{"id":46692,"date":"2021-02-15T23:00:06","date_gmt":"2021-02-16T07:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"\/us\/en\/blog\/?p=46692"},"modified":"2024-06-07T07:06:48","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T14:06:48","slug":"work-from-anywhere-is-the-future-say-goodbye-to-work-from-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/work-from-anywhere-is-the-future-say-goodbye-to-work-from-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Work from anywhere is the future. Say goodbye to work from home"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s been a lot of hype about the ongoing <\/span>remote work<\/span><\/a> revolution. While it\u2019s a trend that\u2019s been gathering steam for a number of years, the onset of the <\/span>Covid-19 pandemic <\/span>forced a lot of employers to shift to remote working almost overnight. Now it seems it\u2019s here to stay as a permanent fixture, and we\u2019re all still grappling with what exactly that means.<\/span><\/p>\n

From the smallest <\/span>startups, <\/span>to <\/span>call centers<\/span> and the biggest business behemoths (such as <\/span>Amazon<\/span>), <\/span>remote work<\/span> opens up a lot of new possibilities. It allows employers to take their pick of the top talent from a much wider area, giving firms a much bigger pool to choose from.<\/span><\/p>\n

It also presents new possibilities to employees and <\/span>job seekers<\/span>. In the new world of work, it\u2019s possible to be a true <\/span>digital nomad<\/span>, pursuing exciting lifestyle and<\/span> job opportunities<\/span> wherever it takes your fancy. Your employer might be based in one part of the world while you\u2019re based in another – anything goes.<\/span> Work-from-home jobs<\/span> have come to provide employees with a previously unprecedented degree of freedom.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Unlimited\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
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\nUnlimited video meetings and messaging for free. Seriously.<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn more<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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It\u2019s therefore in the interests of employers to accommodate remote working arrangements. Those that don\u2019t will risk losing out on talented people – including <\/span>customer service<\/span> representatives<\/span>, <\/span>digital marketing<\/span> and <\/span>SEO <\/span>professionals, and <\/span>graphic design<\/span> specialists – to other businesses. This could have serious and lasting impacts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether you call it remote working, working from home (<\/span>WFH<\/span><\/a>), or working from anywhere, this is a phenomenon that\u2019s bringing about far-reaching changes to the way we work. In this guide, we\u2019ll provide you with a comprehensive introduction; we\u2019ll discuss what <\/span>remote work<\/span> means, bust some of the myths surrounding it, and assess the pros and cons. In particular, we\u2019ll look at why \u2018working from home\u2019 no longer reflects the full reality of <\/span>remote work<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is it called when you work from anywhere?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are a number of different terms for the phenomenon under discussion here. A lot of people use the term \u2018remote working\u2019, while others call it \u2018working from home\u2019. Both terms are a little too limiting, however, and don\u2019t capture the full complexity of these new working arrangements.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll discuss this in more detail later on, but a lot of office-based teams already work with colleagues distributed in different locations; individual businesses and other organizations may have multiple office hubs. This may therefore be considered a kind of <\/span>remote work<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nor does \u2018working from home\u2019 give us a full flavor of how a lot of people are working when they\u2019re not in the office. Certainly, a lot of people who do work remotely end up doing so from home, but it\u2019s not always feasible. Some workers live in crowded houses with families and roommates, which is hardly conducive to consistent productivity. Working from anywhere, on the other hand, allows employees to use alternative locations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, this is one of the things that makes it potentially so liberating. You can work from the coffee shop, in the local library, or even the beach as long as you can get a <\/span>WiFi <\/span>connection there. It is, essentially, up to you (and to some extent, your employer) where you work from. <\/span><\/p>\n

With all that in mind, then, it seems more fitting to use the term <\/span>\u2018<\/span>work from anywhere<\/span><\/a>\u2019<\/span>, as you could potentially do exactly this<\/span>\u2014<\/span>or at least, from anywhere you can find reasonably quick internet. This is the term we\u2019ll generally use to discuss the matter at hand in this guide. There are, however, a couple of other related terms we should discuss briefly here.<\/span><\/p>\n

