Why remote work is the best option for startups.
It’s a beautiful afternoon as I write this post from Barcelona, Spain. I’m also messaging my business partner in London. And in two hours, I’ll call one of our early Steer’s customer who’s in Berlin.
I’m sure this is familiar for most of you. And it’s pretty much how the future of work looks like.
More companies are choosing remote work than ever before. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2015, 23 percent of workers reported doing at least some of their work remotely.
Why the Future of Work Is Remote
1. You Get More Done
Shorter commutes, private office or a coffee shop and flexible work hours. This all leads to less time wasted, more productive work hours, and increased happiness among employees.
2. Access to awesome talent
The mantra of every company: always hire the best people. For each candidate that is available to work in your city, there are hundreds more around the world that can do it better.
Hiring top talent is already hard enough as it is, so why limit the single most important ingredient for the success of your business?
3. Cost savings and productivity
Remote companies save a ton of money on overhead because there’s no physical office.
According to Forbes, Aetna was able to shed 2.7 million square feet of office space and save $78 million with remote workers. American Express reported annual savings of $10–15 million thanks to its remote operations.
How to Maximize The Future Of Work
1. Think Output
Focusing on a results-oriented system is the initial step to take when going remote. At the end of the day, the output that we produce is the only tangible result we can present that brings the business forward.
I’m a huge fan of focusing on output because it forces me to prioritise my focus on tasks that will have the biggest impact and helps me stay productive.
2. Get Smart and set up goals
Now that we’re focused on results, we need to set the right goals and metrics for ourselves.
Creating goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely are the 5 most important factors to consider. Investing the time to plan and write down your smart goals will do wonders for your output.
3. Communicate, communicate, communicate
The caveat to working remotely is that we miss out on 70% of nonverbal communication, such as facial expressions, voice tones, and eye contact. Working from other sides of the world, communicating the smallest things is a must.
4. Have Regular Feedback
It’s difficult to know if your work is producing the impact that your team members expect when working. Design a structure for individual regular feedback, whether it’s bi-weekly or monthly.
Creating a culture of continuous improvement will allow members to feel that they’re personally improving, which leads to increased work engagement and greater loyalty for the business.
Over to you
What are your thoughts on the future of work? Are you working remotely? Let us know what do you think about it!
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