New research from digital infrastructure innovator, VMware, has revealed interesting things about the state of remote work. The report shows a 128% increase in the number of employees in the UK who see remote working as a “must-have” rather than a perk. The number increased to 53% throughout Gen X workers in the EMEA landscape.
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Kristine Dahl Steidel[/caption]
Further, 70% of UK respondents said that their organisation simply couldn’t go back too the way things used to be, after recognising the benefits of remote work. According to Vice President of EUC EMEA for VMware, Kristine Dahl Steidel, challenges from the last six months have pushed companies to adapt quickly to environments where work doesn’t always involve being in the office.
The digital environment we’re living in today requires companies to create the right culture and leadership approach in a new age of work. The digital solutions that enable workforces to remain engaged and productive are already evident and continuing to grow.
New Requirements of the Distributed Workforce
Around 4 in 10 decision-makers surveyed say that their team won’t remain “on task” when working remotely. Over a quarter also say that the boardroom culture discourages remote working, while 53% say that they feel more pressure to be online outside of typical working hours.
There’s a new demand for top-down changes to traditional management practices. Despite the clear business and employee benefits of flexible working, the culture is still somewhat outdated. 73% of employees say that personal connections with colleagues are improving thanks to remote work. 62% feel more comfortable speaking in meetings, and 60% report better stress levels.
Employee productivity (28%) and morale (24%) are also increasing, while 58% of respondents say recruiting talent is easier, particularly when it comes to finding working parents and minority candidates. Around 74% of people agree that more innovation is now entering the workplace.
The Director of the Future of Work Programme at the Oxford Martin School, Oxford University, Dr Carl Benedikt Frey, notes that companies need to move away from monitoring input and start focusing on output. Striking a balance of trust will be crucial to keeping employees motivated.
Today, IT solutions aren’t an inhibitor to distributed working practices. Employees can work from virtually anywhere, but over a third surveyed believe that IT isn’t equipped to properly manage a remote workforce. The shift that we’ve seen to the work anywhere model is offering a lot of advantages to both employees and employers. However, it’s important to see the demand for a change in people management strategies so that employees may stay productive and engaged.
