How Remote Culture Has Changed the Way We Work

The office cubicle is no longer functional. That's it; we've said it.  

Sitting in a four-walled cubicle, looking at a computer and hearing nothing except the clanking of keyboards nearby, a phone ringing in the distance, and extended periods of awkward stillness may soon be a thing of the past. I write this, miles away from my colleagues, sitting in my room, looking at the stars. Welcome to the world of working from home.   

But is remote culture beneficial? This is still the major debate among managers as they hesitate to provide flexibility and are more obsessed with those traditional policies of coming to the office and doing work. This leaves the business leaders and economists to think about forming the final decision; whether remote opportunities are beneficial or not? In this article, we are going to drive your attention toward how remote culture has changed the way we work? 

 The pandemic has altered our view of our workplace and the concept of working from a fixed location every day. Companies are now putting a lot of money on remote work. The statistics of employees worldwide have taken a massive turn with the introduction of the ‘work from home’ norm. According to studies, approximately half of the pre-COVID-19 employees now work from home. 

As Covid-19 takes over the world, corporations like Facebook and Twitter announced that a majority of their staff will be working remotely in the next five to ten years. We now know that remote working is not a transitory fad, but rather a long-term trend. But how has it affected employees?  

How Remote Work Affects Employee Interaction

There has been a significant change in the distribution of work globally. We have seen a major change from working in an office to working from home. According to a poll conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 37 percent of employees will be able to telework.   

GitHub has always been a dispersed organization, with individuals working from all around the world, which can be taken as the perfect example of remote culture. With employees from all parts of the world working together, they have created a culture that boosts employee creativity by using virtual interaction methods to keep employees engaged. With the use of video communication, healthcare, education, finance, and small and large organizations are all developing and improving.  

 Hundreds of thousands of small business owners — yoga and piano instructors, therapists, accountants, and others – used videos to engage with clients in the past two years, to keep and even grow their enterprises. This model will play an important role in our future, and in that instance, companies adopted technologies like Zoom, Butter, and Google Meet to serve the purpose.  

 Some businesses are embracing a hybrid-work model, with some employees working in the office and others working remotely, while a few also combine both to achieve the right balance. Other businesses will continue to use video communications to operate completely from afar. Both models will enjoy greater productivity and cooperation, as well as the chance to hire a more diverse staff.  

How Remote Work Changed our Workspace and Performance

Due to Covid-19, our homes became our new workspaces and we were bound to sit in a room for the entire day without our colleagues. But how has a change in workspace impacted our productivity?  

It is very evident that the environment you work in impacts your productivity. Your brain works ten times faster when its demands are fulfilled, whether by physical comfort, food, music, or a cozy environment. But one thing to remember is that every individual has a different ideal condition for productivity.  

According to a survey, 94% of surveyed employers  have reported that productivity of their employees have remained the same or increased since the pandemic. Interestingly, a majority of employees are willing to work from home even if the pandemic ends completely.  

Many organizations from small businesses to giant corporates have adopted flexible workspace as it gives them the freedom to shrink and grow their office space as per the requirement. 31% of survey respondents as a catalyst for their company's decision to enable remote work.  

Seeing employees productive and a well-managed remote team, employers are willing to extend remote opportunities for the coming future.  

The Competitive Advantage for Companies that Embrace Remote Work

Remote enables a more diverse and inclusive workforce, greater efficiency in workflows, and broader global coverage in servicing clients. It significantly de-risks a business, making it more resilient in the face of crises and able to maintain continuity regardless of whether an office is open or closed.

Companies may need to create a remote leadership team and invest in manager training. However, there is little debate on whether this is an option. Remote work will soon simply be "work," with global flexibility and expectation. Companies operating globally already have teams that are remote to one another, and thus need a solid baseline of remote fluency to operate optimally.

1. Lowered Business Expenses

Remote-enabled companies can save money on some of the costs associated with onsite business operations, including office space, equipment, and travel reimbursement. Based on estimates from the Global Workplace Analytics Telework Savings Calculator, a single company can annually save $11,000 per remote worker who telecommutes 50% of the time. Depending on the size of your business, this could equal significant savings without radically changing your company structure or completely forgoing brick-and-mortar business activities.

2. Greater Access to Applicants

Removing geographic obstacles separating employers from the best applicants for their vacancies, telework eliminates hiring borders and leads to more diverse workplaces. From posting job openings to receiving job applications and conducting interviews, hiring managers can select, screen, and evaluate candidates in an entirely virtual environment. This recruiting approach prioritizes aptitude, widens the hiring net, and allows employers to mitigate skills gaps, like multi-language fluency, that may be present in their immediate area. 

3. Increased Productivity

The myth of remote workers being lazy pseudo-professionals without real jobs is just that: a myth. Telecommuters are more productive than employees who work from a physical office. Increased efficiency among remote workers is linked to the autonomy telecommuters enjoy, leading to reduced workplace distractions and more freedom to work during hours they find most productive. 

