What is Remote Work?

You may have even heard the phrase tossed around in casual conversation: “I’ve been able to travel and take my job with me!” or “I’m working remotely now!” You nod your head as you listen to these people extol the flexibility of their lifestyles and the benefits that they’ve seen in their professional lives because they can work remotely, but you still have a few questions.

Remote work is on the rise. While having the ability to work from outside of a corporate office has been feasible for a few decades, working remotely is only now becoming mainstream.

What is remote work?

Remote work is a working style that allows professionals to work outside of a traditional office environment. It is based on the concept that work does not need to be done in a specific place to be executed successfully. People have the flexibility to design their days so that their professional and personal lives can be experienced to their fullest potential and coexist peacefully.

Think of it this way: instead of commuting to an office each day to work from a designated desk, remote employees can execute their projects and surpass their goals wherever they please. There has been a cultural paradigm shift in what society deems to be an appropriate workplace - and remote work has capitalized off of that newfound freedom.

How do people work remotely?

There are a variety of ways in which people can work remotely. That’s the beauty of remote work - people can choose to work in a way that makes the most sense for their lives. Some remote workers take full advantage of the opportunities that a remote working lifestyle gives them. On top of being able to set their schedules so that they are able to work whenever they are most productive or creative, some remote employees decide to leave their traditional routines behind and hit the road.

Others rely on coworking spaces to be the spots where they can get the job done. Coworking spaces act as hubs of productivity, community, and technology, offering great network connectivity and opportunities to meet others who work in a multitude of industries.

On a typical day, these remote employees work from their home offices or nearby cafés and can work from their company’s office when it’s necessary. They can be utilized by people with full-time jobs, freelance careers and even entrepreneurs who want to rent out an office space for themselves or their small staff.

How Remote Work Benefits Employers

‍Higher productivity

Remote employees are more likely to put in extra effort intheir jobs, going above and beyond toget their work done in comparison to in-office employees. According to the State and Work Productivity Report, 65% of full-time employees believe that working remotely would increase productivity - and their bosses agree.

One of the most touted arguments for remote work is the increased productivity that comes with its flexibility. Two-thirds of managers who were surveyed reported an increase in overall productivity from their remote employees.

Cost savings

Remote employees are also great for a company’s bottom line. To put that learning into perspective, Flexjobs reported that employers can save $22,000 per remote worker per year, even if their entire team is not remote. If a team is fully-distributed, companies can see decreased overhead from money saved on costs like rent and office furniture.

Engaged employees

Remote work is not just a flash in the pan for employee engagement - nearly 75% of employees surveyed in a Softchoice study said they would quit their job for one that offered remote work. That’s something that will make employers who are interested in talent retention listen in a little closer.

Beyond profit margins and higher-quality, more efficient work, employers offer remote work opportunities to keep their employees happy and engaged. Here’s another: in a survey by TINYpulse, remote employees reported that they were happier than non-remote employees and also felt more valued within their role.

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