In August 2020 I started a new job remotely, having interviewed via video calls, and am still yet to meet the majority of the people I have been working with. Almost a year on since the first lockdown this now feels more normal than going into the office every day.
Businesses, like Twitter, have said their employees will be able to work from home ‘forever’, while Google has extended its coronavirus work-from-home order until at least summer 2021.
It’s been predicted that 38% of the population of full-time employees will work remotely in the next decade. Remote working is the future of the workplace.
I have, personally, enjoyed the flexibility that remote working offers, and if there’s anything good to come out of the UK lockdown it’s the new flexibility workplaces are embracing. With the range of technology now available to everyone, remote working is just as practical, if not more so, than office working.
The recent Bright Frog SAP implementation project was conducted completely remotely, including training, cutover and post go–live support with great success. The remote strategies used have been so successful that they are now being considered for long term use.
While it did feel strange at first not meeting colleagues, I have found that everyone makes an effort to be available online via instant messenger such as Skype and schedules regular catch-ups via video call platforms, so that there is no feeling of disengagement. I have found myself to be much more productive when working from home, rather than in a busy office with an abundance of distractions. The time I would have spent on a hellish commute on the tube is now used to exercise and play with my dog.
The reported benefits of remote working are aplenty: lower stress levels, increased productivity, higher morale and improvements for the environment by reducing traffic and decreasing conservation of office space.
With all the helpful advice now available on how to work from home effectively, such as creating a comfortable work area and following a structured day with breaks, it is easier than ever to work remotely.
And while everyone is fed up of the usual technical issues: “you’re on mute!” there are a lot of great benefits to embrace with remote working.
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