If you're reading this, chances are you're a remote worker or curious about the whole concept. You might wonder, “what’s remote work, and why should I care?”

Well, you've come to the right place. In this blog post, we'll clearly define what remote work is, what it means to work remotely, and why remote working is better than those boring old office jobs.

Let's start with the basics.

Key Takeaways:

• Remote work is about getting your work done from a spot that's not your usual 9-to-5 grind, such as your home, a coffee shop, a co-working space, etc.
• 16% of companies have gone remote since the pandemic.
• There are two types of remote work contracts: hybrid remote work and fully remote work.
• WFH increased employee productivity by 13%.
• 97% of employees prefer working remotely.

What's Remote Work - The Ultimate Definition

So what does remote work mean?

Remote work is a way of working from a location other than a traditional office. This could be from your home, a coffee shop, a co-working space, or even a beach. The key here is that you're not physically bound to an office.

The concept of remote work spread like wildfire when the pandemic hit. When companies were forced to shut down, and employees struggled to meet their needs, they both were once again united by remote work.

It immediately solved the problems of businesses and employees during the pandemic, allowing them to keep working, making the businesses run, and earning during the hard times.

It simply means no more fighting for a spot on the morning commute, no more office politics, and no more dealing with that one co-worker who never washes their coffee mug. It's the dream, right?

What are Remote Jobs?

Now that you know what is remote work, we’ll move on to what’s a remote job.

Remote jobs refer to work done entirely or mostly from a remote location. These include roles such as customer service, IT support, programming, writing, and more.

With the rise of the internet and technological advancements, more jobs are becoming remote-friendly.

These jobs come with a level of flexibility that traditional office jobs do not. Many remote jobs offer the ability to set your own schedule, work from home, and even have flexible hours. This leads to better work-life balance and less stress.

What Remote Jobs Pay Well?

If you’re serious about getting into remote work and exploring it further, you need to know what jobs are available for remote work.

For anyone wondering, “how many remote jobs are there?”, 16% of companies around the world are operating remotely. You might think this is a low number, but it’s not. Remote work was only adopted when the pandemic came. And the growth of remote jobs since the pandemic is pretty impressive.

While anyone with a digital skill can work remotely, let’s have a quick look at what remote jobs pay well:

• Business development manager.
• Cloud architect.
• Cyber security analyst.
• Front-end developer.
• Product manager.
• etc.

What it Means to Work Remotely

Working remotely means you're not tied to a physical office, but it also means you have to be more self-motivated and disciplined.

You won't have a boss breathing down your neck all day, but you also won't have the same level of camaraderie and structure as you would in an office.

That means it’s vital to develop all these things when working remotely. Sometimes this will give you a feeling of being isolated. That’s normal because you’re working alone without the physical presence of your colleagues.

For someone new, working remotely can be challenging. It could be hard to separate work from personal life, especially if you're working from your home. To tackle all this and be successful at working remotely, you need to be organized, motivated, and able to communicate effectively.

Make Use of the Communication Tools

One of the biggest challenges with remote work is maintaining communication and collaboration with your team.

Without the ability to pop over to a co-worker's desk or have a quick chat in the break room, it's crucial to make use of your collaboration tools such as email, Slack, and video calls.

That doesn’t mean you should ring your colleagues every hour of the day, though. Learn to use it async and effectively by establishing clear lines of communication and expectations for response times.

Ensure Work-life Balance Over Anything

Without the separation of an office, it can be easy to blur the lines between work and personal time. To combat this, you need some boundaries in place:

• Start by setting specific working hours of your choice and disconnecting from work-related activities outside those hours.
• Creating a dedicated workspace that’s comfortable for you with minimal distractions. This will increase productivity and prevent burnout.
• Take short breaks regularly to refresh your mind, recharge, and reduce stress. You can try short sessions of meditation, yoga, walking, etc., during these breaks.

Why Remote Working is Better

Remote work comes with a lot of benefits. When we really think about it, working remotely produces the same or better results as working in the office. But it has quite a bunch of added benefits that are a treat for remote employees.

From eliminating the daily commute to increased flexibility, remote work offers many advantages that can improve job satisfaction, productivity, and work-life balance. Let’s take a closer look at them and why remote working is better.

1. Time Flexibility

One of the most significant benefits of remote work is its flexibility in terms of when you can work. You can create your own schedule and work when you're most productive.

