In recent years businesses across various industry verticals have moved towards hybrid and remote working environments. This shift can be attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw an unprecedented surge in remote work. The adoption of this trend has remained even after the pandemic ended and has led to the growth of the digital workplace. These new hybrid work environments rely heavily on technology such as APN-as-a-Service solutions, which provide connectivity and remote access so that employees can connect, communicate and collaborate when working remotely. Below we answer the question, why is remote work necessary, and how is technology being used to facilitate this?
Remote Work is Here To Stay
There is no doubt that there has been a surge in remote work over the last few years. How has this impacted businesses, and can we expect this trend to continue?
The simple answer is that remote work is necessary for many employees, meaning businesses have had to change their working models to ensure employee retention. This has also created a new digital workplace where employees can easily access the data and services needed to do their jobs effectively at any time and from anywhere. This allows people to choose how they work, ultimately increasing employee satisfaction. A study from McKinsey and Company found that 87% of employees offered remote work took the opportunity. The study also showed that a flexible work environment is one of the top three motivating factors for finding a new job.
The question is, is this a trend that we can expect to continue to gain momentum? The simple answer is yes. According to a study from Gartner, in 2022 the global digital workplace market was worth USD 33 billion. It is projected to attain USD 234 billion by 2032. Between 2023 and 2032, this market is expected to record a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.3%.
This growth is also set to be impacted by the number of Millennials and Gen Z’s within the workplace. According to the Deloitte Global 2022 Gen Z and Millennials survey, work-life balance is at the top of their priorities when applying for a job. These employees strive for a better work-life balance which remote working environments can provide. Over and above this, for these employees, the following is important:
Technology is key, they respect and are comfortable with it, and they use it for most of their daily interactions.
They are socially conscious, more so than any other generation. They desire to do work that is meaningful for themselves and society. They are a DIY generation, so micromanaging is out of the question.
They expect flexibility, and more of them are already disconnecting from the daily chaos and becoming digital nomads who travel the world to earn an income. Employers will need to accommodate these desires, and the more in-demand workers in the Gen Z generation are, the more flexible businesses will need to become. This is where a remote work environment will really make an impact and benefit both the employee and employer.
The Benefits of Remote Work
From the above, it is clear that remote work is expected to continue to gain popularity and growth. Many could argue that this kind of working environment has several benefits for both businesses and employees. Let’s take a look at these below.
Benefits of Remote Work for Businesses
- Cost Savings – by allowing employees to work remotely, businesses can significantly reduce their overheads as they do not need to pay for rent, utilities, office supplies, etc.
- Improved Productivity – by allowing employees to work from home, businesses can create a more comfortable and flexible work environment that fosters productivity. A recent study by Alto found that remote workers reported fewer distractions, less stress, and fewer interruptions, leading to a 77% increase in productivity.
- Access To A Larger Talent Pool – businesses that offer remote working environments are not limited by location when employing staff. This provides access to more skilled and qualified talent.
- Business Continuity – this is possibly the most significant benefit as remote work allows for business continuity during a pandemic, natural disaster or other crisis. When faced with these situations, remote businesses can continue with work.
Benefits of Remote Work for Employees
- Better Work-Life Balance – remote working environments often come with flexible schedules, which means employees have more flexibility and control over their work schedules. This enables them to attend to any personal needs, creating more balance.
- Less Commute Stress – according to the Auto Insurance Centre, commuters spend about 100 hours commuting and 41 hours stuck in traffic each year. This is a lot of time wasted that can be better used for other activities.
- Location Independence – remote work offers employees more job opportunities as geographic locations don’t limit them.
- Money Savings – remote workers can save on monthly bills as they do not have to pay for car maintenance, transportation, parking fees, petrol etc.
- Increased Productivity and Performance – employees who work remotely experience fewer interruptions, more efficient meetings, fewer office politics and quieter noise levels, leading to increased performance. They also have more time to be productive as they do not need to commute to work.
How APN-as-a-Service Improves Remote Work and Business Continuity
From the above, it is clear that remote working environments foster several different benefits for both the employer and employees. For these environments to be successful, several elements need to be in place, specifically related to connectivity and remote access to the business networks. Without these, employees will be unable to work.
Many employers have turned to technology to help create a new digital workplace. Technologies, like Adapt IT’s APN-as-a-Service solutions, are one of the technologies that ensure business continuity in this way.
With this technology, employers can manage connectivity across employees’ IoT devices and give them secure remote access to the necessary business networks. Over and above this, this technology employs the employer by allowing for the following:
- Spend control and expense management
- Data and bundle allocations
- Secure and authorised network authentication
- Simplified data management
- Mobile device and SIM management
This unique solution gives the employer complete visibility and control over the business’s IT ecosystem. This differs remarkably from more traditional mobile products, where you would need to go through the mobile operator to find support, make allocation changes, set up SIMS etc. With this kind of solution, the control is in your hands. As soon as you have a new employee, you can use the self-service platform to provide them with access to the network, deploy their sims, allocate data bundles etc. You can ensure your employee has full connectivity with the click of a button.
Conclusion
With remote work set to continue to be the work environment of choice for many employees, employers need to ensure that they have true workforce mobility. Many employees are turning to technologies such as Adapt IT Telecom’s APN-as-a-service technology to make this possible. This technology not only provides full connectivity for employees but provides employers with complete control over the entire IT ecosystem so they can manage this efficiently and effectively. When it comes to future business planning and business continuity, there is no doubt that remote working environments will come out on top.
APN-as-a-Service is a reliable solution to business continuity and remote working
As the Global Head of Marketing and Business Development with 20 years of experience, Agnieszka’s expertise lies in the practical implementation of digital and traditional marketing strategies for B2C and B2B companies. Through her long-term, client-focused, strategic approach, and branding experience, she continues to develop innovative marketing plans that yield significant results. Now working in the SaaS industry, she oversees a multitude of solutions within the telecommunications industry including Customer Experience & Self-service, VAS, NextGen, IoT, FinTech, and Advanced Analytics.
