Remote working is here to stay, and tech workers have planted their flag in a very clear manner. According to TechRepublic, 59% of tech workers prefer to work entirely digitally, with a number of those advocating for a hybrid approach. With that has come the need for digital-first working, where every platform in the development process is built around ensuring that work can be completed online, and that work is structured around digital interactions. Tech workers have taken to this approach with consummate ease, and there’s good reasons for that – beyond the simple fact that tech work lends itself to digital means.
Comfort of work
Tech workers have taken work home for some time. The facts of their job means that they need to conduct research at home to keep on top of new development skills, and many have side-projects they focus on to ensure they remain competitive. Indeed, according to The Verge, many industry professionals juggle up to two jobs at once in order to earn their pay. As a result, home setups are often of great quality, and so are the environments the tech workers live and work in. Having a home office is essential, even in a small space, and is psychologically conducive to getting good work done. These workers, who’ve been doing it for years, are already set up to contribute fully from home.
Improving digital platforms
Big tech firms, and game developers in particular, have incredibly secure and well-guarded technology platforms. This stops malicious actors from breaking in, and prevents other businesses from being able to access their information and confidential business data. As a result, it has historically been difficult to work from home on certain projects, and required expensively assembled proprietary systems that were locked down. While the internet remains a security wildcard, McKinsey notes that general protections, and the scale they have, are vastly improving. This has allowed work to be conducted via the digital medium with little chance of cybersecurity threats taking advantage, again allowing tech workers to pivot to the home working environment.
Tools in place
One interesting fact of the remote working revolution has been just how accepting big tech and IT firms are. As CNBC outlines, most of the big players in the industry have accepted that not providing remote working will likely place them at a disadvantage in the labor market – and that means they’ve had to upscale their technologies and ways of working, fast. This means that the digital world is quickly being shaped to accommodate tech workers, rather than the other way round. Communications, project management, development and storage have all been reoriented to the digital sphere, and that’s music to the ears of tech professionals.
The future working world is digital, arguably. Tech professionals are in a greater place than anyone to take advantage of that. Change has been required, but with the digital workspace tailored carefully for their requirements, the future’s bright.
