Working remotely has become quite popular which also means that we’ll be seeing more of digital nomads and remote workers. Digital nomads and remote workers represent people who perform their work online at a distance from your typical office. While some execute their work while traveling from place to place, work is typically carried out wherever they are, that is if there is a stable internet connection. Digitalization, has in short, provided a flexibility in where you work, but also when you work.
Digitalization, has in short, provided a flexibility in where you work, but also when you work.
Working remotely has become quite popular which also means that we’ll be seeing more of digital nomads and remote workers. Digital nomads and remote workers represent people who perform their work online at a distance from your typical office. While some execute their work while traveling from place to place, work is typically carried out wherever they are, that is if there is a stable internet connection. Digitalization, has in short, provided a flexibility in where you work, but also when you work.
The growing number of digital tools support the option to create the ideal workspace for yourself while also having the option of attending events or traveling to various meetings your scheduled for. In a report by the international labor organization ILO and Eurofond, they looked at the extent to which workers in different countries use new technology to work remotely. The countries analyzed in this report with high shares of remote workers and digital nomads included Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden and the US.
The report shows that there is a difference in well-being between those who work at the office regularly and those who work remotely. Those who work from home regularly experience a better balance between work and leisure. When it comes to professional groups, it is more common for sellers and office staff to work remotely than others. Experts and managers work remotely more than other employees. Also, men tend to work more often remotely from different places outside the office, while womens remote work tends to center around the home.
Future digital trends suggest that remote work will increase in the years ahead.
Future digital trends suggest that remote work will increase in the years ahead. Businesses across different sectors increasingly recognize the pro’s of hiring and keeping remote workers. Further on, societal trends with millennials and Gen Z also push more businesses towards adopting more flexible working policies.
It was Albert Einstein who said that "Time and space are not conditions in which we live, but modes by which we think." What we believe he meant was that time and space will increase creativity and optimize our working performance. Interestingly enough, digital nomads report on agreeing with this by saying that their way of working inspires creativity and optimizes their working performance.
Increased creativity is not the only pro of being able to work remote. Previous research from Ojala et al (2013) also showed positive aspects of remote work in relation to family interface; such as parental ability to cope with children; and amicable resolutions of conflict about working hours, household work and personal time in the family. Digital solutions have not only given us the opportunity to combine work with leisure more easily but have also made it possible for us to be more present; with our families and the people we hold dear as well as being more present in life in general.
The availability of digital solutions such as document sharing services, apps, project management and remote desktop tools further promotes Future or Work trends. These solutions will continue to help better communication with colleagues and customers whether you’re a digital nomad, remote worker or/and GIG worker. These tools will be factors in the continuous rise of digital nomads and remote workers.
In our ending words we choose to promote “5 Remote Work Predictions for 2019” highlighted by Remote.CO to cheer on the Future of Work.
“5 Remote Work Predictions for 2019” highlighted by Remote.CO
1. More companies will transition to a remote-only environment.
Technologies exist to support remote work across a variety of industries, and there are plenty of trailblazers who have set examples by sharing their own remote journeys. Building strong teams through professional development opportunities and healthy internal cultures is no longer an opaque process; today, leaders can find an array of resources and lessons learned in company blogs and remote-focused forums.
2. As a result, we’ll see consultants and experts cropping up to support them.
Upcoming major emerging business opportunities. Take a look around, and you’ll see that there are training programs, retreat services, certifications, online courses, and coaching firms that are only now beginning to be built to help companies go remote. Those who cater to niches in waiting-to-be-disrupted fields like HR, learning and development, and operations will be especially poised for dramatic growth.
3. Interest in location-independent roles in rural areas will spike.
Not only can remote work help to regentrify economically depressed areas, it can serve to plug the “brain drain” many towns and communities encounter, as younger populations could conceivably return or even move in a new post college. When professionals have access to competitive job opportunities regardless of their home base, exciting things happen. Demographics begin to shift, startups are more apt to spring up, and those who may have left might stay put, raising families in agricultural enclaves or post-Industrial areas.
4. Remote work will be viewed as a retirement alternative.
At one point, leaving the workforce for a life on the golf course, traveling the world, or visiting with the grandkids was viewed as the pinnacle of achievement. Today, many baby boomers and even those in the preceding silent generation are leaning toward staying involved. While this could include mentoring or volunteer activities, it may also entail part-time or freelance remote work. Their hard-won insights and expertise can benefit a new crop of organizations as a means of giving back, while enabling would-be retirees to maintain business connections and worthwhile income streams.
5. Organizations and individuals will double down on engagement measures.
Loneliness and disenfranchisement have both long plagued remote professionals. Therefore, maintaining a sense of community while working at a distance will remain paramount in 2019. To ensure low turnover and high employee happiness, companies will seek out resources and products that keep teams connected without feeling burnt out. Meanwhile, professionals will invest more time participating in both face-to-face events and digital networking efforts—to stay on the cusp of their fields as well as to build a robust circle of contacts.
*Sources:
AI, Flexibility, Vermont Encourage Remote Work Trend, Paula Bernier
Working anytime, anywhere:The effects on the world of work, International labor organization ILO, Eurofond
5 Remote Work Predictions for 2019, Remote.CO
