We've moved past the idea of remote work as a temporary solution to work during the pandemic.
Now most of us recognize "work from anywhere” for what it is: a great way for employees to get the work/life balance they crave, a boon for the overall employee experience and the cost of doing business today.
After nearly three years, we know now that remote work is sticking around. But, so too is hybrid and full-time on-site work.
How are businesses approaching distributed work now, and how do employee experiences differ based on which how and where the job gets done?
In this multi-part blog series, we’ll explore the most common workplace models we see (and support) across a variety of industries — starting with a look at the remote work experience.
Unpacking the experience: Your manager may be in a totally different time zone. Or country. You and your colleagues may join meetings from coffee shops, coworking spaces ... or even the kitchen table on a family beach trip. It’s all possible, when employees are empowered to work autonomously from anywhere, on any device.
Employee tech is fully distributed, which puts extra work on IT to manage. Cloud-connected apps and services help teams work together seamlessly across locations.
Most companies supply and manage all their own endpoints, while some allow employees to BYOD and integrate personal devices (an added layer of flexibility).
Why it works: Remote employees report higher productivity and better work-life balance. Work-from-anywhere policies can also accelerate hiring and contribute to workplace diversity goals, as it did for tech giant Meta.
See it in action: Airbnb shifted to this model to give ultimate flexibility to its 5,000+ globetrotting employees, who travel and work from anywhere in the world.
"It’s all possible, when employees are empowered to work autonomously from anywhere, on any device."
Top employee needs: To maximize the remote work experience, start at the beginning. From Day 1, employees need out-of-the-box ready equipment, enterprise-quality collaboration tools, and an onboarding process that truly welcomes people in as part of a team and larger organization.
Support strategy: AI-powered chat, digital self-service and remote resolution will work best here. Still have an office space? Consider offering scheduled or drop-in tech support there.
Questions for business leaders: