Whether you\u2019re a manager looking to stay on top of your team in a changing environment, or you\u2019re new to the workforce trying to navigate a transformed industry, we\u2019ve got you covered.<\/p>\n
In this article, we\u2019ll explain what it means to work remotely, along with important best practices, trends, and how to manage remote workers successfully.<\/p>\n
Work remotely meaning explained<\/h2>\nThe meaning of the term \u201cworking remotely\u201d simply means to work from anywhere outside a traditional office setting.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
You could work from home<\/a>, from a cafe, or even from a coworking space. The \u201cremote\u201d part simply means that a particular employee, or an entire team, isn\u2019t bound to the office.<\/p>\nFully remote meaning<\/h3>\n
To be \u201cfully remote\u201d means that an employee, a team, or the entire company never comes into the office to work together. They work from somewhere else \u2014 whether home or on the road \u2014 365 days a year.<\/p>\n
Not all jobs can<\/em> be fully remote. A software developer can write, test, edit, and deliver finished code and even apps without ever setting foot in an office.<\/p>\nBut a chef or server at a restaurant won\u2019t be able to work from home. An engineer could do most of the planning and designing remotely but would need to do on-site inspections.<\/p>\n
Important remote working trends<\/h2>\n
As you may have noticed, over the past 12 months, the world has experienced an incredible remote transformation.<\/p>\n
At its peak, almost half of all U.S. workers were working remotely. And if we take a closer look at the trends, we can see that remote work<\/a> is here to stay.<\/p>\nMany workers will still remain remote in the future.<\/h3>\n
26.7%<\/a> of American workers will still work remotely next year after the pandemic and related restrictions subside.<\/p>\nThere are good reasons for that. Companies can save big on office space and related expenses. Employees can save time and energy on commuting and enjoy increased flexibility.<\/p>\n
Many job searchers are favoring remote job boards as they want to continue this lifestyle.<\/p>\n
Remote workers are more productive.<\/h3>\n
According to a study by Great Place to Work, employees were significantly more productive after transitioning to remote work.<\/p>\n
The average remote worker in May 2020 was 13%<\/a> more productive than their in-office counterparts.<\/p>\n![\"Graph](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Remote-Employee-Productivity-Graph.png\" "\\"Remote")
<\/p>\n
(Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\nIt sounds counterintuitive, but it\u2019s something we\u2019ve experienced first-hand at monday.com.<\/p>\n
Many of our teams are fully remote and report benefits like a flexible schedule, the ability to work during peak hours, and fewer interruptions (no watercooler talk).<\/p>\n
Increased productivity in remote companies is a real phenomenon.<\/p>\n
Of course, telecommuting also means no long drives or bus rides to the office. That can lead to higher energy levels throughout the day.<\/p>\n
With more tools available, remote transitions are becoming smoother.<\/h3>\n
Working remotely is no longer only for software engineers at hip startups. With smarter tools, transitions are becoming easier, even for larger, more established companies.<\/p>\n
According to the 2021 State of Remote Work, 82%<\/a> of companies reported a smooth transition. Under 2 in 10 companies experienced issues when making the switch to a remote workforce.<\/p>\n![\"Chart](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Remote-Work-Transition.png\" "\\"Remote")
<\/p>\n
(Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\nOf course, the fact that some companies struggle means you shouldn\u2019t take the transition lightly. Make sure that you plan appropriately in advance so that you don\u2019t experience any issues.<\/p>\n
Get started with monday.com<\/a><\/p>\n5 best practices for managing remote workers<\/h2>\n
Of course, just telling someone to work from home isn\u2019t going to lead to good results for your company.<\/p>\n
Remote work comes with its own unique challenges and struggles.<\/p>\n
![\"Chart](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Top-Remote-Working-Issues.png\" "\\"Top")
<\/p>\n
(Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\nThe top issues remote workers highlight are not being able to unplug, difficulties collaborating, and loneliness.<\/p>\n
For any kind of creative or intellectual work, not being able to collaborate is a huge problem. If everyone isn\u2019t on the same page, you can end up with a disjointed user experience.<\/p>\n
