The State of Remote Work in 2020

Send us a message

Give us a call to start making your technology easier and more enjoyable.

0800 160 1111

 

The state of remote work in 2020

A staggering 82% of remote workers have expressed a desire to never return to the office, highlighting the fact that remote working is having a huge impact on the way we work.

It’s not just employees who are embracing remote working though, with more and more businesses looking to actively incorporate products and software that encourages being away from the office. There’s no doubt that being able to switch from desktop to mobile with ease, employing collaborative tools to stay connected and the undeniable advantages of cloud based telephony are not just making remote working a viable option in how we work, it’s becoming the preferred option.

What tangible impact is it having on those who live and breathe remote working? A recent survey by Remote Tools highlighted several fascinating insights into how people will work in 2020 and beyond, with a host of eye-opening results.

 

Remote working is unifying businesses and their employees

Remote working is an approach that is unifying both companies and individuals, with everyone surveyed by Remote Tools willing to recommend remote working to others, with 52% of companies surveyed already using a fully remote workforce.

However, those surveyed did express that it would depend on who they were recommending it to, with 35% suggesting that their recommendation would be based on who they were talking to. These series of statistics highlight that while remote working is a viable option for many businesses, it will sometimes depend on the individuals in question.

While there are certainly challenges associated with remote working (and we’ll come onto those later) it’s the benefits of remote working that really back-up the desire to not return to the office. In years gone by, remote working may have created a disconnect between the office and those who worked externally but the seamless transition between desktop, remote and mobile working has eliminated many of these. Calls can now be picked up on a multitude of devices, documents easily shared and always-available video conferencing features are making the necessity of travel a thing of the past.

 

Now that the right mix of technologies are available in a cost-effective manner, businesses and their remote workers are enjoying the added advantages that working away from the office brings. Added flexibility for starting and finishing work (39%), the ability to avoid long commutes (25%) and the opportunity to spend more time with loved ones (21%) all play a vital factor in employees not just being comfortable with working this way but enjoying it.

 

What does their workspace look like though? Well, even though co-working spaces are rapidly growing, only 8% currently utilise these environments, with 84% still choosing to work from home. Out of those surveyed, 63% explained that they work within a dedicated office at home, while 21% worked anywhere at home. Interestingly, despite free WiFi and a steady supply of caffeine, just 3% said that working from a coffee shop was their go-to place when it came to remote working.

 

The challenges of remote working

While there are substantial benefits to working remotely, it’s also good to be realistic and open to some of the challenges it can present. While there is a stigma attached to remote workers about not working as hard as those in the office, the truth may be the opposite.

 

A staggering 44% of respondents to the survey claimed that they work over 40 hours a week with 41% working between 30 to 40 hours. This indicates that remote workers often find themselves working longer than they would during normal office hours, creating a dilemma for them when it comes to getting the balance right between work and home. It’s a point that was backed up when 27% of respondents highlighted the work/life balance as a difficulty of working remotely, with a separate 27% indicating that loneliness was another issue they were concerned about.

Despite being worried about isolation, 34% did express that intuitive instant messaging software did allow them to still stay connected to the office and take part in informal exchanges – helping them to integrate and be part of the conversation without being physically in the office.

 

Should we embrace remote working?

As the results of this survey have shown, remote working can make a positive impact both on a company and the individuals within. Stigmas and negative connotations once associated with working remotely are now being disproven time and time again with its value increasing considerably.

Remote working is an opportunity that will help your business but you’ll need to have the technology to support it. Being able to answer calls on the go from any device through cloud-based services such as VoIP, using instant messaging to keep the connection between the office and remote worker in-sync and taking advantage of online conferencing options in order to hold meetings between people that aren’t in the same location can help you to overcome some of your current business challenges. In particular, remote working can have a substantial impact when it comes to customer response time, reducing cost and implementing work processes that make an employee’s location irrelevant. All you need is the technology and the experts to make it possible.

If your travel expenses are high, if your employees have lengthy commutes or if you’d like total freedom in how you work, remote working is the right move for you.

Want to discover how remote working will positively impact your business? Why not talk to us and enjoy a way of working that equips you with the tech you need to achieve your goals. Fill in the form below or call us on 0800 160 1111.