As we’ve seen over the past few months, change is inevitable. Rather than viewing change as a sign of failure or a hurdle, business leaders must recognise it for what it truly is – an opportunity. The modern workplace needs to address the societal demands for a better way of life. With a vast amount of evidence arguing the equal value of flexibility and monetary compensation, we are now on the precipice of the work-from-anywhere era.
The new workforce we’re already seeing emerging from COVID-19 will see a surge in full-time remote workers. However, perhaps the most dramatic shift we will experience is the increase in location-agnostic work. You could say the pandemic was the catalyst to one of the largest workplace revolutions in history, and with it, a new generation of leaders to guide organisations to success that is unbound by geography.
Here are three ways the work-from-anywhere mentality will empower your business in a post-COVID world.
Reinforced employee productivity and satisfaction
There is no better person at deciding what works best for you than yourself. Productivity and satisfaction manifest itself in different ways for everyone. The freedom to work from anywhere extends to how you work, be it with a mild ambience, in total silence or even in your PJs. The beauty of working from anywhere allows employees to choose the conditions in which they work on their own terms, separating performance from secondary expectations like strictly working the nine-to-five or sitting at an assigned desk.
The work-from-anywhere ethos also eliminates the need to commute. Before the pandemic, Australian employees spent an average of 66 minutes per day travelling to and from work. In a recent survey of over 2,200 global workers, time saved was ranked as the greatest benefit of remote work (74%). More time in the day to spend with your loved ones, on your hobbies or your health are sure-fire ways to support a healthy work–life balance while continuing to kick your professional goals.
Improved sustainability and environmental impact
In the same survey, over 75% of respondents say their commute to work is something they feel guilty about when it comes to the daily impact it has on the environment. Moreover, other harmful habits associated with heading into work include using plastic bags daily (67%), improperly throwing away recyclables in the trash (61%) and throwing away leftover lunches (59%). Hence, when the time comes for it to be safe to return to the office, employees would be asking: should they?
By reducing or eliminating the need to travel to work, employees are able to address their personal concerns and practise more environmentally conscious habits, which is revealed as one of the top benefits of working from home. Small changes like this can open the door to longer term sustainability initiatives such as minimising greenhouse gas emissions at facilities through energy conservation and fostering employee awareness. With the ability to collaborate from anywhere, organisations are able to create an environmentally conscious culture extending beyond the borders of an office.
Better business continuity
The work-from-anywhere mentality is nothing but an idea without the proper tools to support business continuity. Cloud-based solutions help organisations integrate communication channels for a unified experience that allows employees to stay connected on any device from anywhere.
Modern business continuity planning must consider the possibility of a fully remote workforce and thus adopt the right tools to mobilise the team as needed. Having these tools ready at your fingertips means your team is prepared to react appropriately to disruption with employees’ health and safety at front of mind.
There are many components that go into the strategy enabling employees to work from anywhere. As we’ll come to recognise, these elements will be business-critical in the post-COVID world, which will see a shift in employee priorities and a respect for personal space and lives.
By building a foundation that empowers the modern workforce to lead a better way of life, organisations are armed to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.
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Lindsay Brown is VP of Asia Pacific at LogMeIn. He has over 20 years of sales and executive management experience alongside a successful track record in growing and scaling emerging and established multi-national technology companies.
