As many companies reveal plans to return to the office, most have presented at least a hybrid model, which indicates that remote work is becoming more firmly and widely entrenched than before.

In 2020, most companies that had previously held out on remote work arrangements were forced to go through the remote transformation and provide employees with the logistics to make remote work possible. But the fact is that some of these employers had the intent of ultimately returning to the office and never fully embraced remote work.

This year, all signs point toward an expanding swath of corporate America experiencing the “Remote Transformation.” What might this look like in practice? According to Alice Default, CEO and cofounder of the remote assistant platform Double, companies that continue to equip their employees with the tools and skills to improve working while remote—such as communication, delegation, and transparency—will be the most successful. Double’s growth has quintupled since this time last year, which helps demonstrate the growth and acceptance for remote work among the executive community.

Default has her finger on the pulse of this topic, having spent more than six years building productivity tools at Microsoft, Sunrise Calendar, and Front prior to launching her flexible assistant service for busy executives. She shared the following insights with FlexJobs about how undergoing the Remote Transformation can give organizations a competitive advantage.

Shift Underway

Among the more than 200 customers that Double works with, Default has seen many companies move to a remote environment in the wake of the pandemic. She explained that because of her company’s business model, all of her customers had already adopted a remote or hybrid model on some level by hiring a Double executive assistant because all of their “Doubles” work remotely.

“Within the Double community, I haven’t witnessed any customers return to the office full-time, full capacity yet, and I think progressive businesses will continue on the path they’ve already forged toward the Remote Transformation,” Default said. “Many knowledge workers have had positive experiences with remote work, and they expect a hybrid model similar to the one they’ve worked in for 15 months.”

The CEO added that it’s much easier to introduce something new than it is to take something away, pointing out that businesses that deny their workforce a perk that has been in practice for this long will suffer in talent retention and acquisition.

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Default characterized the Remote Transformation as “the realization that there is a better way to work,” noting that the pandemic was the catalyst for this movement.

“When we were all sent home from our offices more than a year ago, businesses that had no existing policy for work from home suddenly found themselves without any other choice,” she said. “Now, as life begins to show some semblance of normalcy again, companies are faced with the challenge of a changing work environment yet again, but this time it’s calling employees back to the office.”

The driving force behind this, according to Default, is a workforce that has piloted remote work for the past 15 months. “Many employees have discovered the benefits of remote work: they feel productive, have a better work-life balance, etc.,” she said. “For these people, a schedule that is at least partly remote isn’t just a desire, it’s an expectation.”

On the other hand, Default recognized that remote work has its challenges, such as people potentially feeling less connected to each other, difficulty maintaining culture and relationships, and technology challenges. “For many folks, connecting in person still has a lot of value,” she said.

The cofounder believes that a good compromise that many companies have already announced is a hybrid model, which includes a mix of in-person and remote options. “Rather than go back to the way things were before the pandemic, business leaders should consider the best way to move forward, including careful consideration of their business goals,” Default explained.

The Competitive Advantage

Why will companies that let employees keep working remotely full-time (or at least some of the time) be more successful than those that go back to the former model? Default says first, it’s important for both employees and business leaders to understand that remote doesn’t work for everyone. “Emerging from the pandemic will look different for every company,” she said. “Some businesses will have to go back to their former model to succeed, but for those that don’t, there are a lot of ways to be even more successful than before.”

Since remote workplaces cannot rely on the physical interaction of an office, they must focus on culture, employee satisfaction, and communication practices in other ways to make it work. “These are things that you can consider easy when everyone is having lunch together every day or passing each other in hallways, but aren’t as obvious when everyone is working remotely,” Default said.

As an example, she shared that when Double onboards remotely, the process has different requirements than just inviting the new hires to the office on their first day. The company has invested significant time to ensure that a new employee’s first days and weeks at the company are welcoming, supportive, and exciting. “The effort that goes into preparing this remote relationship pushes you to define your expectations more clearly, communicate more directly, and ultimately provide a better experience for everyone involved,” she explained.

Tools and Skills for Success

Companies that want to see their employees succeed in a remote work environment will provide them access to skills and tools they may not have had when they worked in the office. Default emphasized that leadership should focus on providing training in the following three areas:

• How to work effectively while remote. This includes equipping people to know to take breaks, stay focused and avoid distractions, and plan for moments of connections vs. moments of focus. “This training is critical because if avoided, it can lead to a work-life imbalance and ultimately, burnout,” Default said.
• Tools to facilitate asynchronous communication. Examples include digital tools for team updates (to avoid ineffective recurring meetings), giving feedback, sending recognition, etc.
• Tools to facilitate relationship-building. Examples include tools to help team members engage in informal conversations, virtual offices, and frictionless video chats. For example, Double uses Tandem, a virtual office platform for remote teams, to facilitate “watercooler” conversations and one-off chats.

The ROI

Companies that embrace the Remote Transformation can expect valuable benefits in the form of talent. “Remote work opens up access to diverse and competitive talent profiles from anywhere versus limiting the hiring pool to one specific region,” she said, noting that her company receives more than 3,000 applications for about 5-10 assistant positions available each month, giving them the choice of the top .05% of candidates.

Remote work also increases access to flexible talent. “In a remote setting, companies can be more open to part-time/contractor roles for specific or expert tasks vs. full-time roles,” Default said. “With a focus on asynchronous communication and culture building, it will be easier to onboard these skills experts.” As an example, she pointed out that most of Double’s executive customers don’t want to hire a full-time assistant in their office, but are open to part-time assistants working remotely.

With all of this in mind, Default advises employers that find themselves on the fence about continuing remote work arrangements to listen to their employees. “Ask your team what they want, and then really listen to them, and build the future of your company alongside them,” she said. “The full remote or hybrid model is achievable if you work toward it together.”

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