n recent years work culture has experienced a drastic change – traditional offices turned into home offices. This shift started a few years ago and seems to be,
to some extent, irreversible. Now in 2024 working remotely continues to be the normality for many – we’re experiencing a remote work renaissance. That being said, let’s dive into how working remotely has become a part of and is reshaping work culture as we once knew it.
The principal catalyst for replacing face-to-face interactions and meetings with virtual ones is undoubtedly the global pandemic. Faced with no option but to stay home and work, tools that enabled online meetings and collaboration were of utmost necessity. By using platforms such as Zoom, they slowly became part of our work culture.
The need for digital tools for moving workloads and conferences online pushed tech companies to come up with advancements in digital connectivity.
Unlike during the COVID-19 pandemic, working remotely is not a necessity in 2024. So, working from home is not just a temporary choice – it’s deeply rooted in how we view working in general. Thanks to advancements in digital connectivity, working from home has become increasingly a smoother working experience.
These technological advancements had a huge impact on continuing to work from home. By having stable and secure internet access, collaboration between teammates and departments can take place online in real-time. There is a digital tool or platform for any department a company might have and the features they offer are beyond generous. Seeing how remote working doesn't hinder the overall business operations, the public opinion shifted in favor of working remotely at least some of the time.
Due to transitioning to a remote working system, companies had to reshape the working culture to suit the current situation. Some of the initiatives taken are virtual team buildings or activities. These are meant to strengthen the bond between employees despite the distance – employee engagement is crucial for creating a sense of community and belonging in this newfound setting.
To create a mix between working from the office and working remotely, companies also created a hybrid working system. This way workers benefit from remote working most of the days, but they still come to the office to interact in person with colleagues and superiors. It can be considered a compromise so avid remote workers don’t quit in favor of a workplace that offers the option of working from home.
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What does the working population think about remote working?
Well, out of the big three generations that constitute the global workforce, the opinions on the matter differ. After spending at least some of their education years on Zoom, Gen Z seems to miss the physical interaction with colleagues. Being at the beginning of their careers, face-to-face mentorship as well as the overall going-to-the-office experience is important to the younger generation. For this reason, Gen Z workers prefer working at least three to four days from the office.
Surprising or not, the biggest lovers of remote working are millennials. They constitute the majority of the workforce, so their opinion cannot be overlooked. Having children and a well-established personal and professional life, millennials want to continue benefiting from the work-personal life balance.
Boomers, on the other hand, are used to going to the office and would like to return to the work-life they once knew. That’s completely understandable – for them working remotely ruined their routines and caused a sense of imbalance. In addition to this, being on theme and using increasingly more complex digital platforms can pose challenges compared to younger workers.
Working from home continues to be very popular among office workers. Working as we knew it before the global pandemic suffered an incredible transformation – we now have a reshaped working culture. Remote working is both a cause and an effect of the digital revolution that we are experiencing.
By
Eva Robinson
•
December 5, 2024 10:05 AM
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