Remote work

Remote work is here to stay – it is the conclusion of most of the studies made on this subject. As the daily hustle of commuting and late nights at the office becomes a burden to employees – they ask for a different solution. Hence, remote work seems like the ideal answer.

The employee side – remote work benefits

It is not hard to imagine that most of the people will choose remote work over, work at the office. The main reasons are concerning flexibility, mobility, time efficiency and more time with the loved ones.

When asked if one would prefer remote work at least some of the time – a spectacular 99% of the workforce says yes.

“One of the greatest advantages it gives me is psychological freedom. Even if I work more and I am more focused when working at home, paradoxically I feel freer. If I want to wash my hair at 2 pm, I can. If I need to do my laundry while on a break, I can. If I want to sit in a certain way I can – I am at home. Also, staying at home, for example, helps me save money and in the long run, I am sure that I build up less frustration because I have this opportunity of remote work.”

Ana, QA engineer

However, it is also not perfect. One of the biggest challenges people working remotely face is unplugging and loneliness. And we already live in times of social isolation and emotional and mental health issues. Also, surprisingly enough remote workers take only a few vacations. Most of the time not more than the ones working a 9 to 5.

Recognizing this we can observe a surge of “stay focused” applications.

The employer side – remote work benefits

Remote work has lots of benefits when it comes to the employer too. It cuts the cost of an office, utilities, and support personnel. However, there is a reticence in management to support remote work. It has a lot to do with the classical mindset and with control. Even though if there are great processes and clear task management there should be no worries concerning results. Many companies have already implemented optional remote work in their benefits packages. There are key employees that will choose a job that offers remote work over a job that pays more.

“I see no negative part in remote work influencing my work as a manager. I believe it is a question of trust. So, as long as, the tasks are done, why not? I have worked with people located very far from me and we were both satisfied with the collaboration. However, I can imagine some managers not trusting that their employees do their work as well as when at the office. But you will always know if someone is doing their job as expected or not.”

Horatiu, business group manager

Tools that help

Nonetheless, there are great tools to reinsure management and give employees what they need. All this while keeping business under control and offering flexibility that boosts efficiency and productivity.

Some of the tools are great for project management and/or time management. Some even facilitate invoicing. These tools are mostly very generic and satisfy a large variety of users. However, this comes with negative parts as well. When a tool is for everyone, it is most surely not for exactly what your company’s needs. Taking this into account, they are a great help when it comes to monitoring progress.

When it comes to software companies, the best is to turn to software companies.

A great tool is TheHours because it is created based on the needs of a global software company. AROBS, the developer of TheHours is an experienced software developer, that employs over 1000 professionals internationally. Based on the over 20 years of experience in outsourcing for cloud application development, automotive, IoT, travel & hospitality software.

As a collateral effect of this huge shift from classic to remote is the reinvention of the meaning of a workplace. Hence, the apparition of involvement spaces.

Conclusion

Regardless of your position on remote work, be aware that remote work is a reality that needs adaptability from both sides. But the best part is that there are lots of tools that can help you, whether you are the employee or the manager.