The Role of Technology in Improving Remote Working Experience

The need to work remotely is becoming more pressing in every corporate workspace. Businesses and entire organizations are now founded and run via interactions over the web, and this is slowly fading out the stereotype of going to the office. In 2020, remote work received a boost after the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, which plunged the entire world into a state of lockdown.

Also, with the constantly rising influx of freelance platforms and online job communities, the idea of an office space has been completely redefined. Technology has played a crucial role in achieving this feat. Beyond creating a virtual working environment for agency-to-staff interaction, technology has made it possible to monitor employee productivity levels effectively. With various skills management software, employees can visualize the talents of their workforce, recognize skills gaps, conduct strategic training, and mobilize talent.

Prominent among the contributions of technology to remote work are;

Huge Reduction in Business Capital 

This is probably always the first and most important contribution of technology to working remotely (at least from the business perspective). Business.com predicts that the average remote organization saves $11,000 per employee per year from choosing to operate remotely. With online work, business owners save money from no payment of mortgage, rent, or maintenance fees. 

Effective Communication

With social media platforms and other tools, communication has been made easier, especially for remote workers. Scheduled or emergency meetings can be held at the convenience of the staff and at any time of the day, irrespective of the individual time zones governing the geographical location of individual employees. Distance is no longer a barrier to effective communication in a workplace.

Increased Comfort 

One of the ways technology improves the remote workspace is the comfort it allows. That means you can set up your work environment to suit your convenience. Things like snacking as you work, playing background music, keeping an eye on your kid or pet while you work, etc. might not be possible in a physical office enclosure. 

It also means you can save more time and energy since you can work round the clock and at your pace (but of course, in line with deadlines for deliverables). 

Increased Productivity 

With the reduction in time comes an increase in speed. With technology, working online means work is completed faster, and decisions are made at a faster rate. Picture a typical business model that involves a staff waiting for hours, days, or weeks to get a project approved or his leave allowance signed by a superior who is seldom on the seat. 

The whole point of remote work is to ensure that workers can attend to such things without a lot in a face-to-face meetup. Corrections and feedback on work done are also easily passed across via technology.

Promoting Cultural Diversity 

Cultural diversity is one of the most appreciated inputs of technology to working remotely. As a result of appropriate technology, people of different beliefs, cultures, and ethnicities based in distant locations can all come under one organization as colleagues. It also removes the need to relocate to find work. This also means employers can recruit the best of hands from around the world without moving an inch.

Monitoring and Evaluation

A few of the fears that always come with working online are staff supervision and adherence to the work ethics of the organization. Employers and human resource managers are always looking over the shoulders of their staff in a classical workplace setting, ensuring that no employee is failing to meet expectations. 

However, with skills management software, output management software, and other tools, employers can keep tabs on staff without physical supervision. 

Securing Clients 

Beyond acquiring top-quality staff for the organization, technology in a remote workspace also helps to bring the best of clients from around the world. Take, for instance, a digital solutions agency attending to clients in different countries, without being physically present. This would not be possible without the right tools.

As reported by Forbes, about 40℅ start-ups and established businesses have gone remote or operate a hybrid work structure, and a lot more are expected to follow suit before the year 2030. This incredible feat, which used to be a privilege for a select few, has now been made available to many workers due to technology.

Without technology, it is impossible to sustain high performance when working remotely. This is due to the possibility that inadequate resources could endanger your company’s information security, as well as its operational effectiveness.