solution for people who want to work part time, but don’t have enough experience or skills to secure full-time employment—since job sharing allows them to split responsibility for an entire job between themselves, they’ll gain valuable experience while still earning something at all times!
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2. A New Kind Of Workplace
The workplace will be more flexible.
Today’s workforce is increasingly diverse, with many employees bringing different backgrounds and skills to the table. As a result, organizations are looking for ways to provide a more inclusive environment that allows remote workers to thrive.
Remote working which can be done from wherever you want enables companies to hire talent based on their skills and experience rather than where they live or their ability to commute on time each day.
This means it’s easier than ever before for businesses with offices in multiple locations around the world to collaborate effectively across teams and continents, making them more flexible than ever before.
Emerging Trends in Remote Work Spaces
| Trends | Brands |
|---|---|
| Coworking spaces | WeWork, Regus, Spaces, Impact Hub |
| Virtual offices | Alliance Virtual Offices, Intelligent Office, Davinci Virtual |
| Home office equipment and furniture | Herman Miller, Steelcase, Autonomous, UPLIFT Desk |
| Collaboration and productivity apps | Slack, Trello, Asana, Monday.com |
| Augmented and virtual reality technologies | Spatial.io, Engage, VirtualSpeech, MeetinVR |
This table provides examples of brands associated with emerging trends in remote work spaces that can help create a new kind of workplace. It includes coworking spaces, virtual offices, home office equipment and furniture, collaboration and productivity apps, and augmented and virtual reality technologies.
3. Easy To Join In
We’re also seeing a big trend towards making it easier to get started as a remote worker. For example, some companies provide virtual training sessions while others have made it possible to start working from home within days of applying for a job.
These are all ways that companies are trying to make the transition easier for new employees who aren’t used to working remotely.
And in turn, those people will feel more comfortable being productive and staying with their company longer than they might have otherwise stayed if they had been forced into an office environment right away.
Another area where we see lots of growth potential is around making sure everyone has access to support systems like Slack channels or webinars where they can ask questions and get answers even if they aren’t located nearby anyone else who works at the company!
As more and more people work from home, the risk of cyber-attacks also increases. Don’t compromise your data’s safety. Check out our guide on protecting your data during remote work for practical tips on keeping your information secure.
4. Remote Doesn’t Mean Lonely
Like most people, you may have experienced the unpleasant feeling of loneliness. It’s a common problem one that affects about one in every ten people. In fact, a recent survey found that one in four millennials suffer from loneliness on a regular basis.
Loneliness is a natural response to being alone and can be triggered by many factors: physical separation from loved ones, feelings of exclusion or exclusionary environments (e.g., living in an apartment building where nobody knows your name), etc.
But perhaps the most common cause of loneliness is simply being by yourself for too long without social interaction or engagement with others (and these days it doesn’t take long).
The fact is that while many people think they enjoy spending time alone and relish their “me time,” human beings are actually wired for company social connections are fundamental to our well-being as individuals.
Feeling lonely can lead to depression and anxiety; when those feelings become chronic it can affect our ability to perform at work or sleep well at night (which makes us less productive).
Loneliness also has been shown to increase inflammation throughout the body a condition known as systemic inflammation that exacerbates conditions like heart disease and cancer!
For example: A study published last year found that older adults who felt satisfied with life but had low levels of social activity were twice as likely than others to develop dementia later on in life compared with those who reported having high levels of satisfaction but didn’t engage much socially over time.”
Tools and Strategies for Remote Socialization
| Tools/Strategies | Brands |
|---|---|
| Video conferencing and messaging | Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Slack |
| Virtual team building activities | TeamBonding, Virtual Game Show, The Great Guac Off, Jackbox Games |
| Social networking platforms | LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram |
| Coworking spaces and meetups | WeWork, Meetup.com, Deskpass, Croissant |
| Mental health support and wellness programs | Ginger, Lyra Health, Headspace, Calm |
This table offers examples of brands and tools that can help remote workers overcome the challenge of loneliness and foster socialization. It includes video conferencing and messaging tools, virtual team building activities, social networking platforms, coworking spaces and meetups, and mental health support and wellness programs.
5. Easily Doable
Remote work is easy to do. If you’re an employee, it doesn’t take much effort to find a job on the other side of the country or in another country altogether.
If you’re an employer, hiring remote workers is much easier than dealing with office politics and long commutes. There are no messy meetings or complicated processes involved in hiring someone who lives far away from your company headquarters.
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6. Better Hiring Processes
There is a shift happening in the hiring process that will likely affect remote work. The focus is shifting from looking for a perfect candidate with all the skills and experience needed, to finding someone who can learn quickly, be adaptable and has the right attitude.
Some companies are already adopting this new model of hiring. At Zapier, they have built an entire system around this idea.
When you apply for a position at Zapier they do not ask you to list your previous jobs or what you’ve done – instead they focus on your skills and experience as well as your motivation and goals (which usually involve learning new things).
In addition to asking questions about what you want to do within the company, there’s also an entire section dedicated to questions about cultural fit: “How would you describe yourself?”, “What do you consider good customer service?” and “Where do people go when it rains?”.
This new way of looking at hiring has been adopted by some other companies including Buffer who ask applicants how much time they spend online each day and whether or not they’d like more responsibility over time (and where applicable) if their answer is yes!
