Explore the Future of Remote Work

Introduction

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The traditional approach to working was always within the office, filled with paperwork's everywhere and a laid down rules to follow all the time but with the advent of internet, the trend has shifted from the traditional work system to remote work which has evolved in an exciting and transformative ways.

With the rapid growth in technology, recent shifts in workplace dynamics and global trends, the way we approach work has really changed a lot and has made life a lot more easier and less cash to spend in the name of acquiring a huge structure all in the name of having a office.

Join me as we explore “the future of remote work” in our society today. Before going ahead, let's invite @entity01, @triple-a and @gbenga01 to participate with us in this contest.

What is remote work

Let's start by defining “remote work”.

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According to wikipedia

Remote work is the practice of working from one's home or another space rather than from an office

This practice has been existing since 1970 although it was in a small scale but it achieved popularity in the 90's and 2000's. But there was one event that further accelerated the global acceptance of remote work and that is Covid 19. Everyone started working from home as result of the pandemic.

Remote jobs has reshaped the traditional way of working and it's now becoming a significant trend due to:

• Advanced technology:

With the introduction of AI, we now have them as our co-worker, doing the heavy jobs for us like scheduling activities, we have them giving insight to a particular project through data analysis etc. Let's not forget, platforms like zoom, that connects staffs together through live video chat for meetings. We also have platforms like fiverr, upwork, LinkedIn and so many other platforms were you can get remote job opportunities easily. All this technology has made it possible for remote work to be effective and productive

• Changing workplace dynamics:

In recent times, traditional way of working has changed significantly. People will rather work in a flexible environment that practice the hybrid model. I.e, combinations of both in-office and remote work. This give employees the opportunity of schedule work time during their most productive hours, at the comfort of their home and still create time for family. In order words, this prevents burnout and creates an effective work life balance. For employers, this model is beneficial to them because it saves cost from hiring a bigger workplace and equipments.

• Global Trends:

The emergence of “digital nomad” is as a result globalization. As long as they have their gadgets and high speed internet access, they can work anywhere in world. Business take advantage of accessing global talents that can deliver their work for them and bring diverse perspectives, ideas, to enhance their business. If it's a growing company that might not have the financial capacity, they can source talent from developing countries that has low wages. This trend is fostering a more interconnected global workforce but one major disadvantage here would be language barrier.

A Vision for the Future of Remote Work

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• Holographic image

In time to come, remote jobs will definitely take a different shape as a result of the advance technology we see every day. Even in movies, you will see holographic images of people interacting with each other. I believe in the future, rather than using “zoom” apps for meeting, hologram will be the new king, that will bring a significant advancement in remote work.

• Blockchain technology

For a moment, imagine if blockchain technology is incorporated into remote jobs, it will be revolutionary. Blockchain will not only secure companies data, it will also play the role of a middleman to facilitate transaction, in order to ensure transparency and avoid discrepancies between the two parties involved. Smart contracts is also another major feature that will be useful in remote jobs to do the work of a Human Resources Manager, such as payroll and checking performance evaluation.

• AI as a Virtual Co-worker

In recent times, AI technology has been one major tool that has changed the scope of remote work. They handle all manner of tasks like a co worker. For instance, AI technology can serve as customer service agent, answering frequently ask questions, schedule activities like meetings, appointments etc, manage emails by filtering out the one important to the user and also analyze data, making it easy to identify trends for organizations to make informed decisions

Challenges of remote work

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• A lot of employers underpay a lot of developing countries at a very low rate compared to their counterparts in other developed countries. Employers should at least be fair in their payments even though it doesn't have to be the same amount with developed nations

• like I mentioned earlier, language barriers is one challenge face when working in a global space.