The coronavirus pandemic was one of the most impactful societal events in recent memory, and something which still touches every aspect of our lives today. Most notable, perhaps, was its impact on the world of work – as stay-at-home orders forced employers and employees alike to innovate.

The normalisation of remote working began with the pandemic, but continues even in its aftermath. Still, life has moved on beyond the pandemic, begging the question: is remote work evolving too?

Hybrid working models

The most obvious evolution that remote working has seen since the pandemic is the transition to hybrid working models. Some businesses and roles, unavoidably, require office attendance and participation. As such, when restrictions were lifted, businesses took the opportunity to compromise with their staff.

Today, hybrid models – wherein a portion of days out of a given month are spent in-office – are a new norm. They are a common middle-ground for larger corporations less inclined to enable full remote working for the totality of their workforce, and ensure some connection with the physical premises.

Technological advancements

Remote work has also evolved with regard to dramatic shifts in technological capability. The sudden high demand for remote-working solutions facilitated a boom in remote collaboration and cloud storage toolsets, bringing about a host of new and powerful applications for employees to use from home. These have enabled remote workers to engage with the specifics of their role more directly, and eliminated many of the issues used to oppose remote work as a concept.

Talent acquisition and retention

Facilitation of remote- and hybrid-working models for workers can also be considered a positive for businesses on two related counts, with regard to talent acquisition and retention. Businesses that offer these flexible working arrangements are more likely to field applications from quality candidates, while also opening themselves up to applications from farther afield (essentially widening their talent pool).

Remote working options are an undeniable boon for workers, too, likely to incentivise their longevity as staff members. Prospective and existing employees alike can only worry about factors like ‘household fuel expenditure’ and ‘car servicing near me’ when it comes to personal car usage, as opposed to needlessly taxing their vehicle’s longevity with long commutes.

There are some arguments for the in-office dynamic over remote collaboration, where in-person conversation and collaboration make for better creative solutions; these, though, rarely apply to the vast majority of roles, and don’t test well under pressure from workers.

Workplace flexibility and adaptability

This is a timely reminder that one of the most important metrics in discussing the viability of remote working today is that of employee opinion and satisfaction. Contentious and ill-corroborated reports of limited productivity or falling executive morale are easily countered by well-documented improvements to employee satisfaction, afforded by the ability to approach their own lives flexibly.

The flexibility and adaptability that remote working affords is not limited to employees, either. Businesses benefit from a remote or hybrid workforce, on account of being able to adjust to new concepts or paradigms in working. Newer businesses can jettison the costs associated with office rental or maintenance, instead pouring funding into research and development; retraining staff is made simpler, more effective and easier to manage too.