What statistics show is that remote work and freelancing are taking a significant toll on the working society. Some companies choose to save resources and increase productivity by allowing or offering remote work. On the other hand, many companies are still having reservations about the advantages of working from home.
Depending on the area of work, some are showing a significant increase in utilizing the ability to work remotely. Industries like finance have the most significant ratio of employees working outside the office. Other sectors, such as business and IT, follow carefully while manufacturing industries and health and education are not far behind.
What helps with remote work is the use of apps and software. And as many people prefer not to engage with coworkers face to face, some assistance is always needed. That is where technology comes in. Teamwork is still essential and probably the key to a successful result.
Why Remote Work Works
Keeping employees motivated and productive takes a lot of creativity and work. Working from the office with set working hours and limited breaks in a monotone environment kills productivity. On the other hand, working from a location that offers comfort gives just the opposite result. Having flexible working hours with breaks helps around 37% of employees be more productive. Many of them said that music helps with motivation. The possibility of organizing your time increases productivity and gets the work done.
Helpful Apps
Remote workers need to keep in touch with their employers and coworkers since they are not in the same location. Apps and software are more convenient to use than regular calls. Here are some frequently used apps to help with remote work:
- Zoom
- Slack
- Google Drive
- HipChat
You can use apps like Zoom and HipChat for video calls, especially for teams. These apps are suitable for conferences or team training. You can use them in any sector, from business to health to IT. They act as an upgraded version of Skype with the possibility of group chats, screen sharing, voice recordings, and more. Instant messaging is another feature that you can use here, along with file sharing and saved chat history.
Slack is an excellent tool to use for instant messaging for remote workers. It is an easy app to use for team members and all types of collaboration. Employees can manage projects, sign contracts, and write codes. If you need to check something, open the archive where you can find all of the conversations stored. Slack allows a more instantaneous communication among coworkers with different channels.
Google Drive is an essential component for almost any team of remote workers. It is the simplest and most efficient way of storing documents online. Essentially, it is a cloud service where you keep all the necessary documents, even the largest ones. Because of the sync options, employees can work on the materials together and collaborate within the team. Slide presentations are also possible on Google Drive.
Statistics in Favor of Remote Work
Even though only 7% of employers provide the possibility of remote work, an astonishing 82% of employees prefer working outside the office. More than 50% have a job that is suited for remote work while just a shy of 100% would choose to work remotely until they retire. Even with statistics like these, some companies are still not following the trend of working remotely.
The environment also benefits from remote work. With more people working from home, fewer emissions from daily commuting go into our atmosphere. In a year, remote workers can save more than $4,500 on fuel. Also, the time spent commuting can be taken advantage of differently by spending more time resting or with a loved one.
Not only does remote work save money and time, but it also makes for a more content employee. Statistics show that remote workers are 22% happier with their jobs and more likely to keep working in the same position.