With the many acknowledged benefits of hiring remotely – including access to great talent, increased productivity and greater diversification – it is unsurprising that employers are encouraging the transition toward remote work and that 50% of employees around the world are working remotely at least 1 day a week.
It is unclear whether the trend toward remote work stems from companies’ cutting costs, employee demand, or a combination of the two, but what is apparent is that both sides like what remote work has to offer. In an attempt to find out a little more, I spoke to Nikki, one of my colleagues at Shield GEO who has been working remotely full-time and managing a fully remote team since March 2018. I’d been wondering if the hype around remote work was justified and wanted to get the perspective of a worker and leader in a remote environment.
When asked about the benefits of remote working, here’s what Nikki had to say:
“I have a better, more organised balance to work/life ratio due to the flexibility. More time with my husband and children, and other family members.
I can work from anywhere if necessary and get a change of scenery. I also have the flexibility to get some personal errands/chores done during day, do the Nursery runs for my 2yr old, and attend her activities without having to keep booking days off.
It allows me to live my life all the time rather than just in the evenings or on weekends.” – Nikki
The ability to work wherever she wants and around her own schedule seems to be invaluable. But is it all beer and skittles? Apparently not. A 2017 Harvard Business Review study of 1,100 employees identified some key challenges in remote working. In particular, remote workers tend to feel shunned and left out. They specifically worry that their co-workers say bad things behind their backs, make changes to projects without telling them, and don’t fight for their priorities...read more
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