Why remote work is the future
Did you know that in the US, an estimated 16% of the entire labor force are working from remote locations? That’s a massive 26 million Americans as stated by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. But that’s not all as we witnessed a 115% increase in telecommuting employees in the US from 2005 to 2015. If you check the numbers, it becomes clear that most of these remote workers have a higher level of education and tend to be older. Also, they do not belong to unions and mostly work full-time.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the concept of remote work is becoming more popular. With a work style that gives experts the chance to step outside of the traditional workspace, nothing seems more attractive. Remote work in itself is not just borne of the ideology that doing out-of-office work is necessary to promote efficiency. But it even goes further to promote the philosophy that brands and businesses need to change how they see the work environment in total. It advocates the idea that working outside the traditional workspace will benefit companies and businesses in the long run. This does not imply that structuring your personnel to assemble in one physical location is a wrong move. Rather, it could see your business costs rise due to monitoring and management expenditures. With remote teams, you can save the costs of running a physical office space, save commuting and relocation costs, and have talents from anywhere on the globe.
At Remoteera, we believe that the future of work is remote. No matter how much we say that it is possible to deliver great work from any location, this does not paint the picture well enough. The digital nomad lifestyle is here to stay and will revolutionize how work is done in the coming years. The potential impact of working remotely is massive and creative brands need to start aligning with this ideology. Yes, leading brands are already going fully remote. With the improvements that technology presents to society, efficiency and productivity will become even better with remote work.
Work environments are evolving to become remote – Here’s why
Working remotely no longer belongs to a specific group of people. Today, more professionals are taking up this lifestyle actively. With this kind of work structure, they realize that they can have access to a better work-life balance when compared to doing the 9 to 5 throughout their lifetime. With access to high-speed internet from any part of the world, remote work is now highly viable and more attractive.
While this may sound exciting, many brands do not seem to realize why workforces today are gravitating towards the remote era. Here are the key reasons that leading businesses are now building remote workforces.
- Millennials love the allure of flexibility
In the past, the picture of an ideal workplace was that of a cubicle where employees came in at a specific time and clocked out at 5 pm. But this is no longer the 1900s and millennials are reshaping the way that they think. The present-day work culture belongs to millennials and it is evident that they crave highly flexible jobs. This is justified, being that remote workers tend to be better at delivering results when compared to traditional office workers.
A large number of millennials need jobs that give them the opportunity to work from home or any location that they wish to. Also, this group of people tends to be more loyal to companies that favor the digital nomad lifestyle. Indeed, times have changed.
- Even clients love it too
If you think that the benefits of remote work only apply to remote workers, think again. Even clients today love to work with remote companies. The reason is because of the high level of accessibility that they get. Remote companies have around-the-clock employees grouped into remote teams. This means that the teams can be structured according to different time zones. That way it is easier to deliver services to clients around the clock. Now, clients do not have to rely on companies in their locality but can go online to locate qualified professionals anywhere on the planet.
- Evolution in tech and software
With the pace at which technology is fast evolving, you just might miss an important event if you blink. The world of tech and software is developing so fast that work applications now constitute a vital element in that process. There are a plethora of productivity tools for remote workers to access and more are coming. With applications like Trello and Slack among others, more tools that make remote work possible are coming. The best part is that you can access them for free.
Communication between remote teams will continue to blossom with expansion in technology. Futuristic employers now realize that setting up remote teams is the way to go. So what are you waiting for? With the free and affordable apps available to you, creating and moderating remote teams for your brand requires very little resources. In fact, it is more affordable when compared to policing an in-office workforce. This is an even better incentive for startups looking to lower the costs of running their business.
- The best hands on deck
One glaring fact that business owners must come to terms with is that finding the crème-de-la-crème of the workforce means they must also look outside their city. There’s just no way that you will find all the qualified employees packed in one locality. Most of the top professionals are situated in various cities around the globe. But thanks to the remote era, you can find and hire talented people from any part of the world no matter where your business is.
On the part of clients, working with brands that have a remote workforce is one of the factors that attract them. From New York and Paris to Madrid and Montreal, you will find top talents scattered all over the world. But imagine what it would look like to have a super talented workforce for your brand that brings all these people together through tech. This is how powerful remote work can be.
What this means for companies today
Creative and futuristic brands now see that the traditional work environment is bound to undergo a disruption. When we first heard about remote work, most businesses had next to no interest in the concept. A lot of them were skeptical because they felt working remotely would make their employees less productive. They were also concerned that working from home would be a huge distraction and limit communication with employees. On the other hand, workers also felt that they would suffer from isolation.
Now, these opinions and perceptions are changing as major corporations around the world are starting to evolve. In fact, many of these companies have become fully remote and have a workforce made up of people working across diverse time zones. Such brands are inspired by the obvious benefits that come from having a remote workforce. With the high level of success that they are now experiencing, it is clear that the digital nomad style offers a special kind of flexibility that improves productivity and creativity.
Both Dell, Wells Fargo and other established businesses now list remote positions when publishing openings. This is because lots of job applicants are reaching out to them from all over the world. Today, many candidates that have the required talent will only take up employment that has the condition of working from home. If you remove that option from the negotiation table, your business will suffer because attracting valuable personnel could become a problem. Remember that any top applicant you fail to hire will end up on your competitors’ team. That’s something you do not want to risk happening.
The only way to see the benefits that come from remote work environments is to embrace the culture. Employees are happier when they put in work at their most productive times. They are also more productive when they have the freedom to chase the things they are passionate about. This ultimately results in increased bottom lines for employers. The productivity of your teams will improve significantly if you allow them a high level of independence regardless of your industry.
What remote workers can learn
Many industries today are embracing automation and using the tools provided by tech. This means that more opportunities will present themselves in the coming years and many professionals will seek to work independently. The work environment is rapidly evolving and responsibilities are being modified to accommodate out-of-office work. Many experts are now setting up new positions that allow them to work from anywhere, even in the companies where they work already. Some motivating factors include:
- The allure of having more time to spend with loved ones
- Getting to live on their own terms
- Increasing productivity while enjoying great work-life balance
Whatever the reasons are, remote workers are springing up in various industries in a quest for more flexibility. What can you learn from this trend?
It’s pretty simple! The remote work culture is evolving and now is the time to prepare yourself even more. You can now stay in control of your life and increase your productivity. You no longer have to be stationary to attain the success that you seek.
A future powered by remote workers is imminent
With freelancers leading the path of remote work, businesses must start to modify their structures to align with the culture. From web developers and programmers to graphic designers and all kinds of tech professionals, we have an audience of remote work enthusiasts waiting to see your job ads. Start building more flexible workspaces by hopping on to Remoteera to list your openings for talented experts looking to work remotely today.
