Remote work dates back as far as the 1980s in the United States. It was set up as a solution to curb traffic congestion and also an alternative for businesses that could not afford office space. But it was not commonly used till 2020, during the COVID crisis.
Since the emergence of the COVID-19 virus, remote work, commonly known as work from home (WFH) or work from anywhere, has become increasingly popular in today”s labor market across all industries.
Implementing social distancing to minimize the spread of the virus, gave rise to remote work as it was the best alternative to keep organizations running.
The flexibility and convenience of remote work arrangements have contributed to its growing popularity. As a result, more individuals and businesses are adopting the use of remote work policies.
In this article, we will be discussing the benefits of remote work. Reflecting on experiences during the COVID year, remote work has proved itself to be a useful alternative with multiple advantages.
What is Remote Work?
Remote work can be defined as organizational work performed outside the traditional office space.
Remote work is the practice of working outside of the traditional office, both in a temporal (time) and a spatial (location) sense (Olson, 1983).
Remote work can also be described as a flexible work arrangement that allows an employee to work from a remote location outside of corporate offices.
Several terms are used to describe remote work, including work from home (WFH), work from anywhere, and telecommuting.
Remote work arrangements can be temporary or permanent, part-time or full-time, occasional or frequent.
Types of Remote Work.
There are several types of remote work available in different industries.
1. Software Engineer.
Duties: Software engineers deal with the development, design, testing, and maintenance of software applications. They follow a software development process to create diagrams and documentation to identify requirements and solutions. They also integrate different software components to create a complete system and test to check the system’s quality. Software engineers troubleshoot and fix errors and release updates to improve functionality. They follow industry standards to ensure their software is up-to-date.
2. Marketing Managers.
Duties: Marketing managers are responsible for an organization’s marketing department. The role of a marketing manager is to undertake market research, understand the trends, create marketing strategy and budgets, oversee the creation of marketing materials and content, satisfy customers’ demand, and perform all other related tasks for increasing the business’s sales. They are usually in charge of a team.
3. Project Manager.
Duties: A project manager role includes developing project plans, assigning tasks to team members, and allocating resources to ensure the needs of the clients or organizations are met.
4. Sales Representatives.
Duties: A sales representative role involves selling a product to consumers. They are responsible for generating leads. negotiating with potential clients, interacting with customers, and most importantly meeting sales goals.
5. Data analyst.
Duties: A Data analyst’s role is to maintain, gather, and interpret an organization’s data for better understanding. Their role involves processing the organization’s confidential data and information.
6. Web Designer.
Duties: A web designer role involves building user-friendly websites for businesses and organizations. They make use of codes to develop the function of the website and also create the layout of the website.
7. Graphic Designer.
Duties: Graphic designers can be categorized as artists. They make visual graphics for clients or organizations. They also develop illustrations, logos, and other designs using software or by hand
8. Public Relations Specialist.
Duties: Public Relations Specialist roles work as a strategist in influencing public opinion, managing media relations, and creating and managing the image of an individual and organization.
9. Social Media Manger.
Duties: Social media managers work on a business and organization’s social media accounts and online presence. They oversee social media account design and update and follow social media trends.
10. SEO Specialist.
Duties: Search engine optimization (SEO) involves finding ways to optimize your website and content so it ranks higher on search engines and drives traffic to your website. SEO specialist therefore plays the role of managing all SEO content.
11. Copywriter.
Duties: Copywriters write short-form content for advertising businesses. They research, create, edit, and formulate ideas to meet the client’s or organization’s goal.
12. Content Writer.
Duties: The content writer’s role involves in-depth research on industry topics, writing blogs, articles, product descriptions, social media, and many more, and conducting keyword research and using SEO to increase traffic to clients, businesses, or organizations’ websites.
13. Virtual Assistant.
Duties: Virtual Assistant is the same as that of an office assistant. They are in charge of scheduling calls and meetings, attending to emails, making phone calls, booking appointments, and many more.
14. Copy Editor.
Duties: Copy editing is the process of revising written works by writers to improve readability and ensure it is free from grammatical errors. The role of a copy editor is to proofread and edit a writer’s work.
15. Financial Analyst.
Duties: Financial analyst guides clients through financial decisions and helps people make money. They study the stock market and other types of financial investment to help clients make money,
Related: How to land and succeed in virtual jobs
The Benefits of Remote Work.
Remote work comes with a lot of benefits. Some of the benefits are listed below;
- The major benefit of remote work is increased productivity. Remote workers enjoy the flexibility of their work shift which allows them to schedule their time and work from anywhere. This flexibility leads to more extensive work effort and work more effectively.
- Remote work lowers the stress level of workers since they do not have to juggle between going to work and taking care of personal needs thereby improving the health of workers.
- Remote work makes it possible for organizations to employ a larger pool of workers since they are not restricted to office space or policy.
- Remote work gives workers the confidence to explore technological tools.
- Remote work enables the division of projects into smaller jobs.
- Remote work helps employees save time. The number of hours used to commute to the office could be used to get several jobs done.
- Remote work helps save money. It saves employees the need to spend money on trans while it saves organizations the cost of daily expenditures.
- The opportunity to work remotely makes it easier to accommodate the needs of employees outside work.
- Start-up companies can begin operations without the need to spend a lot of capital to secure office space. These funds can be used to hire employees remotely and organize meetings.
Related: Job hunting in the digital age: what you need to know without the jargon.
The Disadvantages of Remote Work.
Remote work comes with a lot of benefits, but it’s important to note the disadvantages.
- Lack of personal interaction with colleagues reduces teamwork which may reduce productivity and work progress. When colleagues are not physically present in the office, it makes it hard to collaborate and get jobs done faster.
- Remote work sometimes leads to a lack of motivation to carry out tasks. The lack of supervision can lead to employees not taking work seriously. It also makes it difficult to separate work life from personal affairs.
- Working alone sometimes causes you to lose track of time leading to burnout. This can lead to overwhelming workload and stress, which can impact employees’ mental and physical health.
- Organizations take advantage of the fact that employees work from home to pile jobs up for them.
- Not all workers are suited to work remotely. Fresh graduates and interns who need professional guidance may find it hard to navigate the professional world.
- Remote work leads to isolation, which can affect your career negatively. When employees work from home, they miss out on the social interaction and networking opportunities that come with working in an office.
- Remote work leads to disregard of organizational policies. When employees work from home, they might not prioritize the organization’s policies, which could impact the organization negatively.
Remote jobs offer numerous benefits to both employees and employers. However, it also presents challenges that must be addressed.
Whether you’re looking for full-time remote work or part-time roles working from home, use our platform to find top job vacancies.