Over the past two (2) years, many predicted that the move toward work-from-home for attorneys and their teams would not just continue but accelerate. It looks like that’s true — however the trend may be going even farther, to a phenomenon known as work-from-anywhere.
While user and client experience, and mobility, have been pillars of many businesses due to the expected distributed workforce experience, it’s clear that more flexibility and creativity will be needed in the future.
Much of the work that originated as hybrid or work-from-home has changed to allow partners and employees to work from anywhere. The pandemic might have spurred the transition to remote work, but people remain interested in a life beyond the office even in the aftermath of the worst of COVID-19. It’s becoming clear, even to the most conservative, that a work-life balance will be increasingly important to the next generation of workers. And this balance will empower workers to create more competitive firms.
As the world continues to turn and the new reality becomes a fixture, technology will have a significant role in that future.
Services, Products, and Solutions for Work-from-Anywhere
As more people work away from the office, additional services and products will emerge to serve the new employee experience. Offices may become spaces for collaboration, while workers retain their appreciation for personal space, which was fostered during the pandemic.
This mindset may manifest into new office designs and accelerated audio and video technology, changes that could lead to a flexible meeting environment where employees can make social connections, no matter where they do most of their work.
Artificial Intelligence is a Pillar of Work from Anywhere
Artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to benefit workers, but perhaps in more unexpected and modern ways. For example, AI has already been used in video call technology to make meetings more productive and freer of distractions. AI is responsible for removing background noise from video conferences, meaning no more lawnmowers, barking dogs, and yelling kids on the call. And Zoom just announced that its latest release is capable of recognizing gestures made by meeting participants.
Immersive Workplaces are Coming
Augmented reality (AR) is another technology that will have a massive effect on the ability for firms to work-from-anywhere. AR holds the key to creating immersive workplaces that employees can access from around the globe. Imagine being able to hire talent for your firm regardless of where they reside.
One great example of this can be found in “smart glasses” — these devices are capable of creating multi-screen environments and interactive training experiences to promote enhanced productivity from employees who may not be in the same space.
Additional Work from Anywhere Technologies
Virtual reality, spatial audio, natural language processing, world-facing cameras and sensors — all of these will change the way workers interact with each other. This is a coming paradigm change which will alter the way we view a workplace, a workforce, and ultimately, our law firms.
As these technologies are incorporated into modern businesses, employees will be able to integrate seamlessly with one another and take on challenges that might otherwise have been impossible.
The world is going places and technology is taking us there. It will be increasingly exciting to see what happens next!
