The COVID-19 crisis forced many companies to switch over to a remote work model, a change many forecasters had been predicting since before the pandemic even started. We’ve seen the impact of this huge shift here at DVC, but it hasn’t affected all jobs equally. Even back in April, only 51% of workers were working remotely all of the time, and that number has now dropped to 33% according to a Megan Brenan article in Economy. On the other hand, 25% are now working remotely at least some of the time, for a total of 58%.
That’s a huge shift in the direction of remote work, and many analysts think the shift will be permanent. According to a September article in EY, remote work will probably be the “new normal” even after COVID-19 is finally behind us. Brenan reports that two-thirds of those who are now working remotely want to keep on doing so, which means that companies will probably have to adjust to this change on a long-term basis. At DVC, we’ve adapted to these changes by using tools like Slack and Monday.com, allowing employees to communicate with each other easily from any location.
It’s important for companies to approach this change in an intentional way rather than simply trying to wait and see if things go back to normal. The companies that flourish in the remote work era will be those which respond to it as an opportunity rather than a temporary inconvenience – which is certainly what we’re trying to do here at DVC.
That means using remote work to reduce the use of office space, reduce or eliminate commute times, and build more flexibility into how the company does business – including flexible scheduling to maintain productivity and work-life balance at the same time.
If you fight the trend toward remote work, you’ll miss out on the opportunity to save money and increase productivity. Believe it or not, remote workers are actually more productive than workers in an office! The ability to control your own workspace seems to make a huge difference in the ability to stay focused. Of course, not every job can be done remotely all the time, and some businesses cannot be run remotely at all.
Whether your company is operating remotely or in-person, contact DVC for all your digital marketing needs. We’ve got you covered either way!