This story was co-written by Angelica Martinez.
A few years ago, this newfangled concept of “telecommuting” or working from home became a popular subject of discussion, but was met with some disbelief. Today, remote work continues its steady rise in popularity, but many still pose the question: Are people actually productive working from home?
According to CNBC, 70 percent of the global workforce works remotely at least one day a week, while 53 percent work remotely for at least half the week. With numbers like that, something has got to be working!
Let’s be clear: One doesn’t have to be a digital nomad, social media influencer or travel writer in order to work remotely. There’s a reason why companies are offering employees incentives and the flexibility to work from where they choose.
- For employees, the benefits are endless, but centers on one main point: Remote work = more work/life blend. Less time spent commuting, more time can be dedicated to health and wellness goals. Or for parents, there’s nothing like being able to toss in a load of laundry, stay home with your sick kid – all without missing a day of work.
- For employers, the benefits are clear: Productivity, productivity, productivity. Shall we repeat that? Studies prove, remote workers can be more efficient than their in-office counterparts due to fewer distractions. Plus – remote flexibility means happier employees, which means higher retention rates, and for some companies taking the remote work experience to another level — lower overhead costs.
Here at rbb, we believe in something we like to call the employee-driven workplace. In short, we listen to our employees and what matters to them. Why lose great talent when you can retain them by working with them as they grow in their careers and their life situations change?
We have permanent employees in Los Angeles, NYC and Spain and we work with teammates who spend part of the year with family and friends abroad. There’s a reason our employees stay with us an average of eight years (and why our turnover rates are in the single digits).
Tips and Tricks for Working Remotely
The benefits of working remotely are endless for both employee and employer and although working from home is a dream scenario for many, there are struggles that come along with the dream job. To help you through those struggles, we’ve gathered advice straight from our remote employees.
- Have a dedicated work space, it’s important to have a space where you can mentally escape the “homey” feel and focus on work.
- Remind yourself, it’s OK to take a break. It’s not unusual to work 9 hours straight and realize you haven’t had a meal.
- If you work in a different timezone from your team, change the settings on your computer to match the timezone of your coworkers/clientele.
- If you moved to a new city and work from home, you may need to expand your horizons socially. Join a local gym, look for hobby related classes, network at local chamber meetings and get ready to mingle.
- If you get easily distracted, use a good set of productivity tools. If your company doesn’t already have one, suggest investing in a time and project management software; this will allow you to easily track your time for multiple clients and for you to be easily accountable.
- Working with your team may be easier than you may imagine, use tools like Slack or Skype to quickly communicate. If you’re working on a large project and you require team input, Google Docs/Sheets/Slides is a great way to review and edit documents in real time with other team members.
- A lot of tools have mobile apps, download those to your mobile device so you can easily access them anytime.