With over half of all jobs now doable with a laptop and decent wifi, the rise of the workation is staggering. And, as technology continues to liberate the workplace, this trend is set to continue. Coworking spaces are multiplying at an extraordinary rate around the world, as is the number of people aspiring to a more digital nomadic lifestyle.
That’s not to say our future working world will turn to a purely nomadic model wherein we all abandon fixed locations and take to the road armed with only a campervan of devices and a spirit of eternal adventure whilst robots do all the heavy lifting. Although, that does sound pretty cool! But it does indicate just how radically the workplace is being reframed.
Over the past decade, the core concept of workation became one of travelling somewhere for a few weeks at a time, maybe hitting a few locations, and dividing that time between working remotely and exploring new places. Then, heading home for a spell before doing it all again a few months later. And companies which were early in offering remote working options like these have certainly seen the benefits in terms of productivity and talent acquisition.
However, today, workations are adopting a variety of forms. Alongside those full-time nomads and periodic telecommuters, whole teams are beginning to take workations together. It’s seen as a treasured time for geographically dispersed teams to connect in-person. It’s fast becoming a valued investment which actively removes the pressures of digital for a short time and focuses much more on collaboration and wellbeing.
It’s all about blending a great working experience with an unforgettable lifestyle adventure.
As connectivity, AI and super smart collaboration tools continue to evolve, so will our perception of the workplace. The once-traditional boundaries between professional and personal life are rapidly blurring. Work simply being a transaction of ‘my time for your money’ isn’t a concept that younger generations are arriving at the workplace with. Once held so sacrosanct, that on/off work switch is being quickly replaced with an expectation of purpose and adventure in our professional lives.
This is where businesses must read the room. The rise of workations isn’t just a nice-to-have borne from our digital prowess. Whilst technology is our enabler, it certainly isn’t our driver.
The growth of workation is indicative of a much greater human need.
One-third of our life is spent at work. We instinctively know there’s a better way of doing it. We’ve always known it. The difference now is, that we can do something about it.
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