subject: Will The Majority Of The Workforce Work Virtually – The Changing Climate Of Business [print this page] Will The Majority Of The Workforce Work Virtually The Changing Climate Of Business
The perfect virtual storm appears to be on the horizon and the winds of change will soon transform the current business landscape, eroding traditional office based positions in favor of virtual positions. There are a plethora of compelling reasons which seemingly guarantee this change, ultimately resulting in a venue change for the majority of the white collar work force. Of course, "white collar" is arguably an anachronistic term, since many virtual workers can include "blue collar" jobs which can be dispatched from home offices can also work virtually, saving on time, energy and overhead. Further, white collar virtual jobs may render the end of "white collars" per say, as virtual workers are unlikely to don a shirt and tie, preferring a favored casual jersey or t-shirt. This virtual storm will change the working landscape and the change is happening now. Progressively larger segments of the population are going virtual, from technology consultants to maintenance crews, from computer programmers to auto repair technicians. This trend is accelerating due to many interrelated elements. These include:
Cost effective or free web meeting tools GoToMeeting, Dimdim, etc.)
Increasing costs related to energy and commuting
Inefficient use of time caused by commuting and travel, reducing productivity
Inexpensive or even free real time communication both real time (Skype, Instant Messaging)
Inexpensive or free asynchronous collaboration tools
Pervasive global internet accessibility
Powerful and inexpensive cloud computing solutions
Rising costs and challenges impacting travel
Significant savings opportunities relating to overhead for employers
Social networking tools including LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.
I believe the compelling factors above will continue to provide the climate necessary to perpetuate this storm, until such time as a majority of the workforce will work from home. Over the last several years, I migrated from a traditional land line ($50 per month), to a VoIP line ($25 per month) and I am now in the process of moving to a purely Skype based line ($3 per month). Arguably, Skype offers great reliability, a simple click of a mouse on a PC screen, and allows me to use a PC headset to make calls, providing for ease of keyboard use while placing calls. I offer this example merely as a microcosm, a small leading indicator of the migration to more virtual and more cost effective opportunities. Granted, VoIP can be accomplished in a brick and mortar environment, it's just a simple and cost effective way to communicate face to face with a distributed, at home work force. This is just the tip of the iceberg as the winds of change should propel us to a more virtual, less commute centric future. Does this spell the ultimate demise of office buildings, a complete metamorphosis in the urban landscape? With an expanding global population and the many jobs that still require onsite presence, there will be a need for a partially centralized and non-virtual workforce. That said, those companies which can embrace a partially or completely virtual business model will enjoy a significant competitive advantage over those which have not. It's provided a windfall advantage for my virtual insurance marketing agency, and I'm confident the same approach will work for almost any business.
