Work from home (or “remotopia”), green jobs, the gig-revolution and automation will rewrite the rulebooks. Read more (World Economic Forum)

“Remotopia”: work from home – from the margins to the mainstream

At the outset of 2020, less than 5% of workers did their jobs remotely. Now, more than half of knowledge workers work remotely.

In the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a number of high-profile companies – Facebook, Google, PayPal, Shopify, Siemens, and more – have announced long-term or permanent remote work policies.

Remote working arrangements, which are new to many companies and workers, require vastly different ways of thinking and collaborating. For example, the emerging normalcy of distributed workforces will place even greater importance on soft skills such as communication, relatability, empathy, and flexibility.

Studies show that remote employees work longer hours and are more productive than in-office counterparts. Both workers and employers alike must learn to balance those gains with increased likelihood of burnout and feelings of isolation. Additionally, recruiting for knowledge workers can expand to new geographies and include previously underrepresented populations like disabled or chronically ill workers. These changing dynamics will move to the HR forefront in the years to come.