Top 7 remote work trends to follow for smoother workflows
- Reading time : 9 Mins
Executive Summary: Remember the good ol’ days when ‘remote work’ meant sending emails from your beach vacation, hoping the Wi-Fi held up long enough to convince your boss you were indeed working? Well, those days are not just a relic of the past; they’re the founding myth of a brave new world of work. The remote work revolution has been propelled, albeit unwittingly, by the global COVID-19 pandemic, turning our kitchen tables into boardrooms and our living rooms into co-working spaces. This blog highlights the advantages and challenges of remote work, and explores the top remote work trends to follow as we navigate the new normal.
In the not-so-distant past, the idea of working from home was often associated with blurry webcam calls, questionable wardrobe choices, and the perennial fear of being caught in your pajamas during a surprise video meeting. However, the landscape of work has undergone a seismic shift, and remote work has evolved from a temporary workaround to a bona fide trend shaping the future of how we earn our daily bread.
People forget nearly 90% of what they have learnt within just 7 days, unless the concepts are reinforced. That’s why employees swamped with documents, presentations, and classroom sessions are not likely to learn much.
However, time constraints make it difficult to reinforce vast concepts.
What can you do instead? Arm your employees with one concept at a time. Studies show the human attention span is only 8.25 seconds, so keep your training concise.
RapL is your software for that.
The landscape of work has undergone a seismic shift, and remote work has evolved from a temporary workaround to a bona fide trend shaping the future of how we earn our daily bread.
Advantages of remote work
- Flexibility: Flexibility is the newfound currency of the working world, and remote work is the golden ticket. No longer confined to the concrete walls of an office, employees are relishing the freedom to craft their workday around the ebb and flow of their personal lives. Pajamas all day? Yes, please (PJs can be remote work trends, too). Who knew that the elusive work-life balance was just a Zoom call away?
- Productivity: Productivity has become the unlikely hero of the remote work saga. Contrary to the skeptics who envisioned a world where productivity plummeted as employees binge-watched the latest true crime series during work hours, studies have shown that remote work can actually boost productivity. Perhaps the absence of watercooler gossip and the allure of an afternoon nap are powerful motivators after all.
- Access to a global talent pool: With remote work facilities, companies can now tap into talent from every corner of the globe without worrying about relocation logistics or work visas. It’s like assembling the Avengers, but for your project team – with less spandex and more virtual high-fives. Diversity, equity, and inclusion seem to be remote work trends, too!
Productivity, flexibility, and a global talent pool—now that’s a dream team!
Challenges and solutions in remote work
Now, let’s address the elephant in the Zoom room – the challenges.
- Technology and infrastructure: From frozen screens to that dreaded ‘you’re on mute’ moment, our daily grind has become a montage of tech-related faux pas (not the remote work trends we need). However, with effective troubleshooting and technological solutions, teams around the world have soldiered through the digital wilderness.
- Communication and collaboration: The absence of impromptu brainstorming sessions and watercooler chit-chat has left a void that even the most meticulously organized DM channels can’t fill. Emojis and GIFs can be considered cool remote work trends—and they’re here to bridge the emotional gap, making even the most serious business conversation feel like a virtual happy hour.
- Maintaining company culture: Nurturing a cohesive company culture in a remote setting requires deliberate efforts. Attention, care, and the occasional virtual team-building exercise are paramount. Whether it’s a weekly trivia night or a virtual talent show, finding creative ways to bond with colleagues has become one of the fun remote work trends for a thriving culture.
The absence of impromptu brainstorming sessions and watercooler chit-chat has left a void that even the most meticulously organized DM channels can’t fill.
Let’s learn more about these remote work trends below.
Top 7 remote work trends
- Hybrid work models: As the dust settles on the all-or-nothing remote work debate, there is a new addition to the list of remote work trends – the hybrid model. It’s like the Goldilocks of work arrangements, offering a perfect blend of office camaraderie and home-office coziness. The hybrid model acknowledges the benefits of both worlds, providing a nuanced solution to the evolving nature of work.
