[Exclusive] Remote Working Trends That Will Impact All Employees In 2023 & Beyond..

This is an exclusive Guest Article by the team behind Apna.co

Introduced to combat the effects of the pandemic on the workplace, remote working or Work From Home (WFH) provided much-needed relief to organizations and working professionals from postponing projects and quitting jobs, respectively. The model proved to be extremely beneficial for both. While organizations successfully continued their operation at a reduced cost, employees enjoyed a perfect work-life balance while spending more time with family.

The WFH also allowed companies to hire budding and experienced professionals from the remotest parts of the country while increasing women’s participation in the workforce. This has helped the companies in bridging the talent gap and meeting the workforce requirements.

In the New Year 2023, considering these advantages, it’s expected that many companies will continue reaping the benefits of this model and many others will think about adopting it. Companies today are more inclined toward creating and providing a conducive and encouraging work environment to employees, which helps improve productivity tremendously. It’s imperative to take note of the learning of the last few years and emerging trends in this model to make robust strategies this year.

Rise in demand for remote jobs

Remote jobs offer myriad benefits to employees. Primarily, it saves time and money. Usually, employees spend a lot of time commuting to the office while bearing fare charges. They also spend a huge amount of money every month on house rent. These are the key reasons why employees prefer remote jobs. Additionally, working remotely has advantages for health and well-being. Recognising these benefits, it’s obvious that the model is to stay and demand for such jobs will rise this year.

Focus on improving work culture

A talented team of professionals is quintessential for organizations to accomplish business goals. Companies are putting more emphasis on improving work culture in order to recruit and keep the best employees in a very competitive labour market. Developing a positive work culture has several advantages. It can contribute to a more joyful workplace where workers experience commitment and loyalty. A positive culture can also improve innovation, productivity, and brand recognition. The companies will restructure their work culture while keeping remote workers at the centre this year.

Enhanced flexibility

As more businesses realize that many employees would like to pick up children from school, go to the gym, or run errands throughout the workday, flexible working hours are becoming more and more common with remote working culture. Flexibility can contribute to happier, healthier, and more balanced lifestyles for employees. While embracing flexibility, businesses will be able to maintain productivity. They can even utilize tools to track time or set key performance indicators (KPIs) to make sure performance is sustained. Definitely, flexibility will dominate the work culture in the New Year and companies would try to come up with robust policies.

Work-life balance, mental health and wellness to remain focus areas

Considering the negative impacts of an unhealthy and unbalanced work-life scenario on employee health and productivity, companies have increased their emphasis on these factors. They are putting work-life balance, wellness, and mental health at the forefront of their initiatives to foster a supportive workplace for all employees. They are taking measures like regular health check-ups, health insurance, gym subscription, fun activities, etc. to support employees in reducing stress. They will implement these models with remote work as well while encouraging interaction, engagement and collaboration among all the employees.

Emphasis on DEI

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has become the key consideration of companies across sectors to improve brand recognition and reputation. They understand that having employees with different perspectives provides businesses with a competitive advantage. Companies will ramp up efforts to create inclusive workplaces in the New Year. They will implement this with remote hiring as well. They will reach out to diverse talents and make sure that everyone is heard, cared for, supported, and valued.

Managing cybersecurity risks

Companies are becoming more concerned about the cybersecurity risks associated with remote and hybrid work models. They are putting more emphasis on cybersecurity measures, such as using the best technology and software and providing awareness training. Many remote workers use their own gadgets, which pose serious cybersecurity threats. Even if remote employees use companies’ devices, compliance with IT standards must be ensured. Companies will make sure to use the most up-to-date cybersecurity systems while raising employee understanding of the threats.