As the remote work revolution sweeps the globe, contrarians are quick to point out that certain industries and positions may not be realistic candidates for working from home. Jobs in hospitality are frequently pointed to as examples of roles that require a physical presence – after all, that bed will not make itself. But forward-thinking organizations are using this crisis as the impetus to think creatively about what is and is not needed on-site.

Digital delivery devices

When the world was open, and people traveled frequently (it seems like a lifetime ago) they were already capable of limiting their interactions with real people if they preferred. Upon arrival at the airport they could pick up their rental car by interacting with a kiosk (or better yet skip straight to the garage). When they reached their hotel, they could simply pull out their smartphone which had magically become a digital key that provided access to their room without any human intervention. And when they had a question about changing their reservation, they could use their same mobile device to open an app that connected them with a helpful personality (who was likely based far from the hotel where they were actually staying).

We are all entrepreneurs now

The answer to surviving the crisis and thriving in the new world is being open-minded. “There are both right and wrong ways to implement remote work. If you’re holding back because you’re only looking at the wrong examples, you are going to miss out on many rewards,” says Laurel Farrer, President of the Remote Work Association and CEO of Distribute Consulting. One could make the argument that all of us are at risk in today’s dynamic environment, so why not take some chances by rethinking how work gets accomplished. Break down jobs into their component tasks and responsibilities to identify those elements that could quite easily be done remotely. Then reassign those functions to remote workers and allow the individuals who remain physically present to focus on the duties that cannot accommodate a Zoom call.

To learn more about this topic and gain some practical information about steps your organization can take to create a remote workforce, check out this eBook.

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