But the good news is that these issues aren\u2019t inherent to remote work. When done right, you can minimize or even eliminate many of these problems.<\/p>\n
Use smart digital tools (like virtual whiteboards) to facilitate better real-time collaboration.<\/h3>\n
A remote employee isn\u2019t inherently disengaged and disconnected from their team. By using the right tools, you can make sure that collaboration thrives, even if you\u2019re not in the office.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t just default to Slack. Some things work better on a live video call than in a chatroom. For example, if your virtual team<\/a> is meeting to brainstorm, a virtual whiteboard can help spark creativity and employee engagement.<\/p>\nSet up formal and informal meetings to combat loneliness.<\/h3>\n
A remote worker who lives alone may feel more lonely as they lose the office environment and camaraderie.<\/p>\n
To combat this trend, make sure you set up both regular meetings (we recommend quick virtual daily standup meetings<\/a>) and casual chats.<\/p>\nSet strict policies for communication and \u201cdo not disturb\u201d to help employees unplug.<\/h3>\n
When you already work from home, it can be hard to set boundaries around when and when not to work.<\/p>\n
While a seasoned remote worker knows how to strike a balance, newcomers often struggle here.<\/p>\nTo help new remote workers avoid burnout, set a clear remote work policy for work-related communication, and make sure everyone respects \u201cdo not disturb\u201d time blocks.<\/span><\/a>\nWork-life balance isn’t a \u201cnice to have.\u201d If you want to succeed over the long term, it\u2019s a must.<\/p>\n
Break work down into concrete projects to help workers stay motivated.<\/h3>\n
Instead of trudging along \u201cdoing the same thing,\u201d you can motivate your workers by breaking their tasks into smaller projects.<\/p>\n
Nothing is more motivating than working towards attainable with a group of like-minded people.<\/p>\n
Create a custom digital workspace that suits your workflows and culture.<\/h3>\n
Don\u2019t just set up a to-do list for each remote employee. Set up a digital workspace where people can discuss problems, keep up with the project progress, and work together more efficiently.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t possible without the right platform. Luckily, monday.com is absolutely perfect for the job \u2014 we\u2019ll show you why.<\/p>\n
Get started<\/a><\/p>\nUse monday.com to create an engaging digital workspace for your employees<\/h2>\n
The meaning of the term \u201cworking remotely\u201d simply means to work from anywhere outside a traditional office setting.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
You could work from home<\/a>, from a cafe, or even from a coworking space. The \u201cremote\u201d part simply means that a particular employee, or an entire team, isn\u2019t bound to the office.<\/p>\n To be \u201cfully remote\u201d means that an employee, a team, or the entire company never comes into the office to work together. They work from somewhere else \u2014 whether home or on the road \u2014 365 days a year.<\/p>\n Not all jobs can<\/em> be fully remote. A software developer can write, test, edit, and deliver finished code and even apps without ever setting foot in an office.<\/p>\n But a chef or server at a restaurant won\u2019t be able to work from home. An engineer could do most of the planning and designing remotely but would need to do on-site inspections.<\/p>\n As you may have noticed, over the past 12 months, the world has experienced an incredible remote transformation.<\/p>\n At its peak, almost half of all U.S. workers were working remotely. And if we take a closer look at the trends, we can see that remote work<\/a> is here to stay.<\/p>\n 26.7%<\/a> of American workers will still work remotely next year after the pandemic and related restrictions subside.<\/p>\n There are good reasons for that. Companies can save big on office space and related expenses. Employees can save time and energy on commuting and enjoy increased flexibility.<\/p>\n Many job searchers are favoring remote job boards as they want to continue this lifestyle.<\/p>\n According to a study by Great Place to Work, employees were significantly more productive after transitioning to remote work.<\/p>\n The average remote worker in May 2020 was 13%<\/a> more productive than their in-office counterparts.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n It sounds counterintuitive, but it\u2019s something we\u2019ve experienced first-hand at monday.com.<\/p>\n Many of our teams are fully remote and report benefits like a flexible schedule, the ability to work during peak hours, and fewer interruptions (no watercooler talk).