Not just because of the elephant in the room (*cough* COVID-19), but because the world of work was already changing before the pandemic made big news. Companies with the technology, foresight, and open-minded employees<\/a> made the transition from the office to this new COVID-centric world without too much interruption. Those who have struggled to adapt have unfortunately seen lots of bumps along the way, and some even met their end.<\/p>\n With more companies pandering to remote workers, there\u2019s been a huge rush to help them out. This huge influx of temporary <\/em>remote workers has given us incredible foresight of what the world could look like with a higher proportion of remote workers, and opened even more companies to the possibility of a remote workforce.<\/p>\n Each new year comes with its challenges, and there\u2019s no doubt that 2021 has been a tricky one for everyone involved. Despite its trials and tribulations, there are some clear trends\u00a0 emerging\u00a0 from communities of location-independent workers, many that are likely to continue in the near future.<\/p>\n With nation-wide lockdowns taking place across the globe, the appeal of big cities appear to be on a downwards spiral. The thriving social scenes, cultural hotspots, and stunning cityscapes that we all know and love have come to a standstill. Instead, we are left with over-priced rentals, empty streets, and a lack of green space.<\/p>\n COVID-19 has had lots of us reevaluating our priorities. The search for fresh air, green space, and affordable living seem to be at the top of the list while many of us make a bee-line away from the city streets and out into the open countryside<\/a>.<\/p>\n We\u2019re not exaggerating when we say that the world of remote working wouldn\u2019t be anywhere without the help of technology. Productivity apps<\/a>, video conferencing software, secure messaging systems, and everything else that comes along with it, make it easy to run a remote company without a hiccup. The need for permanent office space, those good old traditional brick, and mortars, is becoming increasingly obsolete.<\/p>\n Remote software.<\/p>\n Advances in technology and future-thinking companies are both huge contributors as to why remote working has become so widespread in the world, allowing remote workers to transcend borders so easily. A while ago, the idea of remote working was considered to be absurd. Nowadays, opening a company completely online is a simple and straightforward process with programs such as the Estonian e-Residency<\/a>. There are several companies helping you hire, onboard, and pay employees wherever they are in the world. Managing teams<\/a> is easier than ever thanks to ClickUp<\/a>\u2019s productivity platform; team meetings can be organized at the click of a button with Zoom<\/a>, and you can even have a virtual watercooler in online offices such as TeamFlow<\/a>.<\/p>\n Remote employee benefits<\/p>\n Since the idea of digital nomads and remote working came to life around the Millenium, smart thinkers have pooled their resources and pandered to the market. Nowadays, it\u2019s never been easier to get everything you need with just a laptop in hand, and a reliable internet connection. Because of this, companies realized that simply offering remote positions is not enough: employees expect certain benefits, such as a more flexible work schedule<\/a>, healthcare, paid leave, and more. There are companies building the best possible future of remote work with products such as SafetyWing\u2019s Remote Health<\/a>: global health insurance for the whole team, no matter where they live. As opposed to traditional companies hiring locally, remote companies have a wider talent pool to choose from, making health insurance a huge challenge. With SafetyWing\u2019s unique product, it doesn\u2019t matter where your employees are based, they simply cover everyone worldwide under the same, easily customizable plan.<\/p>\n With the tools to do the job, companies that were originally stuck in their ways, are becoming a lot more open-minded to the possibility of remote working. In turn, this generates more remote workers, encouraging more businesses to cater to this arising industry. Creating a beautiful cycle of ever-lasting growth. Or, so we hope!<\/p>\n With two-thirds of companies<\/a> around the world planning to stick to the remote working policies that they\u2019ve adopted during the pandemic, it\u2019s looking like these remote working trends are here to stay.<\/p>\n While we don\u2019t expect every single company to turn to a solely remote workforce, there is a chance that many will choose to adopt a hybrid system. This is where a part of the core team works on company premises and the others work from home<\/a>. The benefit of this hybrid system is that it gives a company the best of both worlds: access to the most talented global employees and more flexibility while still maintaining a strong company culture.