The pandemic isn’t over yet, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
With more and more people getting vaccinated, offices are starting to reopen. But will things really go back to the way they were?
Short answer: no.
With the rise of hybrid work models as well as distributed teams, remote work (as well as different versions of it) is here to stay. And why not? It provides both flexibility and increased productivity, making it a win-win for all parties involves.
But where does that leave the workplace as we know it? What would it look like in a post-COVID world?
Let’s take a look.
Remote Work As The Norm
Many businesses and organisations used to scoff at a WFH set-up. Many preferred to hire employees who could work onsite everyday. But that was before the pandemic. Now, even conglomerates are forced to reconsider the traditional work set-up.
According to research, the total number of remote job postings has increased dramatically since the beginning of 2021. From January to May alone, the total number of remote job openings reached a whooping 1.2 million.
This just means that companies around the world are becoming increasingly open to a partial or wholly remote work set-up. It’s also an indicator that talent and skill will now have precedence over location.
This especially true for businesses that were able to successfully make the digital transition during the pandemic and thus have the infrastructure to support WFH arrangements.
Changing Work Demands
One of the reasons why remote work opportunities are steadily increasing is the sheer demand for them. While remote work advocates have long claimed that most jobs can be done remotely, the pandemic provided actual proof of such.
For example, marketing and project management teams continue to develop brilliant campaigns and advertisements, even without in-person collaboration. The banking and finance industry actually thrived amidst the global lockdowns, all thanks to innovative digital banking platforms and apps.
Heck, even medical consultations are now done online.
Thus, it will be harder for companies to deny workers the ability to work remotely moving forward. And if they continue to do so, workers will just bring their talents elsewhere.
Growing Importance of Soft Skills
For the longest time, hard skills took precedence over soft skills. Now, however, employers are also looking into a candidate’s organisational and interpersonal skills as well as their technical qualifications.
Why? Because the rise of remote work made it necessary. You don’t want to hire just for skill. No, you also want someone with the discipline to work on their tasks, even with little to no supervision. And because effective communication is the backbone of remote work, people who can communicate clearly and effectively are key.
Lastly, in the absence of face-to-face interactions and water-cooler chats, you need people who can still build camaraderie with their colleagues – even from across oceans.
The Impact on Migration
Loads of people lost their lives and jobs during this pandemic. Since countless establishments closed shop, they had to let go of millions of employees. As a result, many employees relocated away from urban centers when it became too expensive to live there, thus diminishing the population therein.
While the economy is slowly reopening, many of your employees still might not return to the city. This where a distributed work model comes in handy. Carried out well, it can help you retain key talent no matter where they live.
The future is digital. This means that business operations will rely heavily on technology and on skilled remote workers. Hence, it pays to prepare your company for the inevitable as early as now. COVID-19 may soon be a thing in the past, but remote work is the future.
Remote Staff has been providing Australian SMEs and entrepreneurs like you with skilled remote workers from the Philippines for more than a decade already. So whether you’re planning to hire your first-ever remote worker or are growing an existing distributed team, we got you covered.
Call us today or schedule a call back and let’s get started.
Serena has been working remotely and writing content for the better part of the last decade. To date, she's written for Pepper.ph and Mabuhay Magazine, among others, and has churned out more than a thousand articles on everything from The Basics of Stock Market Investing to How to Make Milk Tea-Flavored Taho at home. Hermits, aspiring hermits, and non-hermits with interesting project propositions may email her at serena.estrella10@gmail.com.
