Will Remote Work Culture Mean Easier Access to Well-Paying Jobs?

Since the outbreak of the global pandemic at the end of 2019, employers and employees have had to become used to remote working. This new reality has greatly shifted the working conditions of many people across the world.

How long this new reality will be with us is uncertain, but it looks likely that the world of work will be forever altered to some degree or other.

The Benefits of Remote Work Culture

This ‘new normal’ experienced by many comes with some undoubted benefits. Chief among them is the ability to not have to travel to a centralised work or office space.

This saves on commuting time and expense and offers the ability to do other things in the day. Workers could find themselves with more time to try out new hobbies like playing games online real money casino USA or studying new subjects at home.

People keen to triumph the importance of a work/life balance point to this as evidence of how valuable remote working can be.

Remote working also provides a greater degree of flexibility in where the employee is based.

Working out of the office also offers employees the chance to structure their working time independently. Without daily meetings or face to face catchups, it is easier to increase productivity by working at times that suit.

Without the need to be close to a business hub or commercial centre, workers can move to other locations. This has created more freedom of choice where workers can set up a home office in different parts of their home country. Many are choosing to move out of cities and the suburbs to more remote areas.

The practicalities of technology and the internet mean that people can communicate and file work projects with ease no matter where they are. So long as they are connected to the web, they can continue working.

Some workers in the pre-pandemic days even worked as they travelled from place to place, emailing work to clients and employers while on the move.

Finding the Right Job

Remote work can also make it easier for people to have access to higher-paid jobs that suit them. With the need for proximity to major cities no longer a prerequisite for finding better career jobs, a greater amount of choice is offered within the labour market.

This means workers could in certain cases apply for jobs in their field anywhere in the world. It is also beneficial to employers, who have a greater number of potential employees to recruit from.

The Threat of Mass Outsourcing

Some workers are fearful that the rise in remote working will lead to mass outsourcing, which will undercut the value of their work. But while the trend of businesses using cheaper off-shore areas for call centres and back-end support is not a new phenomenon, the pandemic has speeded things up.

The health situation has made it header for outsourced offices to work as they normally would. This is because some of the core support team may not have the required devices and setups needed for remote working away from the office.

The threat of mass outsourcing is downplayed by those who see the future of working as a hybrid model of employment. This will see the majority of jobs done remotely but with required offline meetings and training at certain times in the calendar. This makes it difficult for workers on the other side of the world to fully benefit.

Similarly, fears about the proper workings of a team are brought up when there are concerns about time zones. If a zoom call or live online meeting is taking place at a time when a worker would normally be asleep, the drawbacks are obvious.

Remote working and the opening up of new job markers should be seen as an opportunity for office workers. The shift can be seen as akin to what happened in the past with call centres moving offshore. However, in this case, the situation is largely benefitting mid-career professionals.

The fact is, if a worker is only one or two hours away from the company HQ, the work will not be unduly disrupted. This means they can go about their work in comfort remotely and communicate with colleagues and team leaders easily.

The pandemic has accelerated this shift in where and how professionals do their work significantly. It may well be that cities will continue to disperse throughout the world, with only key workers choosing to remain in busy city surroundings.

The rest of the employment force can benefit from time away from the high rents and long commutes of working in the city. They can enjoy the freedom to choose exactly where they want to be while being able to further their career as they wish.

The shift to remote working, whether as 100% remote or as part of a mixed model, is something that looks set to stay with us. Whatever happens with the global health situation, stronger internet has afforded us the means to benefit from this new working model.