Technology and Culture are changing at a rapid rate.
As one develops and rolls onward the other is thrust in the same direction adding to the gravity of the change.
Our lives have been augmented with technological devices and solutions.
The way we view and interact with the world has been enhanced and the way we work in this new Cyber Culture is no exception.
With new and improved communication technologies and widespread internet access, the remote worker has been somewhat of a trend that is growing exponentially each year.
Remote working is a working style that was born out of advancements in communication technology. It is when an employee engages with work outside of the tradition office setting. This could mean employees working at home, in co-working spaces or while travelling. I would like to term these remote workers, who have achieved this opportunity through computers and information technology: The Cyber Workforce
Does the Cyber Workforce actually work?
The idea of remote working can be intimidating for employers and employees alike.
Employers have to let the reigns of control down slightly and trust in the work that is being done out of sight.
Employees can be left isolated and alone if working at home is the option taken.
Yet still, the Cyber Workforce grows and grows.
A study conducted by Zug found that 70% of professionals globally work remotely at least once a week – and they won’t be doing it alone. The future looks even brighter: a Zinc survey shows that it expects remote workers to account for 75% of the U.S. workforce by 2020. (Remote Year,2018)
As for the work actually been done, productivity to actually proven to increase from a remote setting as opposed to in the tradition office setting. Cyber workers who put aside time to work from a remote setting are less likely to be distracted and use their time more efficiently.
Stanford University conducted a study by randomly assigning employees at a call center to work from home and others to work in the office for nine months. The result was a 13% performance increase by those working from home, of which 9% was from working more hours. (Kim, S., 2019)
Stanford Professor Nicholas Bloom explains more in the video below.
Shorter commute times, flexible hours, more family time, no office distractions and a more pleasant working environment means that stress in reduced and productivity increased.
Why does the Cyber Workforce work?
1. Autonomy:
With a more flexible schedule, employees benefit from a much better work-life balance sharing more time with family and friends. They can make decisions about when and where they work to suit their particular lifestyle and still achieve company goals and ” Gallup research shows that employees are 43 percent less likely to experience burnout when given a choice in how and when to complete their tasks.” ( Mautz, S., 2019)
2. Teamwork:
“An astounding 92 percent of Cyber workers say the video collaboration actually improves their teamwork.” (de Haff, B.,2017)
When working remotely, interactions with team members has to be solicited and orgainsed. This means that the time spent with colleagues is utilised far more efficiently and time spent working together is more meaningful.
3. Presence:
In an office setting, absenteeism can be an issue with employees missing public transport, having to collect children sick from school or calling in sick themselves. Cyber workers are far more present in their work. Their flexible working day means that they can overcome these obstacles and still meet company deadlines. “Since they are not tied to an office, they can design their workday to meet the demands of their lives.” (de Haff, B.,2017)
4. Reduced Costs:
Cyber workers need not make commutes into their office spaces and so reduce transport costs (and environmental pollution). Employers also reduce the cost of overheads when employees work from their own environment. Entering the Cyber Workforce “saves companies money while allowing workers the freedom to create their own schedules and work from wherever they please.” (Caramela,S., 2018 )
What are the Challenges?
The concept of going to a fixed place of work dates back to the early 1800’s and the industrial revolution. This means to change how our workforce operate, we must first transition from working one way for hundreds of years to now working another way.
” This means attacking some of the unwritten rules of many work cultures. Rules like:
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Being seen at your desk assures the manager knows you’re working.
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Arriving later or leaving earlier must equal a lack of commitment.
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Recognition/promotions go to in-office workers.
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“Hard work” equals time on the clock versus net outcomes.
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Critical discussions (even on career) happen in the hallways and are missed at home.” ( Mautz, S., 2019)
Policies need to be put in place to encourage and protect the Cyber Workforce so that these employees are assured that their work is just as valuable and supported as other workers are.
” 63 percent of companies now have remote workers, yet 57 percent of companies have no remote work policies.” (Upwork, 2018)
This is the way that the world is going and is the preferred method of work by the younger generation. ” In fact, according to Buffer, 90 percent of current remote workers plan on working remotely for the rest of their careers.” ( (Caramela,S., 2018)
So what can we do to make the transition as painless and profitable as possible?
What are the Solutions?
1. Outcome Driven Management:
Employers of the Cyber Workforce need to re-evaluate the way that they evaluate the work done by their employees. A focus must be placed on work outcomes as opposed to hours worked. If an employee delivers there should be no real need to labour over how or when the work is done.
“Systems such as ROWE (Results Only Work Environment) are being introduced to promote output work cultures, where employees are evaluated on performance, not presence.”(Kim, S., 2019 )
2. Clarity of Purpose:
It is the duty of the manager and employers to outline , with clarity, the goals and expectations of their Cyber Workforce. Creating Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is necessary for all team members so that their performance can be monitored and both management and employees are aware of expectation and goals to achieve.
3. Equip flexibility.
Employers need to provide the Cyber Workforce with the tools required to successfully carry out remote working.
” We can find many tools to work remotely and not get lost, such as unified communication tools that integrate instant messaging, voice, audio and video services and let strategy, operations and production converge.”(Blattmann, J., 2018)
Employers and Employees can benefit greatly from the entering into the Cyber Workforce.
Employers can hire from the global talent pool, increase employee productivity and decrease overheads. Employees can work flexibly, strike a healthy work-life balance and have greater autonomy over the work that they do.
It’s just about using the technology that we have to bring our work into the cyber world so that we can step back into life in the real world.
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Bibliography:
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Remote Year, 2018, What The Future of Remote Work Means for You, accessed at: [https://remoteyear.com/blog/remote-work-future] on 16/04/2019
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Kim, S., 2019, Why the Future of Work is Remote, LifeHack.org, accessed at: [https://www.lifehack.org/403879/why-the-future-of-work-is-remote] on 16/04/2019
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Mautz, S., 2019, The Future of Remote Work is Happening Now, Here’s how to make it work for you, INC.com, accessed at : [https://www.inc.com/scott-mautz/the-future-of-remote-work-is-happening-now-heres-how-to-make-it-work-for-you.html] on 16/04/2019
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de Haff, B.,2017, 3 Ways Remote Workers Outperform Office Workers, INC.com accessed at: [https://www.inc.com/brian-de-haaff/3-ways-remote-workers-outperform-office-workers.html] on 16/04/2019
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Caramela,S., 2018, The Future of Remote Work, Business News Daily, accessed at: [https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8156-future-of-remote-work.html] on 16/04/2019
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Upwork, 2018, Future Workforce Report: Hiring Manager Insights on Flexible and Remote Work Trends, accessed at: [https://www.slideshare.net/upwork/2018-future-workforce-report-hiring-manager-insights-on-flexible-and-remote-work-trends/1] on 16/04/2019
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Blattmann, J., 2018, The Future of Work is Remote, Medium.com, accessed at: [https://medium.com/swlh/the-future-of-work-is-remote-63e3e0764f12] on 16/04/2019
