VIRTUAL WORK MODELS AND STRATEGY PLANS

Virtual work models speak to remote and decentralized work arrangements that leverage digital connectivity to enable employees to perform their jobs from any location. The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly accelerated the shift towards virtual, flexible models that untether people across geographies and time zones.

There are various formats of virtual work models emerging as alternatives to traditional on-site office routines. Many companies now support hybrid policies where employees split time between working remotely and working from offices. Fully distributed models center around 100% remote teams using digital tools for communication and collaboration without a shared central office. Some virtual companies have adopted a “work from anywhere” policy without location requirements.

Technology is critical for powering effective virtual work across organizations. Leading platforms include video conferencing apps like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet that enable face-to-face interactions online. Collaboration software like Slack, Asana, Trello, and Figma provide continuity for teamwork by streamlining communication, information-sharing, task management anddeliverable coordination. Cloud services ensure access to central files, data and applications across devices.

While technology facilitates workflow continuity, the shift towards permanent virtual or hybrid arrangements relies on rethinking aspects of company culture, leadership styles, talent recruitment practices and performance management to nurture engagement, accountability and productivity regardless of employee locations. Virtual models upend traditional methods relying on in-person oversight.

Successful virtual companies foster cultures emphasizing outcomes over physical presence, provide management training for leading distributed teams, incorporate virtual collaboration into role expectations/performance metrics, offer equitable advancement opportunities for remote staff, and proactively develop meaningful bonds between on-site and off-site team members. Rethinking aspects of corporate policies, facilitation formats of all-hands meetings to ensure inclusive interactions across locations, recalibrating camera-use norms across cultures and time zones, and being thoughtful regarding work hour expectations all enable sustainable, inclusive models.

Done right, virtual policies provide employers access to global talent, support recruiting top candidates unbound by geography, reduce real estate costs, and offer staff scheduling flexibility and improved work-life balance seen through heightened engagement and retention rates. As work trends continue evolving post-pandemic, virtual models present a new paradigm for the future of work.