Is Remote/Hybrid Work the New Normal?

December 9, 2022

The 2020 Covid pandemic has created a new normal that defines how businesses thrive and employees work. Forbes noted that remote opportunities went from under 4% of all high-paying jobs before the pandemic to about 9% at the end of 2020 and to more than 15% today. It is still projected to increase in 2023.

We can all agree that the pandemic turned up the heat on remote jobs. We can now all see a rapid change in the work structure and space. It is amazing. 

Remote work has been tweaked to inculcate hybrid work. In hybrid work, you get to be in the office once or twice a week while you work from home the rest of the week. 


Buildd records that 98% enjoy working remotely and would continue to do so in some form! 64% completely enjoy working remotely while some wish to occasionally visit offices (24%). 8% of people indicate that they miss the office environment and would like to only occasionally work remotely.

Buildd

According to the Financial Times, the pandemic/lockdown created a ‘creativity crisis. Who would have thought of the possibility of accomplishing an office task at home without setting foot in the office? Thanks to applications such as Slack, Google Meet, Trello, and many more that brought together employers and employees ensuring that maximum productivity is achieved.

A remote worker (source)

Remote Work is a Permanent Feature

Several testimonies have resulted from remote work both from the sides of employees and employees. 

From Employees View

Benefits of working remotely (source)
  • Encourages better work-life balance

Most remote jobs offer employees the ability to start and conclude tasks on their free will. The general idea is to get work done. 

Some people work best at night, while others work best in the morning. The truth is whether you’re an early riser or a night owl, you get to attend to work with a flexible schedule promoting productivity.

You have control over your schedule especially when unavoidable activities come up. Whether that’s dropping kids off at school, doing the laundry, hitting the gym, or simply taking a break, your personal life is easier to manage when working from home.

  • Lower cost of living

Working from home reduces the cost of living in terms of transportation especially. You may be spending over N30,000 on transportation to work every month. But, working from home reduces such costs.

Working from home also means you won’t have much need for work wardrobes. Yes, it saves you the stress and need for constant professional attire. 

All these finances can help with your financial independence and retiring early. The finance can be channeled to holidays, paying other bills and investing in yourself.

  • Improved productivity and performance

Most times, you get more done while working remotely. This could be because you have more control over your working space and environment. 

In working remotely, you don’t have to bother about your colleagues asking you for quick questions, and mandatory socializing. You tend to focus on what matters, which is the Job.

  • Access to more opportunity

Onsite workers are bound by geographical location while remote workers have more access to job opportunities. If you love staying in a small town area or enjoy living in the rural areas, you don’t have to move to the city or big towns to enjoy being paid well.

If you possess certain skills some of which we offer in our academy, you no longer have to leave your home to find work. You can live where you want. 

Most times, a remote worker can take up more jobs than an onsite worker resulting in higher income. 

From Employers View

source
  • Increased productivity amongst employees

Most employers always ask the question, “if I can’t see my employees working, are they?”

The answer is yes, working remotely gives employees the space and time to work in their own space. Though, sometimes discipline is needed. 

Airtasker in a study of 1,004 workers showed that remote employees devote more time to work tasks and breaks throughout their workday. 

  • Reduced Cost

Working remotely has reduced costs not just on employees but also employers. Today, most companies have no physical office but they run all meetings and collaboration online. 

Remote working has saved them the cost of renting an office space and purchasing work equipment like air conditioners, fans, chairs, desks, and others. In 2021, Google saved a billion dollars because employees worked from home. 

From the above benefits, it is safe to say that remote work has several impacts. This doesn’t mean that remote work has no downside, there are downsides however, the good sides and benefits overshadow the negative aspects.

The reports from the lockdown till now have shown beyond reason that working remotely is here to stay. It is no secret that workers have become more acclimated to hybrid and remote office environments since the onset of the pandemic, they are experiencing benefits to their physical and mental well-being. 

These indications show that businesses are already on the verge of building workplaces that allow employees to thrive. Remote working accomplishes this perfectly, saving costs. 

The new normal is remote/hybrid working. There’s a chance that by 2023, a greater percentage of the workforce will move to remote working.

Conclusion

Remote and hybrid working has come to stay. However, to enjoy and remain a remote worker, there are certain skills you need to possess (soft skills). Aside from your soft skills, working from home can be a little distracting, which is the reason you must apply discipline and use productivity tools to ensure you are on the right track.

If you would love to work remotely in the tech space but do not possess the necessary skills, there’s no cause for alarm, you can gain skills that can serve you as a digital nomad. The tech industry is filled with remote workers. To be part of them, you can start with any of our courses. 

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