Isaac Asimov predicted flying cars in 2020. But in 2020, the spread of the coronavirus on a global scale compelled us to become restricted within our homes.  As the global pandemic raged on, it triggered another global phenomenon – remote work.  

It is estimated that by the time 2025 dawns, 70% of the workforce will be working remotely.

Although the year 2020 is crowned “The Year of Remote Work”, we saw how remote work pervaded widely in 2021; further confirming that this trend is not dying anytime soon. It will continue to evolve, adopt new forms and employ new facilitating tools while encouraging upskilling and reskilling.  

By now, as 2021 draws to a close, you might already be familiar with terms related to remote work – Zoom conferences, virtual lunches, e-meetings, digital nomads, coworking spaces, cabin fever, remote work “nannies”, inter alia. In the not-so-distant future, you will be looking at metaverse, 3D spectacles, Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR), and soon, you will be using them as a part of your remote work and in the remote workplace. 

How can the future of work be defined?  

The future of work is the reimagining of the workplace. The fluidity of the workplace. In a minor way, the workplace has been fluid in the pre-pandemic era. We carry work in our pockets = smartphones. We carry work in our bag = laptop. Beyond 2021, remote work is only going to get more flexible and fluid, with a host of tools facilitating and further enhancing it.  

Work won’t be just a place in the future; it will be a state of mind. 

What is the current popularity of remote work and how will companies support remote work? 

At this point, remote work has become more immersive. And what triggered the immersion is straight out of science fiction – a virus. Before this virus made its deadly presence felt, only 14% of companies across all industries could say that they’d implement remote work. According to a study by Harvard Business Review, this percentage is now 42. 

Genashtim is a company that pioneered remote work 14 years ago. Just like how a pandemic spurred remote work, a need brought about Genashtim’s remote work model – the need was to empower the marginalised via sustainable employment and the subsequent connection to the global economy.  

When Genashtim was first founded in 2008, many were incredulous. “How does not having a physical office keep a company afloat?” But the for-profit social enterprise cruised through the pandemic without a glitch. It is proof that remote work works and is pandemic-proof. You just need to be a visionary, courageous, and open to change.  

Just like the coronavirus, there will be other triggers (like the one that did it for Genashtim) that will elevate the remote work efficiency and accessibility. 

Companies are supporting remote work by providing overhead to their employees – a laptop and headset are the most common ones. In the future, the development of infrastructure to accommodate remote work will emerge. The aim is to not choose between remote work or a physical office. The office would be everywhere. The closest parallel that can be drawn to the omnipresent office is digital nomads. The fact remains though – most companies are still not equipped to fully support remote work. 

What are the challenges to implementing remote work, now that the future of work is expected to go more remote than ever? And what are the solutions? 

The biggest challenge is the work culture transition, from a physical workplace to a virtual one. It will take a lot of unlearning and relearning in terms of how work is done itself. And when something is new, dislikes and doubts prevail. For decades, face-to-face work was the norm – workers have become gravely used to traditional office workflows and processes. To address this need for re-training, companies can offer training for the remote work transition. Genashtim has Virtual Office Training (VOT) to familiarise new employees and those wishing to work remotely with these online office tools and virtual training. 

The remote work infrastructure will be tough to build. We are in the firsts of things. Many of what we do in lieu of remote work are unprecedented. There is neither reference nor guide – we need to create both. For that, inventive and revolutionary minds are in deep need.  

Organisational leadership needs to undergo fundamental adjustments. Rules of the past either need to be scrapped, revised, redefined and re-implemented. Leaders need to be there and be human to support remote employees, and never to leave them out on a limb. A safety net and safe space need to exist so that employees can ease-in into the “comfort zone of remote work,” while being receptive and responsive to incoming upgrades, training, and upskilling within the remote work sphere.  

The future looks promising due to the benefits of the “invisible office” 

As remote work becomes the zeitgeist of the 21st century and beyond, there are many evident benefits for companies and employees. 

For companies:  

Companies will become more agile and have a renewed focus on social impacts, diversity, and inclusion. This will attract the right talent while fostering a comprehensive employee experience. 

For employees:  

Employees need not commute. This isn’t only environmentally impactful, reducing human carbon footprint, it also saves time and energy. Genashtim employs Persons with Disabilities; their biggest relief is the non-necessity of commuting which can be dangerous for them. In addition, work-life balance will be strengthened due to flexible work hours and focus on the work that is getting done rather than presenteeism. 

What are the mindset changes necessary for high-functioning remote work? 

Present employees with options over location of work, work hours, and who to work with. The binary of physical office worker or remote worker needs to be jettisoned. Employees need to be empowered with more autonomy, whereby, they function independently, filling in the gaps wherever and whenever necessary. 

Cultivate self-motivation. You must be able to focus amid distractions or too much comfort. Push yourself to meet deadlines and ignite the fire in your belly to perform. 

Indulge in over communication. Remote work is isolation from your coworkers, thus, you must exert effort to communicate and use a range of communication tools – emails aren’t enough. You may even need to share your personal contact number to ensure that your remote colleagues always have a way to contact you. It’s okay to feel like it’s such a bother but what’s important is that you do not miss out on anything and cause disruptions.  

Accept the fact that remote workspaces evolve, and no two companies are the same. Frontline workers, healthcare providers, manufacturers, and retail associates cannot work remotely. On the other hand, companies should start to identify, support, and offer flexibility for those who can work remotely. 

The key takeaways? 

For all it’s worth, we reimagined the physical office in months. In the future, workspaces won’t just be remote. It will be distributed across more expansive and extensive networks, where remote work settings and traditional offices are major components. Companies will cease from being defined as buildings. There will come a time when engaged workforces will define companies – and they can be anywhere.