Remote Working Is Here To Stay

The Statistics Don't Lie - Remote Working Is Here To Stay

Whether it was your CEO, CFO, CIO, or COVID-19, the genie is out of the bottle and work has changed. For many of us, remote work is here to stay.

Many people in the workforce now understand the work-life balance remote working offers. We now also know it is highly unlikely that things will go back to the way they were before COVID-19 struck. So it is up to businesses to evolve and embrace flexible, remote working options. Technology has come a long way in a short time to make this a reality and simplify the way we work remotely. 

Let’s look at some stats that show a very clear trend emerging, even prior to the Covid-19 outbreak:

• The amount of people who work remotely at least once per week has grown by 400% since 2010.(GetApp)
•  Between 2017 and 2018, telecommuting increased by 22%. (FlexJobs)
• If they could, 99% of people would choose to work remotely, at least part-time, for the rest of their careers. (Buffer)
• 42% of employees with a remote work option plan to work remotely more often in the next five years. (Owl Labs)
• 22% of New Zealanders suggested they would like to work daily from home and 64% would prefer a hybrid workplace in a 2020 survey (Otago University)

As is to be expected, those who've had more traditional, in-office jobs likely can feel sceptical about working remotely. This is especially true if you’re managing a team and you don’t have immediate and constant visibility over what they are doing but there are very real benefits to businesses too.

•  81% of employees say that the option to work remotely would make them more likely to recommend their company to job candidates and prospects. (Owl Labs)
• 74% of employees say that a remote work option would make them less likely to leave their company. (Owl Labs)
• 38% of New Zealanders found themselves to be more productive when working from home. (Otago University)
• Businesses would save an average of $11,000 annually per half-time telecommuter. (Global Workplace Analytics)

Whether your business has long-embraced new ways of working or it is playing catch-up, the aforementioned stats are critical to your understanding of what employees want.

The demand for remote working options is a reality, the functionality is available, and the opportunity has never been more apparent.

So the question is: will you make it happen?

To learn more about Transitioning to and embracing new ways of working, read out the article: 6 problems faced by virtual teams in new ways of working. 

Need some help with your remote team collaboration and document management? 

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