The future of remote working

As the year starts to draw to an end, it’s likely that most people won’t be too sad to see the back of 2020.

It has been a year of misery, restriction and sacrifice. We’ve had to learn new levels of patience and adaptability whilst clinging onto the hope that the current difficulties are only temporary.

For many technology companies, it has been a year of seismic change not only in terms of the impact on business in general but also serving as a catalyst for discovering new ways of doing things.

That often-heard phrase “the new normal” has firmly established itself in our business lexicon, but what does it actually mean?

Consider that the current pandemic had struck 30 years ago. Contemporary communication tools were nowhere near what we have at our disposal today in 2020. Mobile phones were in their infancy, personal computers sported glowing green screens and appeared capable of little more than basic calculations, whilst the fax machine ruled supreme!

How lucky we are then that at relative inexpense, we can host multi-participant video calls with our friends, family and colleagues all around the world in real time and in outstanding HD quality. We can send instantaneous emails that contain numerous complicated files in attachment in the blink of an eye. None of which was easily possible nor accessible in 1990.

Fast forward 30 years to the modern workforce (particularly those individuals that can work from the comfort of their own home) and observe the new questions which leaders of major tech companies are facing. How long should we allow our employees to work from home? Are we suffering from the lack of physical contact? What’s the best way to ensure we maintain productivity? Do we even need an office anymore?

One solution might be to consider creating a customised homeworking guide. Since everyone is different and has their own tastes and preferences, a one size fits all approach is clearly not the answer here.

Food for thought. Stay safe, folks.