<\/p>\n Self-employed remote workers and companies looking to go remote are continually on the lookout to streamline their day-to-day operations. In fact, according to the 2020 Future Workforce Report by Upwork<\/a>, 77% of freelancers say technology has improved their chances of finding work. Moving away from the traditional workplace to a virtual workplace requires a completely different approach and a whole new set of tools. As millennials and Gen-Z employees start to take over the market, we\u2019ll definitely see a lot more innovation on this side of things.<\/p>\n A huge problem a lot of remote workers face is loneliness, mainly because of a lack of connection with co-workers. Human beings are sociable by nature, and working remotely can be incredibly isolating.<\/p>\n As much as it is the worker\u2019s responsibility to keep sociable, it is equally the responsibility of their manager to facilitate real-time connectivity amongst teams. Employees need to know that they are a valuable part of the company, whether they\u2019re in an office or on a beach in Barbados. Regular video calls are just one part of the solution. But as teams become even further spread across the globe, managers need to be more imaginative with their bonding activities.<\/p>\n According to a recent CoSo Cloud survey<\/a>, 77% of remote workers say that they\u2019re much more productive when they\u2019re working at home. In theory, this increase in productivity allows workers to shorten their working week while still earning the same income. Beyond the remote working world, lots of companies are going against the norm to introduce a four-day working week<\/a>.\u00a0 They are keen to prove that four days a week at maximum productivity will amount to the same amount of work as a five day week at a reduced productivity level.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no doubt that remote work still has its issues<\/a>.<\/p>\n Things can be lonely, it\u2019s far too easy to get distracted on those days that you just don\u2019t feel like it<\/em>, and there are no co-workers around you to give you that boost you might need. That\u2019s not to mention the hurdles we have to overcome with effective and real-time communication.<\/p>\n Luckily, with the speed that technology is advancing and the investment that is going into remote working by both companies and individuals, it\u2019s soon looking like none of this will matter.<\/p>\n Some of the brightest brains in the world are coming together to create novel tools, smart software and even virtual villages that could remedy all of our remote working problems.<\/p>\n With a strong team of innovative thinkers backing the remote working world, the possibilities for its future are limitless. It\u2019s on us to make the world of remote better and available to everyone: through collaboration and knowledge sharing<\/a>, holding companies up to a higher standard and asking for global health care<\/a> and benefits, and not being afraid to create something that doesn\u2019t exist yet.<\/p>\n![\"State](\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/YpHxqvUEE3ua81l2qaapJykivDc9UQ1yioW6K1MobKdLtoG1NigGepWm6NJPXyNgLWj3abQKM14VfFEQyrDT_f05VW8VOVSYdRjieH1jv66ZmPMtS6NHPHseRO5ZQS3LYGJziMcQ\")
Which remote working trends are thriving at the moment?<\/h2>\n
Exodus from cities<\/h3>\n
![\"Annual](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/FZDsNpPhNlmhVAUcBJ1h9BTgIDklhOqxpdfIXOxE-Hdb9vmULmoA4uMs1KUmOynW7hlv-BAUTL1PKtC3BypyV5n-3GzDFpDumYviBetUN9MrRDQ3YTgM1fAELVhOZ8P25pt9Kri1\")
Innovative remote-working software<\/h3>\n
What\u2019s supporting the growth of remote working?<\/h2>\n
\nBut, who could blame them? Back then, there were no virtual private networks, group conferencing software, or remote working tools<\/a> to help you stay connected.<\/p>\n
\nCompanies are realizing the benefits<\/a> of a global talent pool, but so do the remote workers: options for employment don\u2019t have geographic boundaries anymore. You don\u2019t have to choose between companies hiring in your area, you are free to choose from companies worldwide.<\/p>\n![\"Nomad](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/CYaOxndYHv6GLKIBu0a5XsLygRTncg5Ln3x6cmzRrvf5GpL6A94hku6wW6_btsgk_zfAKxXjnnRzSVLmyzhx5I5HrKUlEZfsXoZyB11Y17h7YAxMtF2VsgdTu31050D74uD_PK-I\")
What are the remote working trends of the future?<\/h2>\n
The emergence of the \u2018hybrid-workplace\u2019<\/h3>\n
Start-ups will continue to focus on remote-working services<\/h3>\n
Focus on mental well-being and \u2018real-life\u2019 communication<\/h3>\n
![\"biggest](\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/0AjeC58u0Ku1JgQxoe2jaBbDSLHZp9GJ89dkTLo5nnxqpfCAPzK5UFBNHpycEEUoCS3srXlFarOag6PN5k4hXO-6cdzspwRXRrAUbPUBAe7kmjVbh6BNOt5j6hckJKIDs2hNKeEo\")
Shorter working weeks<\/h3>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n