The Future of Work: Predicting the Rise of Virtual Offices

Virtual Offices will soon be the norm as reports suggest that by 2030, every office will be a virtual one. Traditional workplaces as we know are undergoing massive changes. Especially, since the last few years, when circumstances necessitated remote working. Remote working has increased and consolidated and more and more employers are open to it. 

Pew Research, found that 61% of remote workers have actively chosen work from home as a choice.

Business leaders are now seeking tools to structure remote working and make it a seamless process to enhance productivity. Virtual Offices can offer the answer- they allow employees to exercise their flexibility and yet offer employers the visibility to track work. Knowledge professionals can work from anywhere in the world and yet interact with each other in real-time.

What Does a Virtual Office Mean? 

A virtual office is simply an office- but one that is digital or virtual. It is a shared workspace where employees can interact and collaborate as and when required. Remote workers can feel present in the virtual space as if they were really in a physical workspace. Users can enter the virtual offices as their digital representatives and interact with other digital co-workers. There are many benefits that virtual offices are offering employers as well as employees. 

We will discuss more on those in the blog. 

Virtual Offices over Physical Offices

A physical office is an area that a business owns or rents where employees come to work every day. The physical office offers a space where employees can converge to focus solely on office work. The office has a certain culture and discipline that every worker adheres to. Physical offices were very much the norm until recently. However, with real estate becoming expensive, many employers are seeking alternative solutions to cut costs and remain competitive. Moreover, there is a restriction on hiring talent- as only employees who live in the city would be willing to commute every day to the office. Long commute hours also put a strain on an employee’s finances and health. 

Virtual Offices over Meeting Software

Many companies turned to online interactions like Zoom and Google meets while allowing remote work. Online meetings started to replace traditional physical face-to-face meetings. Video conferencing fits the bill for quick meetings and allows the presentation of data and information. Today, when your customer calls you, you are able to view their video feed on your screen and have a video call with them. However, it can sometimes be challenging to connect with attendees or to see the non-verbal cues. 

However, with a virtual office, one can have their office travel with them anywhere and anytime. You could be seated in a park and yet invite your colleagues or clients for an official meeting in the virtual office.

How are Virtual Offices Enabling Remote Work?

Technology has progressed rapidly in the last few years and today we see innovative offerings in the space. As the technology to build and sustain virtual offices becomes more mainstream, there will a rapid growth in the sector. These trends show why workplaces will prefer virtual offices in the near future

More Visibility and Transparency

Virtual offices offer more visibility for businesses because they are available online. Moreover, virtual offices can be segregated into activity-based rooms so a Website Design Room can indicate that the employee is working on the website design and development. Colleagues can join in to offer suggestions and collaborate.  These offices can be seen by employers and potential customers from anywhere in the world. This gives businesses a wider reach and allows them to connect with more people than they would if they were only operating from a physical location. Digital offices also offer flexibility and can be accessed from any device with an internet connection, which makes it easier for businesses to keep up with the demands of their customers.

Flexible and Accessible

Virtual offices offer great flexibility and make it easier for companies and employees to work remotely. Additionally, businesses can take advantage of co-working spaces, allowing workers to work in an office environment and gain access to high-end technology. Such arrangements also reduce the need for long-term leases and give companies access to a larger pool of talent. Co-working software makes it possible for space owners and operators to provide users with all the required solutions to switch to a hybrid working system using virtual offices.

Wider Talent Pool 

 One of the main benefits of a virtual office is that it can offer access to a wider talent pool. This is because employees are not restricted by geography, and can work from anywhere in the world. This means that businesses can hire the best employees, regardless of where they are located. It also opens up opportunities for employees who may not be able to work in a traditional office setting, such as those with disabilities or caring responsibilities.

Prejudice Free Workplaces

Virtual Offices can do away with many biases such as age, gender, appearance, minority religion, etc. Like it or not, these biases do exist in physical offices. Users access virtual offices as their digital representatives or avatars and this buffers their social prejudices. 

Sustainable Workplaces

The Global Workplace Analytics reveals that remote workers are enabling 600,000 cars off the road for a year and that working from home for even half a week substantially reduces greenhouse emissions by 54 million tons every year. 

The carbon footprint of an internet device works out to be lower than the carbon footprints of many employees traveling to work or to attend events and meetings. Virtual offices are great for remote working which in turn saves time and resources.

Wrapping Up

In this era of skills and knowledge, where an innovative approach to work is crucial, the typical 9-5 office mindset is losing steam. Companies are now focusing more on productivity and mapping goals at the end of the week or month to assess the output. To stay competitive, companies need to start planning for their remote teams and virtual offices set up. 

Edverse is a pioneer in VR and metaverse development solutions for Individuals, Institutes, and Industries. Edverse can build quality virtual offices that fit the culture and ethos of your organization, while inspiring employee engagement. These offices come with customized tools to measure and improve productivity.

Connect now at www.edverse.com  to usher in the new workplaces designed for the future.