<\/p>\n Increased productivity in remote companies is a real phenomenon.<\/p>\n Of course, telecommuting also means no long drives or bus rides to the office. That can lead to higher energy levels throughout the day.<\/p>\n Working remotely is no longer only for software engineers at hip startups. With smarter tools, transitions are becoming easier, even for larger, more established companies.<\/p>\n According to the 2021 State of Remote Work, 82%<\/a> of companies reported a smooth transition. Under 2 in 10 companies experienced issues when making the switch to a remote workforce.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n Of course, the fact that some companies struggle means you shouldn\u2019t take the transition lightly. Make sure that you plan appropriately in advance so that you don\u2019t experience any issues.<\/p>\n Get started with monday.com<\/a><\/p>\n Of course, just telling someone to work from home isn\u2019t going to lead to good results for your company.<\/p>\n Remote work comes with its own unique challenges and struggles.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n The top issues remote workers highlight are not being able to unplug, difficulties collaborating, and loneliness.<\/p>\n For any kind of creative or intellectual work, not being able to collaborate is a huge problem. If everyone isn\u2019t on the same page, you can end up with a disjointed user experience.<\/p>\n But the good news is that these issues aren\u2019t inherent to remote work. When done right, you can minimize or even eliminate many of these problems.<\/p>\n A remote employee isn\u2019t inherently disengaged and disconnected from their team. By using the right tools, you can make sure that collaboration thrives, even if you\u2019re not in the office.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t just default to Slack. Some things work better on a live video call than in a chatroom. For example, if your virtual team<\/a> is meeting to brainstorm, a virtual whiteboard can help spark creativity and employee engagement.<\/p>\n A remote worker who lives alone may feel more lonely as they lose the office environment and camaraderie.<\/p>\n To combat this trend, make sure you set up both regular meetings (we recommend quick virtual daily standup meetings<\/a>) and casual chats.<\/p>\n When you already work from home, it can be hard to set boundaries around when and when not to work.<\/p>\n While a seasoned remote worker knows how to strike a balance, newcomers often struggle here.<\/p>\nTo help new remote workers avoid burnout, set a clear remote work policy for work-related communication, and make sure everyone respects \u201cdo not disturb\u201d time blocks.<\/span><\/a>\n Work-life balance isn’t a \u201cnice to have.\u201d If you want to succeed over the long term, it\u2019s a must.<\/p>\n Instead of trudging along \u201cdoing the same thing,\u201d you can motivate your workers by breaking their tasks into smaller projects.<\/p>\n Nothing is more motivating than working towards attainable with a group of like-minded people.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t just set up a to-do list for each remote employee. Set up a digital workspace where people can discuss problems, keep up with the project progress, and work together more efficiently.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t possible without the right platform. Luckily, monday.com is absolutely perfect for the job \u2014 we\u2019ll show you why.<\/p>\n Get started<\/a><\/p>\nFully remote meaning<\/h3>\n
Important remote working trends<\/h2>\n
Many workers will still remain remote in the future.<\/h3>\n
Remote workers are more productive.<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nWith more tools available, remote transitions are becoming smoother.<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n5 best practices for managing remote workers<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nUse smart digital tools (like virtual whiteboards) to facilitate better real-time collaboration.<\/h3>\n
Set up formal and informal meetings to combat loneliness.<\/h3>\n
Set strict policies for communication and \u201cdo not disturb\u201d to help employees unplug.<\/h3>\n
Break work down into concrete projects to help workers stay motivated.<\/h3>\n
Create a custom digital workspace that suits your workflows and culture.<\/h3>\n
Use monday.com to create an engaging digital workspace for your employees<\/h2>\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/monday.com-Digital-Workspace.png\" "\\"monday.com")
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