For many years, analysts have predicted that remote working would be the future of digital enterprises. Now, the future is here. However, although remote working may be ‘inevitable’, it’s not without its challenges. In this post, we’ll assess why companies championing and facilitating remote working are performing well in the stock market and analyze how millions of us are overcoming the challenges associated with working from home.
Does Championing Remote Working Have a Stock Market Impact?
The latest data on the best- and worst-performing stocks of the year has revealed that information technology stocks have provided huge returns for investors in the first half of 2020. In the UK, investors in BATM Advanced Communications have seen a +266.9 per cent share price return, while investors in GMO Cloud K.K. in Japan have seen a 176.5 per cent return. Overall, information technology companies have provided the largest share price return in four out of seven countries, as well as the top three share price returns overall.
The reason for this is simple. Not only are these companies champions of home working, but they also facilitate it. While BATM’s network and cyber division provides innovative telecom network solutions, GMO Cloud K.K’s hosting services and IT solutions allow their customers to work from home securely. By being at the forefront of the remote working space, these companies are able to tap into market sentiment and get ahead of emerging trends, powering other businesses who have been left behind.
Traditionally, information technology stocks are not strong during a recession. But investors in some IT providers have seen gains of over 100 per cent this year. On the flip side, energy stocks are usually strong during a recession, but their average share price return has fallen to -45.7 per cent so far this year. As a result of this, many investors have taken part in contract for difference trading. This has enabled them to diversify their portfolios during uncertain times and even hedge against their current investments. Plus, it has allowed them to speculate on rising and falling prices across a range of markets including indices, commodities and forex.
3 Ways Employees Are Adapting to Remote Working
Although remote working creates challenges for managers looking to maximize productivity and increase staff motivation, there are three key ways that businesses and workforces alike are overcoming these issues, these are:
#1 Preventing overworking by creating structures
Although most managers have previously been hesitant to allow home working due to fears over inefficiency, research has shown that people who work from home are more productive than those who work in an office. In fact, two-thirds of employers have reported productivity increases since they allowed their employees to work from home.
However, because many employees now have their work life and their personal life under the same roof, it’s important that employers don’t overwork them. Otherwise, staff members may find it impossible to take breaks, causing them to become burnt out and unmotivated. As a result, employers must remember that staff members are out of their office routines, so structures should be created to support them. This means no late-night emails or back-to-back meeting requests over lunch.
#2 Preventing loneliness through meetings
Although employees who are working in isolation may be more productive than those working in a shared office environment, they can suffer from loneliness due to a lack of interaction. If workers are single and live in one-person apartments, this can be particularly pronounced. As a result of this, employers and managers need to promote e-meetings wherever possible and champion social activities. So, consider adding team bonding sessions, video calls and daily catch ups with the team via Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
#3 Resolving communication issues with tools
When team members are working remotely, managers lose the oversight they have when everyone is working in the same office. As a result, it can be difficult to know which team members are picking up specific tasks and where lines of responsibility are drawn.
Similarly, isolation can cause challenges with collaborative working. To overcome this challenge, managers must implement effective communication channels that go well beyond the scope of emailing. Slack, Google Drive and InVision will all provide instant, responsive and flexible forms of communication depending on your needs. So, update your business’s software to include these tools and ensure staff members are kept in the loop.
To conclude, although remote working is both the present and the future, staff members and management alike need to work hard to overcome the challenges it presents. However, as the stock market shows us, companies who are pioneering work from home technology and championing remote working are performing well. So, in the next six months, expect to see more companies embrace the possibilities provided by remote working, including increased productivity, lower overheads and higher levels of employee satisfaction. The ‘new normal’ could be the key to unlocking your business’s potential.