The Pandemic Dispatch
Remote Work is Here to Stay
(Nvard Akopyan/IStock via Getty Images) A year into the pandemic, which has been a period of some serious introspection for most of us. And for many others, it was an unfortunate year of grieving the loss of loved ones and facing economic instability. Indeed, each of us will remember the past year differently, but the one theme that remained consistent and defined the moment is tech and the virtual world.
The pandemic has accelerated society’s migration to the internet at an unprecedented scale. While it’s sad that it took a global health crisis for digital transformation to happen, change will be inevitable. From education to healthcare to business, the pandemic has challenged old practices and introduced new opportunities.
By all measures, 2020 was the year of remote work as we know it. What once was the exception became the rule for businesses, governments, and organizations to survive. The G20, an important annual multilateral forum for global economic cooperation, was held virtually for the first time. Hosted by Saudi Arabia, world leaders met virtually to discuss global public health, economic cooperation, and investment opportunities. In the business world, many startups died, paused, or reinvented themselves to tailor for market needs. At the same time, the pandemic boosted other startups, which helped them grow despite the circumstances. Those once seen as luxury services became a necessity to enable us to go about our day-to-day activities. Investors were faced with immense opportunities to back promising entrepreneurs across various sectors.
Even within the nonprofit sector, which has traditionally relied on volunteers, it leaned on the internet. As a result, people became aware and appreciative of modern ways to contribute to philanthropic efforts in their communities. Since the pandemic started, the world has been in full mobilization; now, the question remains whether we want to return to “normal.”
Is remote work going to be our future?
Remote work has always been an option in Silicon Valley and other tech companies since they have been early adopters of a hybrid working model. However, it is not the case for traditional or less tech-savvy organizations. Remote work has been a detriment to the social aspect of work. The lack of social interaction and in-person team-building activities made many people feel isolated and Zoom fatigued.
Despite all these challenges, a Stanford study interestingly showed that people are more productive working from home. The flexibility and autonomy of remote work increase productivity because it translates to more focused time on tasks. People can take shorter breaks, spend less time on daily commutes, and have more family time. The study concludes that the potential advantages are not only for companies but for society as well.
Take a look at the below visualization illustrating remote work suitability by industry:
While we don’t have the answers yet, it’s evident that more people will work remotely in the years to come.
Pier25 Reads:
A World Without Work: Technology, Automation, and How We Should Respond
By Daniel Susskind
Note: The book was published in early March 2020, just before the COVID-19 restrictions were implemented. I found the book to offer an optimistic yet realistic view of the future of work and technology.