If you ever dreamed about working remotely (working from home) or building a remote company, today might be the perfect time to do it! Working remotely has never been as achievable as it is now and it is only getting more popular as time goes on. To work remotely means being able to work in an environment where you are most productive of all, a place that allows you to relax and have enough peace to do all of the things you are required to do. Finding a decent job that allows you to work remotely is a dream to many, and today, more than two-thirds of people actually work remotely at least once every week.
What is working remotely? Working remotely is often
According to the statistics today, working remotely seems to be one of the best ways of becoming more productive, less distracted and fully focused on the tasks before us. The number of remote workers keeps on going up in the last few years and many companies claim it is the reason for their great business results.
If you have never worked remotely, you might be wondering about the advantages and disadvantages of it. While there are many great benefits/advantages of working remotely, there are also certain disadvantages you should be aware of
Advantages of Working Remotely
Health and wellness
Working remotely actually has a positive effect on our well-being. People who work remotely deal with a lot less stress than those who work in an office. Knowing this, it is easy to say working remotely is much better for your mental health. Of course, there is always a chance you will face some of the stress, but nowhere as much as if you would if you were in an office. Remote workers seem to be eating much healthier foods than those who work in offices or regular jobs. Those who work in offices are much more likely to eat fast food and never exercise, as opposed to those who work remotely and have their own schedule that allows them to cook food themselves.
Lifestyle
Having a flexible lifestyle is one of the main reasons people decide to work remotely. Not being required to sit in an office all day and having the freedom to set your own schedule is truly something every worker once thought about. Working remotely allows us to be around our children, take time off during the day to pick up your child from school or just simply attain further education of our choosing. Having remote work is an amazing way of learning how to appreciate our own time and stay focused when needed.
Motivation and productivity
Those who work remotely seem to be doing much better than those who work in offices. Our surroundings, environment, and freedom actually have a great effect on our productivity and motivation levels. Working remotely gives us a whole new perspective on how to work and deal with certain projects which often leads to great business results.
Disadvantages of Working Remotely
Feeling Isolated
Working remotely can make you feel rather isolated, especially if you are used to working in a busy environment surrounded by your co-workers and chatting. Working all alone and doing it on a daily basis can make you feel like you are completely alone and left out. However, there are ways to deal with it as well. Many companies out there actually offer co-working spaces and programs that will make you feel a lot better in case you are beginning to feel the monotony of your own home and your surroundings.
Communication Issues
When you are found working remotely, you might notice there are communication issues going on. Especially if there are no regular video calls that feature honest, healthy communication. Emails, texts and other chatting softwares can be taken wrong, some can even get lost as well.
Distractions
Distractions are a rather common thing when it comes to working remotely. Your crying baby, constant phone calls, family cooking or simply your talkative neighbor, all these things are basically distractions for a home worker. You will face this type of distractions no matter where you go, and while they differ from the regular office distractions, they are still preventing you from getting your work done on time.
How Does Remote Work Benefit Employers?
When it comes to working remotely, it also benefits employers, not only employees. Those employers who allow their employees to work remotely tend to see a huge rise in productivity and great business results at the end of the day.
Did you know? Two-thirds of managers actually reported an increase in the productivity of their remote workers.
Those employers who allow their workers to work remotely also save up a lot of money on costs like renting a place for the office and various office furniture. It has been reported that individual remote workers can actually save up to $23,000 each year for the company itself.
When people are allowed to be flexible and schedule their own working hours, they simply tend to be happier, more engaged. Those employers who allow remote work in their company have noticed how appreciated it really is, their employees are much happier than those who must spend an entire day in the office.
Knowing If Remote Work Works For You
Working remotely is not something everyone can do, therefore, it is important to figure out whether it even works for you. Here are a couple of things that come together with working remotely that you should know and accept if you wish to become a remote worker.
- If you wish to try out working remotely, make sure everyone is equal on the team. Do not start working remotely if it will make you feel less worthy than others just because you are not found in the office as often as they are.
- Working remotely can actually help you create a routine such as taking a morning shower or exercising upon waking up.
- If you think you would be distracted all the time when working from home, it is most likely how it would be and working remotely is not the best choice for you.
- If you are categorizing yourself as an extrovert, you will feel like you should be going out more.
- If you are categorizing yourself as an introvert, you will feel like there are much fewer things to go out for.
- When working remotely, you must know how to close your laptop and call it a day. Your work will always be waiting for you.
- Whoever tells you a routine you should stick to, do not listen but make your own.
Finding Remote Work
There are basically three types of remote workers out there, freelancers, contractors and regular part-time or full-time employees.
Freelancers are people who take individual assignments and work for various clients.
Contractors are those who agreed to work for a company of their choosing for a period of time.
Regular part-time or full-time employees are those who work remotely thanks to their company policies who allow them to or require them to work remotely.
Contractors and freelancers are much more common in the world of remotely working, they follow the well-known techniques in order to find their jobs and here are some of them in case you were wondering how it is all done:
Internet Search
The Internet might be full of false information, but there are also many great, hardworking people who will gladly help you find the job of your dreams. Visit Reddit, LinkedIn, Facebook, Upwork or other websites in order to find an assignment or two with a client of your choosing.
Networking With People Of Similar Interests
You might not be a fan of co-working, but it can certainly help you join a community of remote workers. Knowing people means having connections, therefore, talk to people and hopefully, you will stumble upon a few great ones that might help you out.
Related Questions
Which famous companies allow their workers to work remotely? There are many companies out there who will gladly allow you to work remotely: Glassdoor, Amazon, Google, Humana, Apple, Dell, and many others.
Is remote work right for me? Whether or not remote work is the right thing for you is a thing only you know. However, there is a remote job for everyone out there, if you manage to find it. If you are one of the people who struggle to motivate and you are easily distracted, there is a high chance working remotely might be a rather hard thing for you.