Distributed Workforce; Future of Working Spaces and Team-Collaboration

Pooling in talent based on geographic boundaries was an outright idea initially. However, does it do good for an organization now, since we are in an era of stiff competition and telecommunication at peak. The question is, why companies that face a challenge in recruiting an efficient workforce are adopting distributed workforce strategy. Technology lends valuable resources like telecommunication, which is the ultimate contributing factor to a successful Distributive Workforce strategy.

How is distributed workforce facilitating both employers and employees?

Distribution strategy is not necessarily inclined towards one party’s benefit, rather contributes equally for either of the parties, i.e., the employers and the employees.

Speaking of employers, and what is in the Distributed Workforce for them; the stereotyped geographical boundary is broken. Employers no longer need to put in an obligation of “Resident of XYZ” while hiring workforce. Employers can aim for a specific skill set while searching for an employee and find it in a distributed recruiting approach.

Other facets of Distributed Workforce would be continuity in business which can be disrupted anytime, COVID-19 being major vindication. The distribution strategy induces higher productivity, brings down turnover, and spikes savings as well.

Employees on the other end enjoy a possible work-life balance and flexibility, the highest of compelling factors which drive employees to work remotely. When commuting to the workplace is eliminated, it also helps cut down on time and money. According to the findings of the Walden University study, a remote team would be more efficient than an in-office staff.

Benefits of Distributed Workforce for Employers

Here are the veracious reasons why distribution strategy will aid employers who vowed to make it a part of their corporate strategy. Contrarily, here is the motivation for the employers who wish to think beyond the general norms of recruitment.

Efficient Recruitment – Recruiting people not subject to a specific location would perfectly fill any specific skill gaps in the organization. Search for a particular candidate becomes efficient, without the requirement of tedious training programs.
Retention and Satisfaction – Studies depict greater satisfaction among remote employees, almost as much as 73%. Consider it a way of wooing your employees, but flexibility in work will help gain a loyal workforce. Employee retention suddenly becomes achievable post-providing perks like flexibility in work.
High productivity – COVID-19 made remote working a compulsion, and steered in-depth studies on the same as a permanent option. From the many results derived, major factors point out a high level of productivity. A sleek route of flexibility develops a sense of gratefulness within the employees, which compels them to be efficient and also walk the extra mile.
Diversity – Distributed workforce does not only mean working from home. Employers get the chance to recruit anyone and everyone, not limited to a location, race, culture, community, or more. This might bring in a work culture or attitude beyond the employer’s perception and visualization.
Cost Saving – Cost saving is not only limited employees, but for an employer as well. Real estate costs, furniture, janitorial services, electricity, and other overhead costs are all pulled down. Minimization becomes obvious, while productivity takes a surge.

Infusing Distributed workforce facilitates establishing a strong workforce that is grounded in strong work ethics. You can take a step closer to creating that one dream team the company can rely upon.

How Working Spaces have evolved after the onset of the pandemic?

Work from home is not relatively new, rather a practice among 44% of employers in the past 5 years. Spike was witnessed post-COVID since employers took measures to prevent the virus. Amidst the pandemic, remote culture became the new normal, which transformed our perception regarding health and wellness.

Employers ought to give equal importance to a clean working space as they would to any other facets of the business. Sanitization, masks, PPEs, and multiple other measures are an add-on to the workplaces lately. Employers are also renovating workplaces that would resemble a structure of hospitals, creating separate units of health assistance. Employers are considering safekeeping an inventory, consisting of sanitizing items and items to endorse clean office premises, to curb the virus.

Privacy is now a thing since employees are getting used to working from home freely. Likewise, the hype of office being a royal hub is round the corner, wherein offices would be viewed as a status symbol. Virtual set-up and other amenities from home further endorse office spaces as a place of luxury for crucial meetings and gatherings. Employees and employers have become technology-reliant which has created a spark in techies to induce technological multitude. Feasible telecommunication and enriched online working experience show remote culture is here to stay for long.

What will the future of Working spaces look like?

The future of workplaces only relies upon what employees deem compatible. Wellness being the priority, employees want a workplace that does not follow the strict traditional work timing. Here is how experts perceive the future of working spaces might look like.

The workplace will be an area that will contribute to the existing work efficiency, not a determinant of work efficiency.
Infrastructure will take a rather U-turn. Employers will choose materials that can withstand extensive cleaning and are less prone to absorbing dirt and germs. Another addition to infrastructure will be ventilated spaces, contrary to the enclosed air-conditioned spaces. Employers will deploy measures that will maintain quality air in the workplace. Indoor plantation will become a thing as well.
Employee preference will be the prime construct of decision-making. While a majority of the workforce will want to continue working from home post COVID, companies will consider establishing regional workplaces for a bunch of gatherings and meetings.
Home constructions will include an office space to feasible work from home in the future.
Even when we defeat the virus, ensuring utmost safety, companies will induce a hybrid working mode. Herein, workers may be required to work from the office a few days in the week, and from home for the remaining. Also, a particular group of employees will be required to report to the office, while the others will be allowed to work at the place of their choice.
Technology will accommodate remote working, and new areas of telecommunication will emerge. Technology and innovation will change for the good, ensuring every employee’s need is met, while businesses continue to make a steady and heavy profit.

