How to know if remote work is for you?

There has been a cultural paradigm shift post pandemic, in what society considered to be an appropriate work scenario. Working remotely has its pros and cons. Read more to find out what does it exactly mean and if it is something you would like to do.

“77% of remote workers claim that they are more productive when working from home.”

In this article, we discuss the reasons that makes you want to agree with the above statistics. It also includes some reality checks to know it’s for you or not. So, let’s explore what exactly remote work means, some of its advantages, challenges, and jobs that give with such work opportunities.

What does ‘Remote work’ mean?

Working remotely refers to the situation where an employee does not have to commute to a physical office space to work. They can Work from Home (WFH), or from any other location of their choice - a café, park, co-working space, etc. The key here is that they are not tied to a specific office space.

There is another concept known as ‘hybrid work’. Which allows you to work few days of the week from home and others from the office.

The beauty of remote work is you may select how you work based on your personal circumstances. There are several benefits of working remotely, however some of the obvious ones are more flexibility, no commuting hustles, more freedom, and less expense- on both the organization's and the employee's part.

The advantages of remote work

Remote work has numerous advantages for both employees and businesses, ranging from higher productivity to happier, healthier staff and cost saving. A remote worker also saves money on things like computers, phones, power, heating, and air conditioning, which are all expenditures associated with running an office to any employer. Let's have a look at a few of the benefits:

• Increased productivity

  Employees have the freedom to design their work schedule in a way that suits them the best, which leads to increased efficiency and productivity.

• Increased producWork-life balance tivity

  With remote work, employees can better manage their time and responsibilities, leading to a healthier work-life balance.

• Employee retention

  Remote work gives employees the freedom to work from anywhere, which leads to increased job satisfaction and loyalty towards the organization.

• Freedom to choose your workspace

  The ability to design or choose your own office space every day, which can help you be more productive and mentally comfortable. Also saves one traveling cost and hassle.

• Less distractions

  In a remote work set-up, there are lesser chances of getting distracted by colleagues or office politics.

• Get to work with the best companies

  Remote workers have the opportunity to connect with employers from different cultures and backgrounds, which can lead to increased creativity and collaboration. They can work for any company, in any city without having to leave their home

Now that we know the benefits of working remotely, let's look at some of the biggest challenges that come with it.

Challenges of remote work

• Professional and personal life balance

  It can be difficult to maintain a balance between professional and personal life when working remotely. This is because there are no set office hours, and work can sometimes spill over into personal time.

• Scheduling one work time

  When employees start and conclude work at different times due to their respective time zones, it might be challenging for them to operate together. When scheduling meetings, try to find a time that fits everyone's schedule; if that's not possible, record meetings for those who can't make it.

• Lack of face-to-face interaction

  One of the biggest challenges of working remotely is feeling isolated from colleagues and company culture. This can lead to decreased motivation. Remote work can sometimes lead to a lack of human interaction, or mentorship. Specially for freshers or new joiners who aren't accustomed to the company's work culture.

• Distractions at home

  With remote work, it can be difficult to draw a line between work and personal life. This can lead to increased distractions and decreased productivity.

• Maintaining open communication

  The biggest challenges of working from home, according to remote workers, are a lack of information from management and the timeliness of the information. The lack of open communication between employees and managers could lead to friction and ultimately delay in work.

• Establishing a work culture

  Remote workers have less opportunity to form bonds with co-workers and have less visibility into the vision of an organization aims and values. Employees are not physically present in the same space, and therefore it can be difficult to build work culture.

Now that we know what remote work is, and the benefits and challenges that come with it, let's look at some of the common misconceptions about it.

Misconceptions of remote work

• It’s not all fun and play

  One of the biggest misconceptions about remote work is that it is easy. Just because you are not physically present in an office, does not mean your job is any easier. In fact, it can be more challenging as you need to be more organized and self-motivated.

• No official hours

  Another misconception of remote working is that flexibility of working hours. This does not mean everyone is available 24/7. Just because you are not tied to a specific office space, does not mean you shouldn't respect your colleague's time zones and set boundaries for yourself as well.

• Remote workers don’t actually work

  This is one of the most common misconceptions about remote work. Just because someone is not physically present in an office, doesn’t mean they are not working. In fact, studies have shown that remote workers are more productive than their office-based counterparts.

• Anyone can work remotely

  Lastly, remote work is not for everyone. Just because you can work from anywhere, does not mean you should. An important thing to note is that not all jobs can be done remotely. For instance, jobs that require face-to-face interaction or use of on-site resources cannot be done remotely.

• Remote work job opportunities

  It's anticipated that 73 % of all companies will have remote employees in eight years. This not only confirms the evolution of remote work, but it also shows that telecommuting will grow more widespread in the future.

  Many jobs in the fields of finance and accounting, customer service, writing and editing, project management, and software development are already done remotely.

• Establishing a work culture

  Remote workers have less opportunity to form bonds with co-workers and have less visibility into the vision of an organization aims and values. Employees are not physically present in the same space, and therefore it can be difficult to build work culture.

ZedPlus team has been successfully working remotely since 2018. Currently our 30+ team members work from different parts of India in complete sync. We are a Sydney based accounting firm offering range of financial and accounting services to Australian clients. The services are bifurcated under various brands such as ZedPlus accounting and finance, Brokers' BackOffice, and Accuratee (many more in the pipeline).

So, if you're looking for a remote work job, do have a look at our Careers page.

Happy job hunting!