Today, the rate at which technology is advancing is the fastest it’s ever been, yet at the same time the slowest it will ever be. This breakneck pace is proving to be the driving force behind the rise of flexible working, a millennial demand which is quickly coming to fruition.
Work from Anywhere
A study conducted by Fuze of 1,000 workers and 500 teenagers discovered that 85% of employees believe that flexible working is important. The vast majority also believe that you don’t have to work in an office to be productive.
Technology is providing us with choice, and more opportunities. It is the enabler for working from anywhere and 65% of the UK’s workforce agree they could work from home given the right technology. We live in an extraordinary age, and it would be fair to say that technology has advanced enough to enable most people to work from home. Improved Wi-Fi and mobile data mean you can connect to the office from home, a coffee shop, or on your commute. There’s also audio and videoconferencing, and instant messaging. You can remain in the loop via communication tools such as Slack, and project management tools, for example Trello, enable projects to be tracked by various team members who don’t have to work in the same building.
“Technology is providing us with choice, and more opportunities”
Photo by Agnieszka Boeske on Unsplash
The End of the Traditional Office?
The way we work is evolving at such a rapid pace that in the next few years the traditional office could be viewed as an archaic concept. Answering email is neither time nor place dependent, and there are so many ways to conduct meetings and track a project’s progress without the need to be present in the office. In the future, the main reason to come into the office will be to grab some valuable face time with your colleagues, to nurture those all-important work relationships that are the key to teamwork.
The rapid pace of technological change has already pushed many businesses to reassess their real estate portfolio. Utilising flexible work spaces has enabled businesses to save money in terms of office space. Having employees who can work from anywhere, at any time and who aren’t tied to their desks means businesses can be more responsive. This gives their company a huge advantage over competitors.
Photo by Robert Anasch on Unsplash
Flexible Working and the Shared Economy
According to Deloitte’s 2019 global mobile consumer survey, in most developed markets, about 90 percent of adults own a smartphone, with around 95 percent of those smartphones used daily. The internet, cloud communications and smart devices have made it easy to plug in and work from anywhere where there’s Wi-Fi. This has caused the shared economy to boom (link to my previous article), because technology is enabling flexible working to become a reality. If someone wants to drive for Uber or rent their spare bedroom out or Airbnb to become an instant hotelier, they can get started with a few clicks of their smartphone and work the hours that they decide. Technology is providing people with choices and opportunities while allowing them to be enjoy their freedom by being completely flexible. In turn this makes people feel motivated and empowered.
“Today, now, this very moment, is the slowest pace of change you will experience in the rest of your life” – Jonathan MacDonald.
Technology is the driving force behind massive changes affecting the workplace. Companies are realising that major change is creating new opportunities, and it’s likely that traditional workplace models could soon be a thing of the past. With the rise of mobile and smart devices, in addition to the benefits of the cloud, businesses are ready to transform offices into connected hubs that support flexible working practices. This will empower and motivate workforces and create more efficient and productive organisations.
RMS advocates flexible working, believing that flexibility and freedom creates better, happy employees. See our opportunities here.