- Virtual communication: In the toolkit of remote work trends, communication tools reign supreme. These platforms have become the lifeblood of our virtual work existence. Who would have thought that an app named after the sound a fast car makes would become the linchpin of our professional lives?
- Remote learning: While keeping teams productive and accountable is key to smooth workflows, ensuring continuous learning and growth fosters a culture of engagement and motivation. Tools such as RapL provide a streamlined and efficient digital upskilling solution for global teams. Like the Robin Hood of knowledge, RapL’s microlearning solution borrows from the vast realm of information overload and delivers short bursts of learning in a game-based format. Imagine leveling up your skills while having a blast—it’s like an online learning game without the dread of a never-ending tutorial! Plus, with global teams connected on one platform, we’re all in this upskilling game together. An important one in the list of remote work trends, it makes learning not just easy but downright fun. It’s the kind of learning that makes you go, “I never knew compliance regulations could be this cool!”
Learning in a self-paced manner, from anywhere in the world.
- Cybersecurity: In the Wild West of the internet, where hackers roam free, ensuring the safety of our digital workspaces is non-negotiable. It’s the digital equivalent of locking your office door when you step out for lunch – a small inconvenience that pays off in the long run. With employees accessing company systems from various locations, organizations are more invested in cybersecurity protocols. An imperative in remote work trends, it is key to protect sensitive data and maintain a secure work environment.
- Focus on employee bonding: With the blurring lines between work and personal life in a remote setting, companies are increasingly prioritizing employee bonding. In addition to following many other remote work trends, they’ve swapped the water cooler for virtual team-building sessions, and HR’s new title might as well be Chief Happiness Officer. Initiatives such as interactive workshops, virtual parties, etc. have become more common (because happy employees are productive employees, right?).
- Mental health: As we navigate the virtual corridors of remote work trends, mental health becomes a compass guiding us through uncharted territory. The isolation of remote work can take a toll on our well-being, turning our homes into both the workplace and the sanctuary. From virtual mindfulness sessions to mandatory screen breaks, companies are taking creative steps to prioritize the mental health of their remote teams.
- Policies and considerations: Crafting policies and following remote work trends is the HR equivalent of writing a manifesto for the digital age. From defining work hours to addressing the perennial issue of ‘replying to emails at 12PM,’ these policies set the ground rules for a harmonious remote work existence. Legal considerations add an extra layer of complexity, ensuring that remote work arrangements comply with labor laws and regulations. It’s the fine print of the remote work revolution, ensuring that the digital ink is dry and the virtual contracts are binding.
In addition to following many other remote work trends, companies have swapped the water cooler for virtual team-building sessions, and HR’s new title might as well be Chief Happiness Officer!
The future of remote work
Crystal balls may be in short supply, but that doesn’t stop us from gazing into the misty horizon of the remote work future. With emerging remote work trends like augmented reality and virtual reality, the experience is poised to become even more immersive. Imagine attending a virtual meeting where holographic colleagues materialize in your living room – the stuff of sci-fi dreams turned workplace reality.
As we bid farewell to the traditional 9-to-5 and embrace the brave new world of remote work trends, one thing is clear – change is the only constant. The pixels on our screens may change, but the essence of work remains. Whether you’re clad in business casual or loungewear, sitting in a corner office or at your kitchen table, the future of work is a canvas waiting for the strokes of innovation and adaptability.
So, fellow remote warriors, let’s raise our virtual glasses to the evolving landscape of work, where the only constant is change, and the only dress code is whatever makes you feel like a boss in your own living room. Cheers to the future – bright, and full of endless possibilities! If you want to streamline your remote teams, contact us at hello@getrapl.com.
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1. Speak to us if you want a microlearning strategy deep-dive: Microlearning is extremely effective, if approached sensibly. Microlearning is the answer to today’s shortening attention spans and we know how to make learning successful via microlearning. Drop your context here and we shall partner with you for the rest.
2. Lap up more content: We have written some intense literature on how microlearning is the superglue between people and successful business operations. Access all of it here.
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