Such time flexibility allows remote workers to balance work and personal life better, leading to less stress and improved overall well-being. According to studies, working from home increased the productivity of employees by 13%.

2. Location Flexibility

As a remote worker, you also get location flexibility, which literally lets you live and work from anywhere.

This is beneficial if you want to live in a place you love or travel while you work. Also, more and more working opportunities will open up for people with disabilities, caretakers, and parents that will help them balance work and personal life pretty easily.

3. Zero Commute

We’ve all been through the daunting days of:

• Fighting traffic.
• Dealing with delays.
• Wasting hours on public transportation.

Remote work eliminates all of this unnecessary work-related noise in your life.

Because if you’re working remotely, your commute is as simple as rolling out of bed and logging onto your computer, saving you both time and money, not to mention the stress.

4. Diverse Teams

A remotely working organization allows for more diversity in the workforce. Without the constraints of a physical office, companies can hire talented individuals from all over the world.

That means they’re getting a more diverse and inclusive workforce, which can bring in new ideas and perspectives and increase creativity and innovation within the company.

5. Increased Productivity

Working more comfortably and around a personalized working environment without distractions and interruptions that can occur in an office setting leads to increased productivity. You get to focus better and get more done in a shorter amount of time.

Also, having the freedom to schedule work around your own personal rhythm lets you work during your most productive hours and days. This essentially leads to:

• Increased job satisfaction.
• Motivation.
• Better performance.

6. Cost Savings

Without the need for commuting, you get to keep those travel costs all to yourself. Perhaps you can save it for your next vacation or upgrade your personal workspace.

And the lack of physical offices means a business can save money on overhead costs such as rent, utilities, and office supplies, helping them invest more in their employees and other business areas.

How convenient, right?!

What Does Hybrid Remote Work Mean?

After all the valuable information we just came through, let’s understand the two different types of remote work contracts. Companies will hire employees either on a hybrid remote contract or a fully remote contract. So what does hybrid remote work mean?

It is a combination of remote and office-based work. It allows employees to split their time between working from home and working from the office. The idea behind this is to find a balance between the benefits of remote work and the benefits of working in an office.

A hybrid remote work contract is helpful for many employees dealing with isolation when working remotely. They could just pack their things, go to the office, and work with a little bit of socialization with their colleagues.

We’ve seen many employees prefer this kind of working flexibility, where they want to work sometimes remotely and sometimes in the office. And most employees prefer this style due to isolation.

Fully Remote Work

Fully remote work is just as it sounds - 100% remote. This means you'll be working from a remote location all the time, with no need to ever step foot in an office. Unlike hybrid remote work, this is great for you if you value your freedom and flexibility.

However, as sweet as it sounds, it can also be isolating if you're not used to working alone. Isolation is real and deadly. So make sure you take measures to prevent it.

Will Remote Work be the New Normal?

We constantly get inquiries like this, “will remote work become the norm?”. Here’s the answer.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the remote work trend, and we’re bullish that it will become the new normal. Because, for the most part, it already is!

According to a survey by Buffer, 97% of candidates opted to work remotely at least some of the time post-pandemic. In addition, a report by Upwork found that full-time remote work is expected to grow rapidly at a rate of 65% over the next 5 years.

On top of all the benefits of working remotely, it is also proved that it produces the same or better results than working in an office.

Will remote work be the new normal? Well, if remote work is more convenient, better, and cheaper, we don’t see any valid reason why it wouldn’t be.

Why Remote Work is Here to Stay

The rise of remote work has been driven by technological advances, making it easier for employees to stay connected and productive from anywhere. This has changed how we think about work, with many people now recognizing that their physical location is not as important as their ability to get the job done.

And since the pandemic, many companies have started rooting for remote work. They’ve already realized the benefits and have begun to implement it as a permanent option for employees.

With all the benefits it offers, and as more and more companies adopt remote work policies, it’s hard to conclude that remote work is not here to stay.

Many employees and companies are already working remotely all around the globe, even at this very minute of you reading this blog post. It certainly has a lot of positive impacts that far outweigh the benefits of working in the office.

Will remote work stay? Taking all this into account, it’s pretty evident that remote work is here to stay!

Conclusion

In conclusion, remote work is here to stay. It offers a level of flexibility and freedom that traditional office jobs can't match.

It also allows for a more diverse and inclusive workforce and increases productivity and job satisfaction.

Whether you're looking for a fully remote position or a hybrid one, there are plenty of opportunities out there. So, embrace the future of work and start your remote job search today.

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