What are the options available under this future of working spaces?

Compelling employees to work in-house will be a challenge. The outlined traditional workplace setup will forego a change and some of the options available will include comfortable workplaces.

Employers need to target a working area that will allow employees to move about and sit comfortably, an aesthetically pleasing workplace.

Employers are more likely to introduce quality furniture and pleasing architecture. Office spaces may consider including a better contact with nature, such as plantation and natural lighting.

Work flexibility will be a major factor as well, and employees will get to decide when they wish to work.

Amenities at the workplace will as well spike and employee relaxation can become a major factor.

Help will be available within the office premises, which includes counselling and health advice. Employers would want to ensure safety for their employees first. Hence, taking precautions will be the prime factor.

Which is more preferable remote working or in-house?

Remote vs in-house is a hot topic for debate every now and then. Since employers get to hire beyond a specific geographical location, they wish to adopt the distributed workforce strategy. Employees claim they feel safe working from home since they are worried about contracting the virus at work.

A drastic change in employee efficiency was witnessed while they worked from home and for the good. Reports state that the majority of the workforce has started working beyond the in-house limitations, choosing to work remotely.

Digitalization is part of our lives now and probably the new normal, which has a major influence on our daily life. Employees will be bound to stick to this culture for the near future as well.

Here are some arguments in favour of remote work:

Employees have the utmost control over how they work, unlike in-office work, where everything is definite
Working hours will be the same, while the employees will be able to save up on transit time and efficiently invest it elsewhere. This ensures a better work-life balance
Higher level of productivity and flexibility

Arguments against remote work are streamlined below:

With no common workplaces, it can get lonely for a person with friends from the workplace or for a person who is extremely outgoing.
Scheduling and follow-ups will become tedious.
It might become difficult for people to work from places if they belong from areas with weak internet connectivity and frequent power cuts.
Since it has already been a while we have been amidst the pandemic, with a slight improvement till this point, working remotely shall be a preference, for now, the future of which remains in a grey area.

Drawing a conclusion out of the facets of remote vs in-house discussion is inappropriate. Working style per employee varies, and while some employees like the idea of getting associated with a coworker, some prefer working from the comfort of their homes.

Team collaboration while communicating virtually vs in-person.

Psychology-experts encourage having in person interaction rather than on a device. Communicating virtually was a new concept in early pandemic days, but the recent adaptation is surprising.

People have grown to adjust to virtual collaborations better than in person, the right tech is the cherry on top. Often the content conveyed to the employers is time-consuming in person, which is cut short in a virtual meeting. This endorses short, crisp, and conveying only the crucial information.

If employers adopt the right ways to collaborate with their employees virtually, there will be no point of concern.

How to better communicate with the team while working remotely.

Here are some tips which will seemingly make remote working culture a piece of cake for you.

Be well versed with the latest tech and gadgets which will ensure seamless interaction among team members. Take measures to make them a part of the work process.
Check-in with your employees over fixed intervals but do not micromanage them via text messages.
Pick a clean and clear tone while communicating with your employees to ensure the right message is conveyed.
Avoid communications beyond working hours, and stick to the work hours.
Using better virtual representation techniques such as diagrams and visuals, to brief your message.
Ensure you maintain a concise communication guideline and ensure everyone sticks with it.

One of the most crucial factors is, trust your employees with the work and deadline.

Pandemic or otherwise, companies with concerns about employee satisfaction will have the edge. Flexibility and order in the workforce, with a slight bit of benefits and perks as they aspire, will lead the company’s way forward. The distributed workforce will indeed bring massive perks into the work culture and induce exceeding profits and turnover, with minimal expenses. Definition of working will change, and a hybrid model which leaves an employee to decide their place of work will most probably work.

About the contributor

Umesh Uttamchandani

Co-Founder, Chief Growth Officer

DevX Accelerator

An active investor and mentor for start-ups; Umesh is a Strategic Thinker with a flair towards Corporate Innovation and Sales. With about 10 years of experience in the IT and Real Estate Industry; Umesh is a cut above when it comes to critical thinking, team communication, strategic marketing and business growth consultation. After excelling at various skills, Umesh’s primary focus now is to build meaningful relationships and uplift innovative start-up ventures in the domain of SaaS, Mobility, Cloud Kitchen, Media-Tech and Lending.