General News
5 Remote Work and Hiring Trends That Will Shape Future Workforce Decisions
By Andrew Bourne, Region Manager, Africa, Zoho Corporation
Businesses around the globe have spent the better part of this year adjusting to the new reality of remote working. While a few companies have reopened their premises and allowed employees to office full-time, many companies have either gone fully remote or adopted a hybrid model that incorporates a ‘2-3 days in office’ requirement for staff. With workplace regulations also becoming stricter, buzzy office spaces might soon become part of a pre-COVID era.
Here are a few ways that remote work will shake up individual lifestyles, business operations, and functional areas like human resources:
1) A hybrid work model that supports work from ‘anywhere+office’
The adoption of the hybrid model of work, which is a combination of remote work and onsite work, will continue to increase in the post-COVID world. While some employees will prefer work-from-home as it allows them to be more productive, provides flexibility, prevents the office commute and supports location independence, others will opt for office as they feel face-to-face interactions with peers are necessary to be productive. Organisations may also adopt a model where employees are required to come into the office only a few days a week.
2) Hub-and-Spoke offices
An office style that might gain further traction is the hub-and-spoke workspace. Organisations may have their central headquarters (hub) for periodic team gatherings and strategy discussions, and a network of small satellite offices spread across various small towns or rural villages in a country.
The model promises dual benefits. Small offices substantially reduce operational costs for organisations, while also allowing employees to work in an office that’s closer to their hometowns. This will subsequently bring forth a true revitalisation of smaller towns and cities, as businesses slowly realise that they don’t need to be based in a metro in order to achieve success.
3) Adoption of HR tech
As remote work continues to take off, the adoption of cloud-based HR technologies will increase to provide seamless employee experience while working remotely. These technologies also help keep employees engaged and productive. Many organisations will turn to HR tech for functions like virtual hiring, onboarding, learning and development, performance management and smart decision-making.
4) Remote hiring
The way organisations hire employees changed drastically in 2020. In-person interviews were quickly replaced by video interviews. This trend will continue well into 2021.
● Companies will try to mimic the time-tested format of “test followed by interview” to evaluate a job applicant. However, the ineffectiveness of those practices will become evident in the remote-first world, and they will scramble for new approaches that address the core of the problem.
● The focus will shift instead to automated and manual evaluation of historic proof available online of a person’s capabilities, as demonstrated by their contribution to open source technology platforms, YouTube, Instagram, Dribble (user interface design), Medium, Facebook, and Twitter (marketing and content writing).
● Soft skills like communication, collaboration, teamwork, and adaptability will be given more importance while evaluating applicants.
● Diversity and inclusion will become an integral part of the recruitment strategy and many organisations will be able to improve workforce diversity with remote work.
● From an applicant’s point of view, the best talent will look for companies that offer remote work, flexible policies, better health cover and enable more family-time and a lower cost of living. Perks like gourmet cafeterias, gyms, game rooms, nap pods, and unlimited free snacks will lose their appeal.
5) Changing performance assessment trends
One of the key business aspects which has changed considerably by remote working is performance management. Organisations will start measuring what matters: work done instead of hours worked, and visions accomplished versus tasks completed. Some companies are making performance reviews an ongoing process, giving up annual routines. Continuous feedback will become an essential aspect of employee management, which will help the workers clearly navigate their job responsibilities and expectations when they work remotely. Rethinking the goal-setting approach and identifying core measurement functions is the first step towards sanity in this new normal.
No stopping evolution
Ultimately, the events of 2020 accelerated existing trends by forcing businesses to embrace the paradigm shift in workforce management and employee experience. While there will always be resistance at different levels, it’s clear that there’s no going back to the pre-pandemic normal. These trends will continue to shape the world of work in 2021. If anything, change isn’t such a bad thing if we’re now working smarter as opposed to harder.
Nigeria’s startup ecosystem received a fresh injection of momentum as top emerging ventures secured funding and investor attention at the iHatch National Demo Day, where Interface Africa clinched the highest prize of $15,000.
The 4th cohort of the NITDA–JICA-backed accelerator brought together founders, policymakers, and venture stakeholders in Abuja, showcasing innovations ranging from clean-energy financing and digital food marketplaces to next-gen fintech tools.
The startups went rounds of running through state-level selections and regional competition. iHatch was established in 2021 as a strategic partnership to create an enabling environment for young Nigerians to develop and scale their innovative solutions.
