Business owners everywhere have been inundated with claims that remote working arrangements are heralding the so-called "future of work." Told that their employees of tomorrow will largely be accomplishing their duties from the comforts of home, these business owners are told to invest in newfangled technologies which are supposed to expedite that process. The actual future of remote working remains undetermined, however, and clever entrepreneurs should realize that there's only so much they can do when it comes to predicting what's going to occur years from now.
What's the future of remote working? Here's how to remain flexible regardless of what changes emerge, and what leading experts have to say about the near-future of remote work arrangements.
The tech will stay - but companies will change
One way to look at the future of remote working is to understand that many technological innovations will remain pivotal to remote work arrangements, but the companies which provide that technology may come and go. The tumultuous nature of the commercial marketplace effectively guarantees that companies are constantly going out of business before being replaced by newer, more efficient competitors. This means that certain technological marvels - such as virtual reality - will still help define the offices of tomorrow, but the companies which current provide those marvels may be replaced by sleeker, more competitive alternatives who arise between now and then.
If you want to work remotely or enable your employees to do so, it's thus important to remember that the technology which is disrupting your industry right now may still be here in five years, but its current provider may not be. Ensuring that you remain flexible when it comes to obtaining those technological innovations your company needs to thrive is going to be of the utmost importance to those businesses of the future that heavily focus on remote work arrangements.
It's also imperative to establish that while remote work is quite cost-effective and productive, it's not necessarily great for the wellbeing of employees. Some workers love that they can go about their duties from the comforts of the couch, but others need social interaction and could be particularly vulnerable to burnout if they're forced into remote arrangements they're ill-prepared for. Business owners of the future will thus need to come to terms with the fact that helping remote workers cope with burnout will be a major part of their job going forward.
Those aren't the only things to keep in mind when you assess the future of remote work, either.
Educated self-starters will be needed
If there's one class of professionals helping to ensure that the future of work is remote, it's those educated self-starters who don't need a manager breathing over their neck every five seconds. These are the workers who have proven that it's not only possible, but indeed profitable to work from the comforts of home. While business owners of the past were terrified to offer their employees such freedom, entrepreneurs of the future will understand that they can and should do so eagerly, provided they can recruit a stellar team of self-motivated and highly-educated professionals who will thrive in such an arrangement.
An ability to facilitate digital interactions will also be important for obtaining commercial success. Those who grew up surrounded by the internet and digital technology will have an advantage here, but even those workers who weren't exposed to digital technology until the middle of their life can hone their digital communication skills. If you don't focus on building a culture of communication, your company will never be able to tap into the full potential of the remote work revolution which is currently besetting nearly every industry of our economy.
The future of remote work is incredibly difficult to predict because, as everyone knows, new innovations and bright entrepreneurs will constantly surprise us and throw our predictions into disarray. You can nevertheless prepare for the future of remote work by fostering a flexible company hierarchy that focuses on crystal clear communication between employees. Millions of people are already working remotely, and we can expect tens of millions to join them in the forthcoming years. The future is looking remote, and those businesses that act now will be those who can capitalize on this change.
