You may have heard people say that remote working is the future of employment, and there’s a very simple reason for that-- in many cases, it’s completely true. Evolving technologies make it easier and easier for people to work from outside of the office, but unfortunately many people seem to have some misconceptions about what remote work really looks like.
That’s where we come in. In this article, we’re busting 8 of the most common myths about working remotely, including:
- You always need an internet connection to work remotely
- Remote workers are less productive than their office-bound peers
- Working compromises your data security
- Meetings can no longer be held effectively
- Company culture suffers when employees work remotely
- Remote workers have to be online all the time
- Working from home gets lonely
- You get to spend all day, every day in your PJs
Cloud computing makes it easy to work offline remotely, which means you can work from wherever you are most productive without worrying about wifi.
Myth #1: You always need an internet connection to work remotely
When people say this, I can only assume that they’re afraid working remotely means shelling out beaucoup bucks for their home internet or shuffling from one coffee shop to another in some sort of caffeine-fueled quest for the best connection. Yes, it is true-- to work remotely you will need an internet connection…but only sometimes. Cloud storage makes it easy and affordable to access and update your files even without wifi.
How is this possible, you ask? Some cloud storage platforms give you the options to make your files or folders available offline, which means you can update them regardless of whether or not you have a connection. The most up-to-date version will be saved to the cloud as soon as you connect.
Working remotely offline blows the possibilities for you remote work office wide open-- whether you want to work at the beach, in your backyard, or anywhere else-- the world is your office with offline syncing.
Myth #2: Remote workers aren’t as productive as their in-office peers
The idea that remote workers aren’t as productive as their in-office peers is not just incorrect-- it’s the total opposite of the truth. A recent study conducted concluded that, when compared to their office-bound peers, remote work actually made employees 13.5% more effective. Crazy, right?
If you think about it, it actually makes a lot of sense. The typical office environment can be full of distractions. From talkative coworkers to cake in the breakroom, there are variety of factors that can pull employees away from their work. Remote workers don’t have to deal with these distractions.
Myth #3: Working compromises your data security
Transferring sensitive company data to devices on unsecured servers outside of the workplace just has to be asking for disaster, right? Quite simply: wrong. Today’s tech makes it easier than ever before for a qualified IT team to keep security risks to a minimum-- even when employees aren’t working from the premises.
Once again, we have cloud computing and cloud-based applications to thank for this. Using trusted software names makes the job pretty easy-- a lot of the security is outsourced, and your IT simply has to keep the software updated across employee devices, which can be done remotely. IT can also leverage solutions like dual authentication and virtual private networks (VPNs) to further protect your company’s data.
Collaboration tools make it possible for remote teams to be just as productive or more productive than in-office employees.
Myth #4: Meetings can’t be effective when employees work remotely
Being in the office with your project team has an interesting effect on productivity. For some businesses, having the whole team together every day may actually hurt meeting effectiveness because there’s a pervasive feeling that any given to-do can be tackled later without too much hassle.
When a team of remote workers schedules a meeting, everyone must be more conscious of each other’s schedules. This creates a sense of urgency throughout the project because the whole team is aware that efficiency is key. Unfortunately, some onsite teams may struggle to achieve the same level of focus.
Myth #5: Remote work ruins company culture
The key to a positive company culture is, hands down, respect. When employees are treated with respect-- both by one another and by management-- company culture tends to be strong. While office camaraderie doesn’t look the same for teams that are partially or entirely remote, knowing that their company understands their personal needs and is making every effort to accommodate a healthy work-life balance through the flexibility that remote work provides boosts morale.
Working remotely doesn’t necessarily mean working from home.
Myth #6: Remote workers are “on” 24/7
There’s always more work to be done. That’s true whether you work at a desk in the office or remotely. It’s also true that managing your work-life balance when you work remotely can take a little bit of practice. That being said, it is about striking a balance. Just because you work remotely doesn’t mean you need to be on the clock all the time!
In fact, one of the biggest reasons people prefer remote work is that it gives them more control over how they balance their life.
Myth #7: Working from home gets lonely
Not quite. You’ll find that if you want to be around other people, there are always options to connect. Whether that means setting up a video conference with your team to check in face-to-face, checking out a local coworking space, or simply stepping out for a lunch break with someone you care about, there are plenty of ways to foster a human connection while working remotely. You aren’t tethered to a desk, so anything’s possible!
Myth #8: It’s pajama time all day, every day
Unfortunately, this one isn’t true either. Remote work can actually demand a lot of face-to-face professional interaction. Maybe you’re meeting a colleague who’s in town for a lunch meeting, or maybe you’re hopping on an important video call. Either way, your bathrobe and bunny slippers probably aren’t the ideal attire.
However, you can get away with a lazy day every so often, and that’s definitely a huge perk!
Remote work gives employees the power to take control over their work experience, boosting productivity and happiness.
Working remotely is becoming increasingly common. More in more people rank the option to work remotely not just as a job perk, but as an absolute necessity. With these 8 common remote work myths busted once and for all, navigating the increasingly remote work world should be a breeze.
Do you work remotely? Would you ever consider working remotely? Share your experience in the comments below!
This is a sponsored post for Dropbox. All opinions are our own.