Why remote working (work from home) is going to be the revolution of the decade.

Being handcuffed in an office, living in a city with such high pollution levels (low-quality life), soaring expenses that just do not subside and blossoming chaotic urban life. Will you ever wish for all of this?

Definitely no, right? But hey! If you are working in a corporate with a 9-5 work culture you are already subjected to all of the above and more... But as we are gliding our way to the future, things look way too different. High quality of life, time for self, choice of environment and a desire to gain a strong work-life balance is the focus of millennials (generation z), they are the ones at the forefront of a strong revolution of remote working (work from home) that's coming our way. Remote working is the biggest workplace revolution every company should watch out for!

2020 will definitely see a great start in this realm. Companies like Google, American Express, Cisco, Salesforce, etc are already adapting to this change and thereby, its no surprise that they have managed to achieve the highest employee satisfaction. 

But why is remote working something you need to vouch for? Why should companies adapt to this? Will employees actually be able to work in a collaborative manner after implementing this? I know these questions are hovering above you but believe me, this article will sort them all for you. We will discuss both the pros and cons of remote working and also deep dive into business benefits and risks associated with it. 

Table of Contents:

1. Why is remote working trending? (How are employees benefited)
2. What are the challenges a company faces after adopting remote working
3. Ultimately will remote working be successful in the long run? (or maybe not, let's figure out)

Why is remote working trending? (How are employees benefited)

Stats show that American Express employees who work from home are 43 percent more productive. Just to state some facts, a stack overflow survey on working form home stated that

When respondents were asked what they valued most when considering a new job, 53.3% said remote options were a top priority. A majority of developers, 63.9%, reported working remotely at least one day a month, and 11.1% say they’re full-time remote or almost all the time.

According to FlexJobs’ sixth annual survey of more than 5,500 respondents, 66% of professionals think they would be more productive working remotely than in a traditional office.

Let's take a classic example form the Artificial Intelligence field. The company called H2O.ai. encourages remote working and has the best folks (kaggle grandmasters) in the field of AI and ML under their umbrella - Like Sudalai Rajkumar a.k.a SRK, Pavel Pleskov, Rohan Rao, etc.

Its working wonders form them as it benefits both the brand and its employees. H2O AI can benefit from the work done by best brains in the world and these experts can benefit from the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world, thereby giving them time to explore plenty of opportunities to build their personal brand. 

Overall, if I can condense this information then these are the ways in which employees are benefited:

1. Great work-life balance - Remote working beats the typical Monday blues and gives employees the opportunity to work in the comfort of their homes. 
2. Pursuing hobbies and passion - no fixed work timings can help an individual pursue a hobby and learn something new. Very essential part of personal growth, isn't it?
3. Diversity and Inclusivity - Working in sync with some people in some corners of the world shapes inclusive behavior with people across the globe. Thereby employees can inculcate high tolerance and acceptance towards different cultural differences.
4. More Retreats - Isn't this what most of us wish for? Working form Bali in winters to working form Austria in summers, all dreams to tour the world will come true!! - Well, this directly impacts the productivity of employees.
5. Quality family time - Wow! This would bring about so much work-life balance and a rise in the emotional quotient of employees.

What are the worries/challenges companies face in adopting remote working

To get straight to the point - the biggest worry of companies is - Employees might not work as much as they do in office. This is subject to all sorts of distractions at home. But this is clearly a myth as the study suggests - 77% Report Greater Productivity and 52% are Less Likely to Take Time Off.

Other studies reported in a U.S. News & World Report confirm what the Connect Solutions study found, including the detail that remote workers tend to put in 6-7 more hours per week than on-site employees.

So now that this myth is busted, another worry for companies is a social collaboration of employees that vanishes when employees work in isolation and this results in them falling into the loneliness trap. This is mostly true as 21% of people confessed falling into this trap. But there are ways to revive them and ensure that they are well connected with their other remote workers. 

Companies can ensure they send their employees to networking meets, conferences, seminars to expand their professional connects and help them grow via mutual learning. Human touch is absolutely important for us, isn’t it?

Ultimately will remote working be successful in the long run? (or maybe not, let's figure out)

I would always love to work in the comfort of my pajamas. :) But in the long run, how will things look like for the employee and business if they adopt to work this transformed ecosystem. Let’s see:

1. Remote working will definitely reduce a lot of infrastructure costs sometimes running into millions! Now that's some crazy saving!!
2. Work from home makes employees more productive and keeps them happy as they work the best when they are in their comfort zone.
3. Flexible Working hours will enable employees to work at the time they are at their productive best state-of-mind. 
4. Who wants to get stuck in traffic every single day, remote working adds so much to conserving the environment (in a way).
5. Quality output and clearly defined goals for employees to work on. Which is a terrific deal!

But here's the flip side to it:

1. Out of sight, out of mind - that's human nature, we recall and remember things and people we see every day and develop a connection with them. Remote working will hamper this if there are no proper methods in place.
2. Loneliness - I always love spending those “boss-gossiping” moments with my colleagues. It refreshes me and puts me back on track and I can easily reach out to help and support when I need to. Remote working will hamper all of that and more!

End Notes

I believe a rich balance of traditional working and remote working can be adopted and gradually companies can choose a way that's best for them. Not everyone prefers remote working, nor does the majority prefer traditional methods. So there needs to be a balance achieved between the two. 

Even if companies adapt to remote working there should be enough “human-moments” for employees to rejuvenate and not sink into the ocean of loneliness.

What are your thoughts on this? Let me know in the comments section below.