Remote work is here to stay in some form or another. While the past few years have been spent trying to figure out how to make remote work sustainable in the long term, 2024 seems to be the year that we’ve hit our stride. Here are a few of the remote work trends of 2024 that we’ve seen taking off.
Remote Work Models Gain More Prevalence
According to statistics released by The Pew Research Center in March of this year, around 22 million employed adults in the United States — roughly 14% — work from home all the time. Over one third of employees who had the opportunity to work remotely do so full-time, and 41% are at least partly remote.
This number is expected to continue to rise: Upwork predicts that by 2025, over one fifth of the workforce will be remote. If you’ve considered switching to a remote business model, and you’re interested in bringing on new talent, now may be the best time.
Smarter Remote Access Softwares Put To Use
One of the biggest challenges of remote work is how to keep all employees on the same page from different locations. The answer has come in the form of cloud-based software. This software allows employees to login from their own devices and collaborate with their team from any location.
As remote work becomes more prominent, these softwares are becoming smarter, using AI to better anticipate and meet the needs of each company that uses them. We’re moving past the stage of feeling out what works and what doesn’t in the world of remote work. As we settle into a flow, these softwares are becoming more streamlined.
Enhanced Cybersecurity Protects Remote Work
Of course, with employees spread out across so many different locations, cybersecurity becomes an issue. If everything is on the cloud, companies want to make sure their sensitive information isn’t hacked. The solution has mostly come in the form of encrypted accounts. With encryption, even if hackers access your information, everything will be encrypted and indecipherable.
Another cybersecurity issue comes as the use of AI expands: many professionals worry about their work being scraped for AI training without their consent or knowledge. To prevent this, it’s important to thoroughly read over the terms of service for each software that you use.
Hybrid Work Finds the Perfect Balance For Everyone
As we settle into remote work as the new normal, most businesses are embracing hybrid work rather than full remote work for everyone. Hybrid work allows the employees who prefer to work from home to do so, while those who need or prefer to be in the office can do so. It also allows for some employees to go back and forth, which can be extremely helpful for those who have a complex schedule to follow. Hybrid work models allow the entire team to work in the way that best suits them, creating a more seamless whole.
Remote Teams Form Around the Globe
With remote work, recruiters no longer have a limited, local pool of talent to choose from. They can choose the best professional for the job, regardless of their location — and they do. This means that more remote work teams are forming across thousands or millions of miles. This often means employees work on different schedules due to differing timezones. Having a robust work chat can help to keep everyone on the same page, as can a good remote work software.
DEI Is More Important Than Ever
Hiring talent from around the globe can lead to a wonderfully diverse team, which means that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is more important than ever. Your team will be working with people from wholly different cultures, who might speak different languages and have very different worldviews. In order to have an inclusive and welcoming workspace, you will want your team to be fully trained in DEI. Make sure that all of your employees are treated with the respect and equity they deserve, that differences are celebrated, and don’t tolerate discrimination or bigotry in your workplace.
Leaving Burnout Behind In Favor of Mental Health
In 2022 and 2023, there was a lot of conversation about “quiet quitting,” in which many younger employees would — rather than quitting — simply start doing the bare minimum in their job, supposedly in hopes of getting fired so they could file for unemployment. Younger generations of employees, millennials and gen Z, were quick to point out that this was often less a desire to be fired, and more a burnout with their work. The hustle culture that often comes with the corporate world can wear heavily on the mental health of your team and a lack of productivity.
As we settle into remote work, we’re seeing more of a prioritization on self-care and well-being. Employers offer incentives for mental wellness and self-care tools to help keep their employees refreshed and motivated, rather than burned out.
