For the vast majority of telecommuters or remote workers, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. A recent ad nailed the contrast between combining online professionalism with at-home comfort, featuring a young woman attending a virtual meeting from her couch, wearing a business-formal jacket paired with pj bottoms and bunny slippers.
Working Remotely is on the Rise
- A 2018 Gallup report revealed that by 2016, 43% of U.S. employees worked remotely at least part of the time.
- Between 2017 and 2018, telecommuting increased by 22%.
- The percentage of employees who regularly work at home has increased by 140% since 2005, a rate almost 10 times faster than for the self-employed or other workers.
Large Companies are More Likely to Have Remote Workers
Fortune 1000 companies have faced the reality of remote and mobile employees and are revamping their work spaces accordingly. A number of studies revealed that their employees are already away from their desks 50% to 60% of the time.
Small businesses are less likely to embrace remote workers, but some large companies are also holding strong against the trend. And, let’s be honest, some managers are still uncomfortable when they can’t see every member of their team face-to-face whenever they want to.
Want to Work Remotely? Become a Tech-Savvy Expert
Today, those workers most in demand and most likely to work remotely are those who are technically savvy and experts in their niche. If that’s you, you’re in a great position to negotiate top dollar with present or future employers. You’re in demand by employers around the world.
This reality extends far beyond software development. Skills particularly in demand include web design and social media management. At a minimum, remote workers must be able to run a virtual office.
Increase Your Productivity With the Latest and Best Tools
There are a lot of great tools for remote workers, some of which you probably already use and some you may not be familiar with. Here’s a list of some of the best tools for team and video chat, project management, productivity, design, online storage and more.
Whatever your core expertise, the higher your level of digital literacy, the more likely you are to land your dream job, whether you want to travel the world or work from your couch, home office or while lounging next to the pool.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Beyond Alexa and Siri
Many companies are now using AI-driven platforms to manage and monitor their remote workforce. While remote workers often work longer hours than their commuting coworkers, management still wants more effective ways to implement instant feedback and better communications.
While the home office may be using AI to keep track of what you’re doing, AI can also be extremely useful to someone working away from the office. Many of us haven’t done much with AI beyond Alexa or Siri, but there’s some impressive software that could help you become a superstar at work. Here’s a review of the top 12 AI software. You might find just what you didn’t know you needed.
VR-Conferencing – How Cool is That?
First there was teleconferencing, then video conferencing, and now VR-conferencing. Well, VR (virtual reality) conferencing isn’t mainstream yet, but experts believe it’s the future.
Today, you video conference with the team. In the not-too-distant future, collaborating on projects will be almost like being in the same room. If you don’t want to wait and would like to see what’s possible now, Rumii has innovative VR software specifically designed for improving collaboration among widely distributed teams. Project planning (and much more) will never be the same.
The Ups and Downs of Working Remotely
The Good
- About 70% of remote workers work out of the office 100% of the time.
- 90% of remote workers want to keep working remotely until they retire.
- Two out of three workers who work remotely part-time would like to increase their remote hours.
- 94% of remote workers recommend it.
- The top two benefits are a flexible schedule and more time with family.
And a Few Drawbacks
- 21% of remote workers struggle with loneliness and/or communication and collaboration difficulties.
- About 1 in 6 reports problems with distractions at home or remaining motivated.
Companies are aware of the loneliness issue. Some are recommending one day a week at the office. Communication issues can be handled with the right software (unless someone is ducking the calls). Home distractions and motivation problems are up to the employee to figure out. While working remotely isn’t for everyone, many people find the flexibility and buttoned-down nature of the experience allows them to be more creative and think outside the box.
The BXP Creative team will work remotely for you as your creative team behind the scenes. Whether you want us to be completely responsible for a project or to collaborate with your in-house people, we have the skills and people to be your go-to team. Check out our case studies of work we’ve done.
How can we help you? Let’s connect!
