What Does The Future Of Remote Work Look Like?

Remote work, teleworking, teleworking or home office - working outside the office has many names. During the exceptional situation of the last few months, the necessity of this option has come to the fore. This development has quickly accelerated digitization in this country and the prerequisites for working outside the company premises are usually only a good internet connection and a suitable device such as laptop, smartphone or tablet. The work is not the only aspect that is increasingly shifting into the digital world.

Many activities that could previously only be carried out on site have migrated to the network. Sports courses were sometimes streamed to participate in video calls, and museum visits could take place within one's own four walls with the help of the technology. Some companies are already very active in teleworking because local business premises are simply not needed. The globally active company Automattic, which is known for software such as WordPress, is one of these employers. The employees here work together almost exclusively online in over 75 countries. In the field of online casinos, too, there is no need for local employees and their jobs are mainly carried out as remote work. Another example is the GitHub software development platform, on which over 36 million developers are active, but which is purely network-based. Many companies show that pure teleworking can work quite well.

But teleworking on the job has even more benefits, depending on the method used. There are different approaches to remote work, which are situation and company dependent. Home office generally refers to pure working from home, while other variants provide for a division of office time and home office time. The human aspect is not lost here and some conversations and topics can be better discussed personally. Mobile teleworking refers to doing the job on the go. Whether on the train or on the plane, anyone who travels a lot for their work will already be familiar with this approach. But back to the advantages of the "New World of Work".

Important Advantages For Employers And Employees

Flexibility is an important point, because the location independence allows significantly more agility. A very early or late appointment can thus be kept better without the corresponding additional effort. The way to the office, commuting, should also be mentioned here. This has a significant influence on the well-being of employees and, according to studies, is a crucial point for stress and relationship problems. It is also easy on the nerves if you do not depend on the punctuality of buses or trains and can save yourself the morning traffic jam on the motorway. According to the Federal Statistical Office, 68% of German commuters use the car to get to work, and another 14% use public transport. In addition to people's satisfaction, it is also a real relief for the environment if more people should be able to do without going to the office.

Teleworking has also been shown to be more productive. Fewer interruptions and distractions are the main reasons for this. The actual impact on home office performance naturally varies from person to person, and recent studies also show that home office efficiency is somewhat overestimated. But on average the employees are able to do more, which is also due to the increased well-being. Health, atopic that has become more and more important in the workplace, also benefits from the new situation. Be it sleeping longer, resting during the lunch break or jogging before starting the job, the employees can do more with their time. This has a positive effect on the work-life balance and all parties involved benefit from the increased well-being.

There are also some advantages with regard to the family situation. In this way, more time can be spent with the partner and children and things like bringing the children to kindergarten or school are suddenly easier. The immediate proximity has a great influence on a good mood within family life. Overall, the advantages of remote working ensure a strong increase in satisfaction and, according to surveys, is one of the most attractive benefits for employees. A lot can be drawn from this situation, especially in today's hectic world.

However, increased teleworking is not only valuable for employees. Companies save huge amounts of money by developing. This means that less office space is required, which lowers the rent, and electricity and heating costs also remain low. Fruit and drinks are also no longer needed, or at least less needed, which also results in savings.

What's Next?

But how will this trend continue in the future? It is clear that the special context of the current time has forced employers and employees to act quickly and use new methods. An element that, together with digitization in Germany, ran rather slowly. Experts are certain that the pressure and the need to react accelerated developments in Germany by several years. And the resulting advantages are too strong to be dispensed with in the future. Many large companies have already announced that they will now focus on home offices and the like, and surveys also show that employees are enthusiastic about it. The option of teleworking will play a crucial role in the job search and if you want to stay competitive in the battle for the best talent, this option should be offered.

The most important aspect for the success of remote work is a good infrastructure, which is currently often still in its infancy. This is logical in so far as it had to be adjusted relatively abruptly a year ago. Getting used to communication and corporate culture outside of the company premises and without personal interaction must be learned - on all sides. Accordingly, remote work will continue to be used in the future because the benefits are simply too great. The influence on the corporate structure will become noticeable when many organizations no longer see the new possibilities as a temporary solution, but as a new standard.