{"id":38653,"date":"2020-05-11T13:03:52","date_gmt":"2020-05-11T05:03:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/?p=38653"},"modified":"2020-05-11T13:03:54","modified_gmt":"2020-05-11T05:03:54","slug":"new-lenovo-study-reveals-smarter-technology-fuels-remote-working","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/2020\/05\/11\/new-lenovo-study-reveals-smarter-technology-fuels-remote-working\/","title":{"rendered":"New Lenovo study reveals smarter technology fuels remote working"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With the government extending the enhanced community quarantine to May 15 in select regions, provinces, and cities, including\u00a0Metro Manila\u00a0to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, the Philippines is joining the worldwide trend of encouraging people to work from home wherever feasible to intensify social distancing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research recently released by Lenovo shows that employees and businesses are adapting to work from home (WFH) arrangements, with smart technologies having already enabled the rise of a global workforce that stays connected in a work-from-anywhere world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur survey suggests that the employee experience was already changing before the pandemic hit,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0Michael Ngan, President and General Manager of Lenovo Philippines. \u201cFor example, in the past 15 years, the number of those regularly working from home\u00a0has grown 159% in the US and the same increase is happening in other markets. While our current situation is extraordinary, we are seeing a real willingness from workers to adapt and adopt flexible work arrangements. This confirms that corporate technology investments are paying off, as most people now feel productive at home and believe that the workforce will move more in this direction once the crisis has passed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lenovo study[1]<\/sup><\/a>, which looked at employee attitudes towards WFH in China, Japan, Germany, Italy, and the US, found that\u00a0a majority of employees (87%) felt at least somewhat ready to make the shift to WFH when required. Most had already been either encouraged (46%) or required (26%) to WFH as part of COVID-19 mitigation measures\u00a0as these countries were among the most hardly hit by the pandemic.\u00a0Furthermore, 77% expect that companies will either encourage or at least be more open to letting staff work remotely in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Telecommuting in the Philippines<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even when the quarantine is lifted, the Philippine government is expecting reduced economic activity as a result of the public\u2019s hesitation to engage.[2]<\/sup><\/a> In addition, a pro-work from home stance has already been raised as a solution to traffic woes, particularly in the capital region of Metro Manila. The Telecommuting Act (R.A. 11165) was signed into law to allow employees to conduct work at home or remotely outside the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The move to telecommuting is also a welcome development to the nation\u2019s rising gig economy which thrives on hiring employees on a flexible and freelance setup through online platforms.[3]<\/sup><\/a> The Philippines currently ranks sixth in the world and is the fastest-growing market for the gig industry, revealing a 35% year over year growth in freelance earnings as reported in financial services company Payoneer\u2019s 2019 Global Gig-Economy Index.[4]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the freedom to work anywhere, flexible schedules, the opportunity to prioritize work according to personal schedules, plus the ongoing pandemic, the gig economy in the Philippines is expected to see tremendous growth this year. All these reiterate the need for companies to invest in smarter mobile technologies designed to bolster employee productivity at home or outside the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smarter technology, digital natives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worldwide, the rapid adoption of WFH policies has been made possible by the increasing sophistication and affordability of smart mobile technology, which has enabled many employees to work when away from their desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changing workforce demographics play a part too. The Millennials and Generation Z employees who make up nearly 60% of the workforce today grew up with video on demand, networked video games, and video communication platforms. These digital natives are driving the development and adoption of technology for remote working and collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u2018race for talent\u2019 has also put organizations under significant pressure to rethink their workspace, technology, and culture to attract and retain the best people. A 2018 Harvard Business School global study of 6,500 business leaders found that over 60% predicted that employee expectations for flexible working will significantly affect the future of work.[5]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A human resources consulting firm recently revealed that a majority of employers are still hiring talent, despite the anticipated business impact from the coronavirus outbreak. In late February 2020, 44% of respondents said that they already offer remote working as an employee benefit to either all of their staff or select employees and functions.[6]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt a time when all companies need to navigate uncertainty and keep their business running, technology enables them to keep moving forward. Companies need to adjust now and ensure their employees have the video tools, technology, and training required to succeed today and in a future where more remote working may be the norm,\u201d Ngan added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lenovo\u2019s Tips for a Productive Remote Workforce<\/strong>:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n