Flexjobs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Flexible work<\/span><\/a> can mean a lot of things. It might mean being able to choose your own working hours for a<\/span> full-time<\/span> job within a set time frame; employers can allow you to decide when you come into work in the morning and when you leave, so long as you work a specific amount of hours in between.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It may also mean job sharing, where two people work <\/span>part-time<\/span> in the same role – possibly even in different<\/span> time zones <\/span>– and share the work between them. Arrangements such as these are increasingly common, as employers take account of the lifestyle needs of employees (particularly with regard to childcare).<\/span><\/p>\n

You may have seen the term <\/span>\u2018flexjobs\u2019 <\/span>used to describe working arrangements like these. It\u2019s important to distinguish <\/span>flexjobs <\/span>from <\/span>remote work<\/span>, as it might not necessarily entail the latter. <\/span>Remote jobs<\/span><\/a> allow you to determine where you work (within reason), while <\/span>flexible work <\/span>gives you greater freedom to determine when and how you work.<\/span><\/p>\n

Telecommuting<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Telecommuting is a less common term these days, but it\u2019s still used reasonably frequently. It\u2019s certainly one kind of <\/span>remote work<\/span>, but it denotes a specific type of remote working. It\u2019s not the same thing as working from anywhere. Specifically, telecommuting is usually used to refer to employees who work remotely, but from within easy physical reach of their workplace.<\/span><\/p>\n

So if you live within commuting distance of your employer and they give you the option of working from home<\/span>\u2014<\/span>either as a regular or an occasional thing<\/span>\u2014<\/span>you could consider yourself as being a telecommuter. The main point is that you\u2019re able to journey to your employer\u2019s office as and when you\u2019re called upon to do so. This is relatively easy when you\u2019re <\/span>job searching<\/span> in a major city like <\/span>New York<\/span>, but much harder if you live in a more isolated area.<\/span><\/p>\n

Needless to say, all this limits your options somewhat and doesn\u2019t offer you the kind of freedom and autonomy that true <\/span>work from anywhere<\/span> arrangements do. However, it\u2019s worth noting some <\/span>companies that hire remote workers<\/span> do use \u2018telecommuting\u2019 as a synonym, so be sure to check <\/span>job postings<\/span> carefully before writing any of them off.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you work remotely from anywhere?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Working from anywhere gives you much greater freedom in deciding where you work from. A lot of people are quite happy to do <\/span>remote <\/span>work from home<\/span><\/a> jobs<\/span>, but working in the home isn\u2019t always feasible. If you\u2019ve got young children running around, for instance, it can be difficult to find the peace and quiet you need to really concentrate on your work.<\/span><\/p>\n

Employers might not be able to look over your shoulder to see how productive you are, but they will be able to tell if the quantity and standard of your work have dipped. This could mean that your freedom to work remotely is withdrawn, and your employer demands that you start coming into the office to work instead.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alternatively, of course, it could simply mean that you lose your job – and then you\u2019ll have to start your <\/span>job search<\/span> all over again. It\u2019s essential, therefore, that if you are working remotely, you find a space where you can do so with minimal distractions. It might be a good idea to discuss this with your employer beforehand so that you can reach a suitable arrangement.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nIs your business ready to work from anywhere? Find out with our Remote Readiness Quiz<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tTake the Quiz<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The importance of staying focused<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Of course, offices themselves are by no means free of distractions. We\u2019ve all been there, struggling to maintain our concentration amid the office chit-chat and all the various comings and goings of a typical working day. For a lot of people, a <\/span>remote opportunity<\/span> is appealing as it allows them to spend more time concentrating solely on the tasks they\u2019ve been set.<\/span><\/p>\n

Working from anywhere<\/span><\/a>, when compared to <\/span>work-at-home<\/span> arrangements, gives employees greater freedom to find a location from where they can work well and concentrate consistently. This means that both employees and their employers can benefit from greater productivity and a higher standard of work.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, as we\u2019ve noted, employees will need to ensure that their chosen working location has reliable <\/span>WiFi<\/span>. If their connection is continually dipping in and out, they won\u2019t be able to do their job as well and their employer (as well as clients) may struggle to get in touch with them, causing confusion and frustration for all concerned.<\/span><\/p>\n

Types of remote working arrangements<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We\u2019ve already outlined the differences between telecommuting, working from anywhere, and working from <\/span>home opportunities<\/span>. Now we need to take a closer look at the different types of remote working arrangements and team structures. These can vary quite substantially, but for our purposes, we\u2019ll concentrate on three remote working structures here:<\/span><\/p>\n