Remote Working after COVID: Will It Ever Be the Same?

Will remote working after COVID ever be possible? The past two years ever since the pandemic broke out have reshaped the global economies forever. As a major part of the workforce transitions to remote work, many questions still linger: Will remote work be the new normal? What jobs, skills, businesses will be in demand? Read this article to find out.
 

What is remote work?

To put it simply, remote work (remote job/telecommuting) is any kind of work that can be done digitally and without having the employees come to a physical workplace. Remote work has been around for a while and started gaining popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. 
 
 
 
 

Remote working trends after COVID-19

The world witnessed a shifting trend towards remote work as a large proportion of the labour force now work from home. Although this format is strictly applicable to the tech-savvy population at most, remote working after COVID is still a strong possibility, thanks to technological advancement, a change in the working mindset, and the impact that the first wave of telecommuting left on workers.
What happened during the two-year period since 2019 that has rendered the global economy remote-work conducive? Let’s explore:
 

Remote work and online meetings are likely to stay

No other businesses thrive more than online conferencing platforms during COVID, namely, Zoom, Google Meet/ Classroom, and Skype. From an option for multicultural teams to collaborate and meet, these platforms became essential as remote teams grow in numbers. A research conducted by Microsoft predicted that teleconference providers like these are staying in the coming times.
With online meeting platforms slowly becoming the norm, remote working after COVID will soon follow suit given the increasing attention to this sector. 
 

Technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are being leveraged to improve working

Alongside the bloom of digital services, AI is extensively applied in the workforce to automate repetitive tasks and maximize human potential. For example, you may have heard of chatbots that help you explore products/services when first visiting a website or a more complicated algorithm that stores and processes large data to aid decision-making in Marketing. AI is truly visible across sectors because it’s now involved in many different tasks, from easily automated commands to more complex actions.
 
The positive impact that AI brings to the economy is so great that it is now widely used to support global teams and opens up many doors for remote workers. One quick search on the Internet and you can land on so many AI/Machine learning jobs in rising demands.
 

With a stronger emphasis on human-centric workplace, thrives remote work

The uncertainties following a turbulent period during COVID have left the workforce yearning for security more than ever. More workers report an increased sense of work-life balance as they work remotely and share worries about coming back to the office in changing times.
 
In response, many companies have started adjusting their policies to better support their employees. For example, LinkedIn has allowed its members to work from home permanently since early August, 2021. Facebook, Reddit, Microsoft, Spotify and other big corporations also launched the same initiative. 
 
Working cultures that value employees’ sustained well-being are on the rise. Remote working after COVID offers the perfect backdrop for that. 
 
 

What skills will be in demand after COVID

 
Now that you had a glimpse into the future of remote work post COVID. What is there to prepare for?
Actually, it’s well established that the future of work remains an uncertain, ever-changing scene. Therefore, you should focus on a diverse skill set to become more competitive in the marketplace. Below are the four crucial skills you should sharpen to stay relevant to the remote work trends after COVID:
 

Leadership

Even when you’ve never been officially a leader, have you ever been proactive and ask questions to get a headstart in your work?
This forward-moving mindset is necessary when it comes to times of changed values like the COVID pandemic. Being your own leader helps you define goals, targets, and from that lay out your career roadmap, allowing you to stay grounded and focused on the task at hand.
 

Teamwork

Except for a few jobs where you can work independently, almost every position now requires collaboration. You will be judged on the basis of support, attitude, and energy that you bring to the team.
 
There are certain areas that contribute to great teamwork and yield higher results. You should pay close attention to:
- Communication. The way you deliver your message, describe your ideas, or involve the right person-in-charge matters. Almost every company adopts a main channel for specific needs. For example, writing an email to report your results should be succinct, clear, and mindful to the person you’re writing to. Meanwhile, large group discussions (Slack channels or Google Workspace) can be more informal with an aim to gather and experiment with ideas.
- Team collaboration tools. A member of Waw Asia’s once shared her favorite tools for working remotely:
  • - Project Management Software for Teams: Monday.
  • - Internal meeting software: Skype.
  • - Online conference platform: Zoom.
  • - Cross-departmental communication: Slack.
By integrating these innovative solutions, you can manage projects more effectively, collaborate with ease, and transition between different forms of communication without trouble. In addition, these are all familiar digital platforms optimized for teamwork so you don’t have to worry much about working in different industries.
 
- Developing a feedback & reward system. Most of the time, employees can only achieve a sense of belonging after their hard work has been recognized and rewarded. As a leader, you should design and implement a system of this sort as a way to identify and develop talents. As a team member, knowing that your efforts are noticed can be a powerful motivation to improve and contribute.
 

Learning/Self-studying

As skill sets become more favorable, cross-functional tasks call for those who can make themselves employable by self-learning. You can start by identifying the necessary skills for your work, seek resources, and train yourself. There are many options to take now, as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offer everyone a chance to upgrade their skills. You can start by using LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, EdEx courses, or consult professionals of reach to make yourself outstanding in the workplace. 
 

Computer literacy

Have you ever browsed LinkedIn and caught sight of someone proudly sharing their certificate of Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Excel? Computer literacy stands prominently in response to the remote work trends after COVID. When communication takes a huge place online, you’ll need to master cloud-based systems (Google Drive, Microsoft Office,...) and communication software (Slack, Teams, Google Chat, ...) to stay relevant in the workforce.
 
 
 

What jobs will be in demand after COVID-19?

 
According to market surveys, technologies and industries will sharp the post COVID-19 world.
Everyone wonders what jobs, skills and businesses will be important in the future. Here are some primary candidates:
  • - Online Education
  • - Fintech/ Financial Service
  • - Healthcare
  • - E-commerce/ E-Retail
  • - Delivery and Transportation
  • - Cybersecurity
  • - Remote Work and Digital Platforms
 
And you will see the increasing recruitment demand at these below job positions:
  • - IT jobs
  • - Marketing, Digital Marketing, Content Writer
  • - Financial Analyst, Accountant
  • - Web Design, Graphic Design
  • - Online/ Virtual Customer Service
  • - Freelancers for Data-Collection Projects to training AI and machine learning

 

Where to find remote jobs after COVID-19? Waw Asia has the answer

 
If you’re unsure of where to find the best remote jobs, Waw Asia has the solution right at hand for you. We’re an all-in-one remote job portal, where you can find and apply to legitimate jobs, while enjoying resources to enrich your journey to successful telecommuting.
 
Waw Asia makes remote working after COVID possible by: 
  • - Hand screening every job post to help you avoid job scams.
  • - Making sure the employer that hires on our platforms are legal business entities.
  • - Offering subscription plans at affordable and saving costs .
  • - Having a diverse pool of positions from all industries.
  • - Our tool, AI CV Writer, will help you create professional resumes and gain an edge when applying for remote jobs.
  • - Consulting you with top strategies to apply for suitable remote jobs.
  • - Giving legal advice on remote job-related issues. 
 
Let’s start working remotely with ease! Follow these simple steps to kickstart your remote journey:
 
We’re a growing remote working community that aims to bring you value from real professionals. You can join us on Facebook or subscribe to our podcast series “Remote Work Station” now available on Spotify, where we feature experts of all remote work sectors to share their experience and advice for remote work.