The Remote Work Trend is Here to Stay. Is Your Business Prepared?

We’re over a year into the COVID-19 global pandemic, and the million-dollar question remains: is remote work here to stay? It’s a great question and something all companies are likely considering. 

According to TechRepublic’s CIO Jury, 100% of employers will continue to offer remote work after the pandemic, proving that working from anywhere is a trend that will remain for many years to come.

While remote work is excellent in reality–especially from the employee’s perspective–it often comes with a hefty cost and high unknown risk for the employer. What kind of price tag? Here’s a stat for you: Tech Republic reports that analyst firm Gartner estimates global spending on IT relating to remote work will hit $332.9 billion this year as businesses resume IT expansion plans. Much of this spending is delayed from 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic. And since COVID-19 is far from past us, and with ongoing protocols in place for many states and companies, the increased demand for remote work technology is only growing with time.

Where is the future of remote work headed? Businesses that have succeeded this past year–and will continue to thrive well into 2021–have common characteristics: they are scalable, agile, backed with solid infrastructure, and equipped with cutting-edge technology that enables their workforce to work whenever from wherever. IT infrastructure, and specifically cloud-based technologies, are playing a significant role in the companies that have continued to succeed during the pandemic. The success of these companies, powered by cloud-based technologies, is modeling an innovative new model for the future.

How should your business be addressing the growing demand for remote work?

1. Consider offering a combination approach: part of your workforce works remotely on certain days, while the other part works remotely on alternate days. 
2. Make sure your remote networks are protected. Communicate with your IT security team about each of your remote work employees and ensure their network security is addressed.
3. Consider launching cloud-enabled technologies (if you haven’t already) to integrate your remote workforce. 
4. Utilize effective communication channels and collaboration tools (i.e., videoconferencing, internal social media apps, cloud-based sharing platforms, and internal chat programs) to keep your remote team connected to both other remote workersand your in-person workforce.

 If your business has questions about how to approach your remote workforce–or if you need help integrating technologies to support your remote workforce–PK Tech can help. Contact us here.