The mass adoption of remote and hybrid technology was certainly accelerated by the pandemic. However, there's a fair bit of evidence to suggest it would have happened anyway. As video conferencing, online work tools, and internet availability advanced over the last decade, employees and business leaders alike began to realize that it was becoming much more feasible to conduct business from any location. It was simply a matter of “when” and not “if”.
Still, even though modern technology makes it possible to work virtually anywhere, some business leaders have been (and still are) skeptical about this transition. Many people still believe that office environments still offer the best experience for interacting with team members and forming close working relationships. That’s a legitimate criticism, and there’s a real reason to believe that it may be true. Humans have worked side by side in offices for decades, which has some people concerned that connections may suffer if remote work remains permanent.
The New York Times and TriNet recently published a joint research report that covered the ways small businesses are partaking in digital transformations. According to this research, 58% of participating small businesses have invested in video conferencing technology, and 40% have invested in internal communications platforms. This research demonstrates that smaller organizations with unique cultures are following a similar path of enterprises and large scale operations, further cementing remote/hybrid environments in the future of work.
Business leaders must keep in mind that this technology is incredibly useful, but does have some drawbacks in comparison to physical offices. With that in mind, those responsible for integrating this tech into any work culture have a responsibility to bring culture to virtual work. Whether its daily/weekly meetings, online team building exercises, or simply free time to chat with employees, companies should put extra effort into making the virtual world as close to reality as possible, in order to return was is lost in a full switch to digital.
Edited by
Maurice Nagle
