The remote work economy is booming.
A new infographic from nine2fivejobsearch reveals up to 50% of the American workforce could be working remotely. That number rose dramatically in recent months.
At the beginning of the year, 5.3% of employees worked as full-time staff from home. And more than a quarter (29%) of employees had the option to work part-time remotely, according to nine2fivejobsearch’s blog.
The Remote Work Economy
The trend is on the upswing with 70% of the American workforce slated to work remotely at least five days each month by 2025.
The lure of working remotely online has its advantages. Among the perks include a better work-life balance, better productivity, and avoiding those pesky commutes. As a result, many have looked towards remote work to take advantage of these perks.
Benefits of Remote Work
Not to be misconstrued with freelancing, remote jobs mean you are employed by a company but you are not required to be physically present at the office. Freelance jobs however refer to working for other people without any employment obligations.
Besides the relative comforts of working remotely, there is also the added value of job security. According to the Remote Work Report close to half (42%) say they have been working remotely for more than five years. In addition, nearly all (95%) recommend working remotely to a friend as well.
Remote working is also easy on the checkbook for employees. They save on average $4,000 a year by working remotely. The savings come from having to pay for dry cleaning and laundry; lunches and coffee; gas for commuting and vehicle maintenance.
It’s not only the growing opportunities but also advances in information technology that has also made collaborating remotely much easier. Today there is a slew of solutions that include Slack, Google Hangouts, Team Viewer, Zoom Assist and others helping make the workplace go virtual.
Where to Find Remote Working Opportunities
There is a huge demand for technical skills that do not require the employee to be present in the office. Top fields offering remote jobs include healthcare accounting, IT, customer service, education and sales. Not only small businesses but big firms such as Dell, Kaplan American Express are offering remote jobs to their employees.
Those looking for a career in remote working can look to a wide variety of platforms to start their journey into remote working. In addition to job listing Nine2Fivejobsearch also offers resumé writing, interview preparation and other solutions to help candidates snag jobs.
Upwork offers millions of jobs postings over 5,000 skills across more than 70 categories of work. Flex Jobs is yet another platform that offers both part-time and full-time remote working opportunities. Companies post their vacancies for free while candidates are required to pay a minimum $14.99 monthly subscription for the service. Other sites include Jobspresso, WeWorkRemotely, JustRemote and others.
Some of these platforms also offer to vet candidates and provide tools to help improve their chances of getting the gigs for those looking to work remotely.
However, to succeed as a remote worker you will need to make some serious adjustments. For one you will need good internet for communications, sharing documents as well as staying on track of projects.
You will also need to know the ins and out of your project management software. This will help avoid projects from pilling up and finish projects on time. Most importantly you will need to designate a good portion of your time to effectively do your work to avoid any distractions. Failing to do so can be counter-productive. Having a fixed schedule will help you to focus on your job and not indefinitely postpone your work.
How Small Business Can Take Advantage of Remote Workers
Small businesses can take advantage of remote workers to address a range of staffing issues. Whether it is a shortfall in manpower, a disaster or even mandatory stay at home orders, remote work is a solution.
Additionally, remote work allows small businesses to save a considerable amount of money on office space, insurance, and taxes. This is especially valuable when business is slow or other unforeseen conditions. Moreover, by going the remote hiring route a small business can expand the pool of candidates. With remote hiring, businesses can now employ their staff irrespective of locations.
As more workers look to do their job remotely, offering this option makes your company more desirable.
Image: nine2fivejobsearch.com
This article, “The Remote Work Economy is Booming” was first published on Small Business Trends