The impact of COVID-19 on the acceptance of working from home has been revolutionary. Businesses are responding to the pandemic by embracing workplace flexibility. In addition, employees are adapting to working remotely by staying connected with innovative software.
Working Remotely on the Rise
Working remotely had been trending upward in recent years, but the number of remote workers surged dramatically when COVID-19 hit. A survey by Clutch.co found that 44% of US employees were working from home during the pandemic, up from 17% pre-pandemic.
Will this sudden shift continue in the long term? While it’s too soon to predict how much growth there will be in the remote work sector, there’s no question that working remotely is a business model whose time has come.
Businesses Embracing Change
Some of the most influential businesses have been quick to adopt workplace flexibility. During quarantine, Twitter announced that its entire workforce, already working from home due to the pandemic, could continue to do so indefinitely.
Businesses that were once resistant to the idea are implementing remote-friendly policies. A workforce that enjoyed working remotely during quarantine is likely to pressure business owners to continue the practice.
Workplace Preference
Due to COVID-19, many of us are now experiencing select benefits of working from home. Many love the flexibility of making their own schedules and saving time by not commuting.
Working from home is not for everybody, though. Most studies conclude that there is about a 50/50 split between people who prefer to work from home and those who prefer a separate workplace.
Human Connection
Most people who work from home report greater difficulty in collaborating with colleagues and clients. While video conferencing makes it possible to meet remotely, the immediacy of face-to-face meetings is hard to replicate.
Human beings are naturally social, and we have an intrinsic need to feel connected to other people. Many employees who are new to remote work experience increased feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Software Solutions for Working Remotely
The pandemic laid bare the challenges of working remotely, and businesses are responding with innovative software solutions. monday.com, for example, is a project management tool used to organize tasks, plan projects and enhance collaboration among employees.
While software platforms abound, monday.com is a well-reviewed and robust choice with a graphical user interface and user-friendly features.
Applications for Working Remotely
monday.com enables employees to access project information from anywhere. A location status feature lets team members know where to reach each other at all times. The software is customizable to meet the specific requirements of any project.
Not only does the technology improve efficiency and make collaboration easier, but users also report feeling more connected with co-workers, even when working remotely.
Software Implementation & Support
Eligeo Business Solutions has embraced remote technologies from the very beginning, and more than half of our team were already working remotely when COVID-19 emerged.
We already had a remote-first policy in place, and we had long ago ironed out the implementation challenges. When it became clear that the safest choice was for the entire team to switch to working remotely, the transition came off without a hitch.
Eligeo is a full-service business solutions consultancy that helps businesses adopt new technologies. Contact us for more information on software applications that support working remotely and follow Eligeo on LinkedIn for upcoming news and updates.