Evidence of the remote work productivity boost is documented in a 2020 Airtasker survey report of 1,004 workers’ daily habits. The survey showed that while remote employees spent more time taking breaks throughout the workday, they also devoted more time to work tasks. Additionally, among employees who had their mouse movement and/or screen time tracked by their employers, only 39% of remote workers sought out work distractions, compared to 56% of in-office workers.

4. Better Disaster Preparedness

If a permanent telecommuting arrangement is not on your radar, formulating a remote work contingency plan in the event of a natural disaster, local or national emergency, or an outbreak of a community-spread illness is a wise choice. During a crisis, staff non-essential to onsite operations could work from home, or another flexible worksite, while utilizing collaborative applications like online meeting software and instant messaging. A telework action plan will help ensure your workers are protected and that your business operations remain stable.

5. Improved Employee Satisfaction and Retention

Remote work is one of the most desired offerings employers can extend to job seekers, so much so that a Mom Corps online survey found that 42% of employees would take a salary cut to have more flexible work options from their employers. Surprisingly, working adults aged 18 to 34 — despite the high unemployment rate among adults in this age demographic — would be willing to sacrifice more than 10% of their salaries to achieve the professional flexibility telecommuting provides.

Why is Remote Culture being loved?

Remote working has evolved and transformed our daily lives. According to global surveys, 65% of employees want full-time remote work in the future. Remote culture is being appreciated by most of the masses globally. Here's why remote culture has been loved and appreciated across the world:  

 A lot of employees prefer to work from home as they can plan their day more efficiently by setting aside specific hours for personal and professional work. Creativity comes along with satisfaction. A boost to work-life -balance indeed!  

 When it comes to going to a physical office, a lot of expenses come into play, such as travel costs, parking, lunch, gifts, and clothes. Remote working lets you save all these expenses, thus resulting in substantial savings.  

 In a remote work survey, it was found that organizations that offer remote work see 25% less employee turnover. Although it can take 6-9 months to hire and onboard a new employee, now businesses are doing everything to keep their best employees. Remote work is also helping businesses rethink growth, sustainability, and freedom for employees.  

Remote work offers endless opportunities all over the world. Employers are now no longer restricted to a particular region. They can connect with talents across the globe with flexible working hours. People now have the flexibility to apply to any job that catches their eye, no matter where the company is located.  

 With no commute, no lunch rush, and no long hours in the office away from family or friends, working remotely can improve the health and wellness of employees by reducing stress, while also limiting exposure to potentially sick coworkers. But employers shouldn’t skip a wellness plan in the remote workplace. Setting up company wellness programs, such as access to local gyms, is just as important for those with a flexible work schedule.  

 Creating a cozy environment for your work is another excellent benefit of remote work. Whether you want a unique desk, a special chair, or cozy décor, it’s all up to you! According to Gartner, 74% of organizations want to migrate to permanent remote employment.  

Remote Culture– For the Working Women

 According to Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, with many workplaces now forced to operate remotely, long-term flexibility may be here to stay, allowing more women while be in the workforce and balance home and work together.  

 Women are more likely than men to adjust their careers for family reasons, so this shift in workplace structure could have a significant impact on them. According to a 2019 Flex Jobs study of more than 2,000 women with children under the age of 18, around 31% of women who took a career sabbatical after having children stated they had a lack of job flexibility.  

 When missed pay, future salary growth, and lost retirement and Social Security contributions are factored together, this break, according to PayScale, may easily cost women tens of thousands of dollars.  

More equality at home might result from a more flexible work culture, as both men and women can spend meaningful time with their families. Even men are preferring remote work as they can spend time at home with their loved ones. While a larger range of job opportunities won't fix all of our equality concerns, other countries have demonstrated that a more gender-balanced culture is feasible.  

The Future is Hybrid

Even though a lot of companies are willing to go fully remote, the traditional in-office work model will continue to play a major role. A complete shift to virtual work is on the horizon, but not every company is ready for this, at least for the next couple of years. According to a Gartner report, 75 percent of employees will demand a 35 percent increase in their remote hours.  

 Remote work is increasingly becoming popular, and major companies have already shifted a significant part of their operations to remote. Companies like Apple, Microsoft, Shopify, Slack, Spotify, and Twitter have adopted the hybrid remote-first culture. A 2020 Gartner survey shows that 82% (4 in every 5) of company leaders plan to allow their employees to work remotely.   

However, the hybrid model requires a well-thought-out process that ensures remote employees are engaged and connected to their in-office counterparts.    

To Sum Up

 Remote work culture has completely changed the corporate world. It comes with many benefits and makes employees more productive, thus contributing to their individual growth. With such unpredictable times, we are already aware that the future is remote, and sooner or later we are going to be fully digital. So why not adapt it sooner to reap the benefits? At Amplifyre, we work with teammates, partners, and customers from across the globe, with a fully remote team.   

We can help you find a software partner that is best suited to your project needs, from anywhere in the world. Leave your queries in the comments below or book a call today!