Top Tools and Platforms for Remote Hiring
| Tools/Platforms | Brands |
|---|---|
| Video interview software | HireVue, Spark Hire, VidCruiter, HarQen |
| Applicant Tracking Software | Workable, Greenhouse, Lever, Jobvite |
| Online skills testing and assessments | HackerRank, TestDome, Codility, OutMatch |
| Professional networking and job portals | LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster, Glassdoor |
| HR Management Software | Zenefits, BambooHR, Gusto, Rippling |
This table provides examples of brands and tools that can help companies improve their remote hiring processes. It includes video interview software, applicant tracking software, online skills testing and assessments, professional networking and job portals, and HR management software.
7. Greater Accountability
As a manager, you can have more accountability for your employees. You will be able to see them and the work they are doing. This means that if an employee is not performing or not meeting goals, there will be no excuses because you know where they are and what they’re doing at any given moment of the day.
This increased level of accountability can help with other aspects as well. For example, it’s easier to hold one-on-one meetings when everyone is in the same location–but if you’re working remotely and need to talk with someone face-to-face, you can do so without much difficulty through webcams and video conferencing tools like Skype or Zoom.
A well-organized home office can help you avoid distractions and stay productive. Our guide on organizing your home office shares tips and tricks to create a space that encourages focus and creativity.
8. Your Lifestyle Matters Too
Remote work is a great way to achieve a better work-life balance. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re looking for a flexible job or just want to try something new, it can be an excellent option.
If you have children or other responsibilities that make it difficult for you to commute every day, remote work could give your life back some of the flexibility that commuting takes away.
For example, imagine being able to wake up in time for school drop off on Mondays and Fridays without having to worry about getting stuck in traffic; that’s one less day per week where you’re spending hours sitting in your car waiting for things like road construction or weather delays!
If these types of benefits sound appealing (and they should!), then keep reading: we’ll walk through how companies are currently supporting their employees with remote work opportunities—and what trends might emerge as remote working becomes more popular in the future
9. A New HR Culture
As remote work becomes more common, HR will be called upon to play a larger role in managing the employee experience.
While this can be a challenge for many companies, it’s likely that HR will rise to the occasion and do whatever it takes to ensure that their employees are happy, productive and successful.
Here are some things we expect from all HR departments by 2023 on ward:
They will hire for a more diverse workforce – Diverse teams have been shown to be more innovative and productive than homogenous groups.
To ensure diversity within your company culture, you should have a robust recruitment process that includes an interview with not only your potential employee but also other people from within your organization who will interact with them frequently (for example: co-workers or managers).
Staying focused and motivated while working from home can be challenging, but it’s crucial for success. Our guide on staying focused while working from home provides practical techniques and strategies to help you maintain your concentration and motivation throughout the day.
10. Higher Quality And Productivity At Work
Remote work is great for productivity. You don’t have to waste time on commuting, distractions, and other non-work related tasks that take away from your productivity.
You are more productive because when you are working remotely, you are more focused on what you are doing.
There is no one around to distract you or come over to talk with you about something else going on in their lives or your company’s culture (assuming the company has one).
11. New Challenges, But Also New Opportunities For Managers
While the ability to manage remote workers is not new, the challenge has been gaining traction in the last few years.
As more companies begin to embrace remote work and as more employees choose this type of working, managers have to learn new skills and be more flexible.
Some of these skills include being accountable for results by using data analytics, creating transparent communication channels between teams, being collaborative with your peers (especially when you’re on-site), and having frequent check-ins with your direct reports.
12. Job Seeking Will Be More Streamlined
With all of the time saved from working remotely, job seekers will have more time to work on their skills and get better at what they do.
This means that when you’re ready for a new job, there will be less competition for your resume and fewer people vying for an opportunity. In turn, this will give employers more flexibility in who they hire and make it easier for them to find the right candidates quickly.
Conclusion
As you can see, trends in remote work are moving in a very exciting direction. There are so many opportunities to improve quality of life and productivity in the workplace, and the future looks bright.
The good news is that you don’t have to wait until these changes happen—you can start making them right now! If you’re interested in learning more about how we do this at Buffer (and why), check out our blog post on managing remote teams.
Further Reading
If you’re interested in learning more about the future of remote work, check out these articles:
The Future of Remote Work: Five Experts Share Their Predictions: This article showcases insights from five experts in the field of remote work and their predictions for the future of remote work.
The Future of Remote Working: Predictions and Trends: This piece explores the current remote work landscape, predictions of future trends, and what it means for workers and companies.
The Future of Remote Work: Trends and Predictions: This guide provides an overview of the current state of remote work, technologies that will shape the future of remote work, and how companies can utilize remote work as a way to stay competitive.
FAQs
What is remote work?
Remote work is a work arrangement where employees don’t have to be physically present in the office but can work from anywhere with a reliable internet connection.
What are the benefits of remote work?
Remote work offers employees flexibility and freedom to work from their preferred location, saves time and expenses from commuting, increases productivity and work-life balance, and allows work with a diverse talent pool.
What are the challenges of remote work?
Some of the challenges of remote work include the lack of collaboration and communication, feeling disconnected, managing time and resources, and issues with work-life balance.
How has remote work changed with the pandemic?
The pandemic has significantly increased the number of remote workers, and many companies have adopted remote work policies permanently. Remote work has become more socially acceptable, and people have started to experience its benefits beyond the temporary necessity.
What is the future of remote work?
The future of remote work is going to be more common, with some businesses offering employees fully remote work, while others choose a hybrid work model. Remote work technologies will continue to evolve, making remote work more comfortable and productive.
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