The Future of Remote Work and How to Prepare

While remote work has been center stage since the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s continually evolving. Even in the past two years with return-to-office mandates, market changes and the quick adoption of AI — remote work looks different. In this post, we discuss the future of remote work and how to prepare for it.

How remote work reached a tipping point

In 2020, work changed forever as knowledge workers of all sorts were forced to work remotely to keep organizations going during COVID lockdowns. Even after the lockdowns lifted post-pandemic, many organizations found there was no way to return to what they previously called “normal.” In some ways, the lockdowns only accelerated pre-pandemic trends, and forcing the workforce into work-from-home environments highlighted how technology and employee desires had already changed.

Organizations began to realize the benefits of remote work, such as improved employee productivity and focus. Flexibility and choice made employees healthier and more engaged, which translated to better creativity and reduced turnover. The time savings from eliminated commutes alone allowed employees to perform better and get more done during the day. Cost savings also played a big part in the continuation of remote work options, saving organizations millions on real estate and utilities.

The current state of remote work

While the landscape of remote work is constantly evolving, a few established findings show where things stand today:

• Widespread adoption of hybrid schedules: According to Gallup, more than half of all remote-capable employees work hybrid schedules that, split time between remote and in-office work, while fully remote work is limited to less than 30% of employees. Additionally, ActivTrak’s State of the Workplace study found that more than half of employees spend more than 60% of the year working remotely.
• Strong preference for flexibility: According to Gallup, only 10% of workers say they’d like to work full-time in an office, while 60% prefer a hybrid model. Furthermore, a Pew Research Center study found nearly half (46%) of employees would be unlikely to stay in their current jobs if their employer no longer allowed them to work from home.
• Increase in productivity: While many are concerned remote workers are less productive than their counterparts who work in an office, data suggests the opposite. In fact, remote workers are up to 40% more productive and make 40% fewer mistakes.
• Expanded talent pool: By removing geographic barriers, remote work enables organizations to access a broader talent pool and more candidates. In fact, a 2022 study from Datapeople found remote roles attract 2.2x more applicants than non-remote roles and give companies access to a 120% larger talent pool.

The top trends for the future of remote work

Remote work is changing, with a few important factors driving its future. Here are some of the most important trends we’re seeing not just in 2025, but for 2026 and beyond.

AI-driven workflows

Companies are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) at record rates, with McKinsey reporting 72% of companies use AI in at least one business function today. While generative AI is still working out the kinks in areas like design, most companies leverage AI tools to automate routine tasks and save employees time. Workforce AI is especially helpful in collecting and analyzing productivity data to better understand how remote employees work best, helping managers adjust policies to maximize productivity while balancing well-being.

Outcome-based performance models

Managers no longer use hours worked as a sole indicator of employee performance. Instead, many are shifting to outcome-based performance models that focus on what employees produce rather than how they do it, especially when it comes to the time they spend working. This gives employees more autonomy while providing teams with clearer goals.

Augmented analytics

With the rise of remote work and an increasingly digital-focused environment, companies often have access to more data than they know what to do with — which makes it harder to analyze and act on. Enter augmented analytics, which leverages AI to glean insights from large amounts of data. Today’s augmented analytics tools make it easy for non-data scientists to understand and use data to make smarter, faster decisions. For example, many business leaders leverage predictive workforce analytics to anticipate trends and make proactive decisions before challenges arise. This is especially important in the landscape of remote work, where managers must rely on data to check the pulse of remote workers they don’t see in the office.

Enhanced digital collaboration

Communication and collaboration aren’t new challenges for managing remote employees, but leading companies prioritize them now more than ever. The solution: Going digital-first so hybrid and remote employees have the same access as their in-office peers. Project management tools empower asynchronous communication and collaboration, allowing employees to focus when they need to, while digital communication tools keep everyone in the loop. With the right focus on remote collaboration, companies see better productivity, clearer goal-setting and continuous improvement opportunities.

Remote work equity

Employees note reduced access to promotions, resources, mentorship and support as a big challenge with remote jobs. In response, organizations are seeking new ways to increase remote work equity, including instituting intentional culture programs and going digital-first — even for in-office workers. They’re also finding new ways to introduce flexible work for roles that may not be fully remote-capable in attempts to improve work-life balance and increase talent retention across departments.

What leadership needs to prioritize now for the future of remote work

To integrate the evolution of remote work in your organization, focus on building intentional strategies. Consider these priorities for your organization:

Visibility without micromanagement

Let go of the urge to check in constantly with remote employees or tell them exactly how to do their jobs. One of the best ways to reduce micromanagement is to implement productivity monitoring so managers see clearly what and how work is done without having to watch over employees’ shoulders. Using data to measure productivity allows you to promote autonomy and trust.

Schedule adherence insights

Some jobs require employees to work scheduled hours, regardless of where they’re located, but tracking schedule adherence is difficult if employees clock in from remote locations. To accurately track if employees adhere to assigned hours, use schedule adherence software. These tools detect when employees deviate from schedules including late starts, early end times and unplanned breaks. While occasional deviations are normal, it’s important to know when repeat incidents signal a larger issue with compliance to company policies and coverage gaps.

Personalized coaching

In remote environments where face time is limited, it’s difficult to provide relevant and personalized employee coaching. Productivity coaching software helps you tailor support based on individual work habits, strengths and areas for growth. This ensures development conversations include meaningful insights — helping remote employees stay visible and connected to long-term goals, even at a distance.

Digital wellness

Remote and hybrid employees face higher risk of overwork, burnout and disengagement due to blurred boundaries and little face time with managers. Forward-thinking organizations tackle this by monitoring workload balance, encouraging regular breaks and using data to flag signs of digital fatigue. Model healthy behavior and implement policies that promote sustainable work habits. In addition, consider investing in employee burnout software to help assess workloads and spot signs an employee is burned out or starting to become disengaged.

Remote work challenges on the horizon

As remote work changes, employers need to be aware of a few challenges that may become more common or difficult to address:

• Data overload: As we’ve mentioned, digital-first environments created to support remote work provide a lot of data. Not all of it is useful or important, and finding tools to sort through and make sense of it should be a priority.
• Shadow IT and security risks: Employees continue to provide the greatest risk to cybersecurity for organizations. Remote teams increase that risk by using unsecured wireless networks or accessing unauthorized apps as workarounds. Streamline workflows and consolidate tech stacks alongside clear policies and enforcement to prevent cybersecurity issues for remote teams.
• Cultural fragmentation: Remote employees must find ways to connect and build trust to establish a team culture that’s conducive to collaboration. Create opportunities for remote employees to interact outside of working on projects and team meetings.
• Mentorship and development: Remote environments make it harder to offer informal coaching and on-the-job mentorship. Create intentional, structured development opportunities to ensure remote employees aren’t at a disadvantage compared to in-office peers.

Prepare for the future of Remote Work with ActivTrak

The way we work has changed — permanently. As we look toward the future, successful organizations will not only allow remote work but optimize for it. That means aligning strategy with data, building flexible-yet-accountable teams and investing in tools to enable visibility without compromising trust.

ActivTrak helps leaders do exactly that. Our hybrid and remote workforce management software helps you get the insights you need to measure productivity, track workload balance, spot burnout risks and coach employees no matter where they work.

Request a demo today to see how ActivTrak supports remote productivity and decision-making for forward-thinking organizations.