The iHatch National Demo Day (4th Cohort), is an initiative by NITDA and JICA which provides a clear pathway for homegrown talent to contribute significantly to economic diversification and digital transformation.
After rigorous selection processes, the top founders converged to pitch their innovations, recognised the standout performers, which are:
Interface Africa with $15,000, the firm is driving Nigeria’s clean energy transition by enabling structured and affordable solar financing.
Ahioma with $12,000, the firm enhances food accessibility with a digital marketplace connecting consumers directly to trusted vendors.
Linia Finance with $10,000, the firm is helping Nigerians take control of their finances with tools for budgeting, tracking, and smart money planning.
Chapta got a laptop reward. They delivering an offline-capable school application ensuring consistent, accessible learning for students everywhere.
Softdrop also got a laptop reward, they solve logistics challenges through a modern delivery platform designed for speed, convenience, and efficiency.
Fidelity Bank Plc, a leading financial institution, will host a free virtual training on the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 (NTA) as part of its commitment to helping small businesses prepare for the upcoming legislation.
Fidelity Bank
The masterclass is scheduled for 10:00 AM (Nigerian time) on Friday, 12 December 2025. It will provide participants with clear insights into changes in the tax framework, the impact on income and business operations, and practical steps to avoid penalties in 2026.
Attendees will also learn strategies to stay ahead in an evolving regulatory environment.
The Nigerian government enacted major tax reforms on 26 June 2025 when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed four tax bills into law.
These Acts will take effect on 1 January 2026 and represent a significant overhaul of the country’s tax system.
The reforms aim to modernize and harmonize Nigeria’s tax framework, improve revenue generation, broaden the tax base, and create clearer rules for individuals, businesses, and government agencies.
“Our decision to host this masterclass reflects our commitment to empowering businesses with the right information ahead of the commencement of the new tax regime.
“Information is money and a well-informed business owner is already steps ahead in the race to success.
“This is why we are bringing experts to provide accurate details and demystify the tax act,” said Osita Ede, Divisional Head, Product Development, Fidelity Bank Plc.
Interested participants can register via https://bit.ly/2026TaxLawMasterclass .
PalmPay, Nigeria’s leading digital banking platform, has renewed its commitment to deepening financial inclusion across the country. At the CeBIH Annual Conference 2025, themed “Reimagining Financial Inclusion through Cultural Shifts in Consumer Credit,” PalmPay’s Managing Director, Chika Nwosu, urged industry players to deepen financial inclusion by embracing community-aligned solutions and customer-centric innovations that can better serve Nigeria’s underserved and unbanked populations.
Speaking during a panel session titled “Social Inclusion, A Veritable Tool for Financial Inclusion,” Chika Nwosu joined other industry leaders to share insights on strengthening participation among women, rural dwellers, low-income earners, and other financially excluded groups.
Chika Nwosu highlighted PalmPay’s commitment to inclusive finance through its 500,000-strong agent network, which enables seamless cash-in/cash-out services for unbanked users across Nigeria. He also emphasised the importance of PalmPay’s USSD platform, 861#, which allows users with basic phones or limited internet access to perform essential financial transactions.
“Financial inclusion goes beyond access; it must be equitable and tailored to real-life needs,” Chika Nwosu said. He shared how PalmPay leverages behavioural insights to design impactful services, including affordable health insurance, reliable bill payments, merchant solutions, and automated savings features that support financial discipline among users.
The session further examined the role of grassroots agents and community touchpoints in driving last-mile adoption. Chika Nwosu noted that PalmPay’s widespread community presence continues to build trust and encourage excluded populations to embrace digital financial tools.
The session was moderated by Ronke Kuye of the CeBIH Advisory Council and featured representatives from E-Doc Online, SmartCash Payment Service Bank, SANEF, and EFINA.
PalmPay reaffirmed its commitment to driving accessible, secure, and inclusive financial services for all Nigerians. PalmPay is a leading digital banking platform driving financial inclusion and economic empowerment in underserved emerging markets. Through its secure, user-friendly, and inclusive suite of financial services, PalmPay empowers individuals and businesses with tools to manage and grow their money.
PalmPay offers a comprehensive range of products, including mobile payments, savings, and micro-insurance via its app and mobile money agent network.
Since launching in Nigeria in 2019 under a Mobile Money Operator license, the platform has grown to over 35 million app users. PalmPay has operations in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, and Bangladesh.
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