It’s crazy to think it happened in our lifetime, but we may just be living through the peak of centralized civilization.
For thousands of years there has been a mounting migration towards cities, motivated by increased security, improved resource management, and work.
But after the COVID-19 pandemic sent the majority of today’s modern workers home, all that may have changed.
The Truth About Working From Home
The past year proved that for most companies their fears of remote work were largely unfounded.
In fact, many companies have reported that shifting to a remote workforce has increased productivity, while decreasing costs.
And for many employees, the transition has been life changing, with a whole generation making permanent moves away from major city centers to smaller, more remote locations that offer improved quality of life and a reduced cost of living.
The Great Decentralization
Despite many companies recent efforts to force back their workforce, a portion of the work from home population are choosing to quit their jobs rather than return to the office.
Top talent are leaving place-based employment in exchange for remote opportunities.
And many of these remote workers are relocating out of major metropolitan areas and into small and mid-sized cities that offer rich culture at a more affordable cost.
For the companies that are choosing to ignore this new reality, they are going to be on the losing end of the greatest talent migration in the history of modern work.
So What Are Companies To Do?
For employers, the best way to navigate this transition may be to embrace our role in the formation of the future of work.
At Kanahoma, we are a young company, but we are actively asking ourselves what it means to operate as a post-pandemic organization.
Here’s a few of the things we currently offer as a result:
100% Health Coverage: We cover 100% of health insurance premiums for our employees and their dependents.
100% Remote & Decentralized: Our team is remote and decentralized. Talent can work from wherever they want - and they often do - popping up in zoom meetings from all across the country.
No Set Schedule: Outside of synchronous client meetings, we operate with no set hours and no set schedules. We rely on asynchronous communication channels (e.g., Slack, Google Docs, email) to keep work moving without requiring everyone to work at once.
Unlimited PTO: While studies have shown that this sometimes results in employees taking less time off, we are working hard to see if we can make an unlimited PTO benefit function effectively for our workforce.
Burstable Capacity: In addition to our full-time team, we operate using a burstable capacity resource plan that allows us to scale up and down the volume of resources based on the needs of the business. And we embrace this talented group of contractors, subcontractors, freelancers, and part-time support as critical components of the broader Kanahoma Team.
Finding Solace In The Future Of Work
To be clear, Kanahoma is a small, new organization, and we have a long, long way to go when it comes to creating the future of work.
But that reality doesn’t stop us from trying.
And it shouldn’t stop you from trying either.
Because the reality is, we are most likely in the middle of one of the greatest transformational moments in the history of modern civilization.
And yet many employers are choosing to ignore it.
But what they fail to realize is that in an increasingly decentralized society, where remote work is both available and viable, labor has the leverage.
So as top talent continues to transition away from incumbent traditionalists towards organizations that are increasingly progressive in embracing remote work, employers may want to pause and ask themselves…
Are We Ready For The Future Of Work?
About the Author
Seth is the Founder and CEO of Kanahoma, a San Diego-based education marketing agency. Operating at the intersection of beautiful brand creative and effective direct response marketing, Kanahoma partners with colleges and universities, education technology and service providers, as well as K-12 organizations.
You can learn more about Kanahoma at www.Kanahoma.com.