5 Things You Never Realized About Remote Workers

When a lot of people think about their friends who were forced to work from home during the pandemic, many wondered how they could ever really make it “work.” With projects having so many moving tasks, how would it actually be possible to work remotely, much less together as a team? 

Some people who were accustomed to the 9-to-5 in-office culture panicked when they were told they’d need to work remotely. However, others automatically saw the open doors of freedom. But again, this is the difference in two distinct types of people: whose who function well as entrepreneurs, and those who do not.

At any rate, whether it was temporary or permanent, a lot of workers in a multitude of different industries learned things that they never imagined about working remotely. In fact, people who have worked from home for years learned from this new batch of workers who were tossed into a new environment and had little choice but to get really innovative. 

Let’s take a look at what they learned!

They Know All of the Best Tools

If you spend 10 minutes talking to a remote worker about how to complete a specific task from home, chances are that they’ll tick off 10 different tools or apps to download — and that’s what they can recall right off the top of their heads. Give them a half-hour to research, and they’ll completely transform the way you work from home.

When working in the office, you didn’t necessarily have the daily need for some of these tools, especially those based on communication. However, once you get used to them, you’ll quickly see how they improve your entire workday — even if you’re back at the office.

David Hatfield with Body & Soul Personal Training knows a bit about what’s it’s like to improvise and look for new tech to keep his clients on track. “When COVID restrictions kept us from doing in-person training, we had to experiment and find the best video options for remote-training purposes. We tried them all, from Skype to FaceTime to Zoom. And the thing is, some apps worked better for certain things, and we also learned that along the way. We also had consultations over a video call, so we really took that time to get creative and think outside of the box.”

So, imagine this on the level of SEOs, digital marketing specialists and the like. The world quickly becomes one giant marketplace for the best technology available — with plenty of online content on how to use it.

They Bring New Meaning to Employee Engagement

As a manager, if you even think for a second that you know how to keep your team happily engaged, imagine if they’re spread out across the city, the country or even internationally. Things get a little more complicated. Or, do they?

No matter where you are, in the office or sitting poolside in Bali, employees like to feel appreciated and, perhaps most importantly, they like to know that their positions have room for growth. To retain productivity, offer incentives and be very vocal with praise and reports of excellent work ethics. Because, bottom line, if your employees feel as if they have potential, then you’ll see it in their work.

“Just as with traditional employees,” Jared Zabaldo with USAMM notes, “Remote team members typically stay with a company longer if they are happy and engaged, not due to their salary, as one might expect. And with retention at an all-time low, not ensuring a positive company culture can, in the end, cost companies thousands — if not more.”

They Bring Organization to a Whole New Level

As we mentioned with the new tech tools, there literally is an “app for everything.” And to be a successful, motivated remote worker, you’ll need to explore a good portion of them. How so? Well, remote workers need organization like the human body needs air. Without it, tasks will be late, and projects will go unfinished. It’s not a nice look, is it?

“I not only use some of my favorite project-management apps, but I have notebooks where I can find something super quickly,” adds Hope Ashley of UpFlip. “I also make great use of Google Suite, creating spreadsheets and documents that I may need to pull up at a moment’s notice. And, what really makes a difference is putting all of these apps on my smartphone. That way, I can work on-the-go when waiting in line at the grocery store or for my favorite $7 coffee. Yeah, you got me!”

They Know That Working as a Team Has Never Been Better

You may eventually think that not being able to work face-to-face, all huddled around the same computer in the same conference room, will put the nail in the coffin of Teamwork. However, being a true team is connecting on both intellectual and creative levels. In short, there’s no need to all be in the same room. Actually, many people find it easier to be inspired when they’re chatting one-on-one on Slack, or brainstorming on their next Zoom call. Is it because that culture of intimidation is harder to thrive through a computer screen?

Alice Maddux of Livin3 sure seems to think so! “When you’re in the middle of what can be described as a formal meeting, creativity can be stifled. But, just think of the possibilities when it comes to sending a quick burst of inspiration via a message, and then getting back to the task at hand. Then, moments later, you get a reply. And, before you even know it, you’re brainstorming while you’re still being productive. Who even knew this was a remote possibility?”

You see what she did there?

In a Nutshell

In conclusion, as Daniel Rutberg of MuteSix adds, “The bottom line is that we are dealing with getting back to a ‘new normal,’ which definitely includes the rise of the remote employee. Some employees are going back to in-office work, while others have found that they can be even more productive when working remotely. Plus, there’s also a large workforce of freelancers and digital nomads alike who have been working remotely for over a decade.”

Perhaps you personally learned some of the benefits of working remotely, or maybe it still seems like an almost unimaginable way to get the job done. Whatever your preferences, you can be sure of one thing: remote work isn’t going anywhere — anytime soon.