7 Work From Home Trends in 2021 You Should Know

1. The year 2020 created a radical and lasting impact to the very way in which we work. And 2021 seems just as much on the brink of disruption with the second waves of COVID still wreaking havoc. In the process, it too has generated trends of its own. Here are 7 trends that you should know! Hybrid Office Models On the Rise Varying combinations of remote work and onsite work have already started becoming the norm. With commuting already tough in the present situation on many employees, many prefer to skip the commute entirely so that they can be more productive and flexible in their work and its output.

2. Yet paradoxically, there are also those who would like to return to the workplace. This has primarily been for the reasons of better peer interactions and the ability to meet face-to-face for solving situations. The solution: a model that adopts the best of both. And thus the hybrid model of office work is born. As may be suggested, this effectively is a blended model where some employees return to the workplace and others continue to work from home. Tech-Empowered Remote Work As companies expand remote working capabilities to support their operations, they are presently spending only 20% of their original meeting room budgets on conference call technologies for collaborating with one another. But with more people settling to work from home, the intrusive nature of video conferencing calls starts taking shape, among other WFH problems to already deal with. One such solution to the problem here is MultiCall. A calling app that allows group collaboration, MultiCall lets you call your entire team in one go without the hassle of entering PINs or awaiting moderators. The app not only lets you rely on your personal contact network, but lets you categorize them into groups and favourites as well.

3. Increased respect for non-work times One of the biggest struggles that arose out of the pandemic was the complete loss of control over employee work-life balance. With the 24/7 work culture came a practically 24/7 level of remote communication. Surveys had found that 51% of employees were concerned about their work-life balance. Employers need to rise to the occasion here, and set clear rules and guidance about avoiding calls after work hours or requests that need an immediate response. Enhanced Cyber security Given the multiple devices and setups involved with the hybrid model, there are growing concerns around how data is accessed remotely and how secure it can get. Cisco’s "Future of Secure Remote Work” report revealed that 82% of employers felt that "cyber security is now extremely important or more important than before COVID-19." The Wall Street Journal even called the hybrid workplace a “cyber security nightmare” Less Infrastructure Expenses; More Savings With far lesser need for physical work sites, companies with no HQ or organizational office are slowly becoming a reality. Companies will need to plan strategies and review calls; to set specific days for meetings

4. and collaboration, while having other days for remote work. MultiCall’sCall Scheduling proves to be a handy feature here. Flexible Work Times While companies are working remotely, work schedule seems to have remained the same as before. With all having to juggle personal and professional lives (not to mention their house-related tasks),this can be restrictive for the employees, as many have to juggle house-related tasks and take care of their kids. As a result, more companies will need to start evaluating if they actually need traditional work times, with some already providing flexibility for their employees as long as the deliverables are executed, and the targets achieved. Greater Demand for Retraining and Reskilling As a result of the pandemic, the rising unemployment also means the surfacing of a gap in required skills. Increases in job automation has, in turn incited the demand for retraining and up skilling. These include fields such as: • • • • • Artificial intelligence Machine learning Cloud computing Cyber security Healthcare IT Covid-19 has created unprecedented levels of remote working around the globe. We have learned a lot, but still have a long way to go. As the lockdown to counter the second wave of the pandemic continues to prolong, employers and employees alike still have uncharted roads ahead toward effectively and efficiently managing remote working. But knowing the trends that are anew and addressing their potential issues is what would help people and companies alike to achieve and reach more, now.