February 2018
Home & Away: Why Do We Love Remote Working So Much?
Over the last few years, remote working has transformed from a ‘special exception’ for the privileged few employees, to an expected aspect of most roles. Its rise in popularity has brought with it the chance for businesses to thrive, tapping into new skills and revolutionising the fundamental way we get work done.
But why did it become so popular, and why has our love affair with remote working only strengthened over time?
The Evolution of Remote Working
Remote working first truly hit the spotlight in the early 2010s when the cloud made it possible for workflow to be managed, but really started much, much earlier. The advent of email and the internet made it possible to communicate with freelancers and outsourced individuals from further afield in a whole new way. Meanwhile, employees with special circumstances – such as raising families, or travelling for work – were outfitted with the opportunity to work remotely.
As time went on, the desire to harness freelancers’ skills at an affordable price led to platforms such as UpWork (formerly oDesk) and People Per Hour, allowing business owners to outsource work both near and far. But as the technology developed further and the startup boom continued, it was more easily applied to bringing full-time skills to the table with opportunities closer to home.
Why We Love It
The question of why we’ve fallen in love with remote working so much has more than one answer, and some are different for each business. What we can say confidently, however, is that some benefits make everybody happy.
For example, remote working allows for an unprecedented amount of freedom around the work-life balance – a quality of life which millennials in particular have made popular. How we live is changing, so it makes sense to change how we work too.
Meanwhile, small business owners have found remote working useful in offering opportunities all around the country or world in order to tap into talent not available close by. You no longer have to live in the same city as you work thanks to flexible office space and cloud-based technology.
What’s more, we’re able to get more people into their dream roles without incurring the wrath of the commuter train. As transport prices continue to skyrocket, more and more individuals are growing reluctant to commute into cities from surrounding areas. Being able to work from home goes some way to negate this whilst still helping businesses to thrive and help to kick-start careers.
There’s also the lower cost of remote working, which is always welcome news to employers dealing with tight budgets. Office space no longer has to be flashy and expansive – co-working spaces or hot-desking are now common workplaces, with remote working keeping costs low and helping the business to remain agile.
How to Make the Most of Remote Working
All of these benefits are available to employers willing to tackle remote working head-on. To do that, they need to accept the help of cloud-based technologies, and be willing to build a trusting relationship with employees. Without that trust, it quickly becomes difficult to condone remote working.
As for the technology side of things, Lunar’s bespoke CRM solution can help businesses to keep their employees in touch with one another, whilst sharing data and keeping the customer’s needs central to the organisation – no matter where its employees are.
With an open mind, businesses of all shapes and sizes could soon be enjoying the benefits of remote working – and their employees can experience the freedom and opportunities it brings. So, what are you waiting for?
To find out more about Lunar’s bespoke CRM tool and how it can help to strengthen your remote working offering, get in touch to book a free demo or browse our website for more information.