Most office workers only need an internet connection and a decent computer to work, but still, the majority of them are working in an office environment. It requires millions of people to use public transportation or their own vehicles to go to their offices, spending hours on the road. It also limits the traveling opportunities for the employees, and people are choosing the city they will live in depending on the job opportunities. It also costs a significant amount for companies and employees to work in an office environment. But it may change completely soon.
What is remote working?
Remote working basically gives employees the freedom to work from anywhere they want. Many experts believe that at least half of the workforce in the U.S. will be working remotely in the near future. Remote working became significantly popular after offices became a threat to workers’ well-being due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Most companies are switching to remote working, and the results are mostly positive, as previous studies have already shown us in the past. Another study says 9 out of 10 workers who tried remote working want to adopt it for the rest of their careers. The pandemic changed the working method for many companies and employees, and the results show us it may change the future of work. Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about remote working.
7 Advantages of remote working
Healthier working environment
Remote workers can design their working environment. It may include choosing the best office chair and desk that suits your needs or have a few exercise equipment next to your desk which you can use during your coffee breaks. You don’t need to be indoors if your job allows you can work on a seaside. All you need is a laptop pc and an internet connection.
Better productivity
Most research shows us remote working boosts productivity significantly. Allowing employees to choose their own working environment can let them be more productive and creative. There are many online tools companies can use to boost and evaluate a team’s productivity.
Reduced costs
Companies are spending a serious amount of money to design their office and office related maintenances. There are also expenses for employees, such as transportation and food. But in remote working, both parties can use those expenses for improvements.
Better employment opportunities
The companies which adopted remote working are mostly multi-national companies. If all of your teams are working remotely, it means you are free to hire any professional from anywhere around the world, which means a better chance of finding the right person you are looking for.
Fewer distractions
Offices are mostly designed for productivity but there can be always some unwanted distractions. And some big events that may occur in the office can be a distraction for the whole team. It is possible to avoid such unwanted distractions with remote working.
Travel freedom
Vacations are generally one of the biggest morale boosts for professionals. Remote working allows professionals to travel freely without taking a week off. There is a new trend called “Digital nomad” which professionals don’t own a house, instead, they spend their earnings on traveling and keep working.
Your own schedule
Most companies allow their employees to choose their own schedule unless there are meetings that should be attended. It means, if you are a night owl, you can work at night. Most companies are completely okay with it if you don’t miss your deadlines.
7 Remote working tools
Slack
Slack is a popular team communication software that allows you to create text channels and assign teams to them. It also allows voice chat for handling meetings easily and allows screen sharing. Users can also share their schedule and when they are available.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a unified communication and collaboration platform developed by the software giant that combines persistent workplace chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration. It also integrates Office 365 and many other third-party products to suit the company’s needs to boost the team’s productivity.
Trello
Trello is a tool that organizes your projects and progress into boards and makes it much easier to track assignments in one glance. Users can assign individuals or teams to tasks and track the progress of multiple tasks in one simple interface. It also allows users to adds comments or small files related to the tasks.
Zoom
Zoom is a very popular cloud-based video conferencing, group messaging, and online meetings solution. Zoom is compatible with both PC and mobile devices. It supports p to 1,000 video participants and 10,000 viewers allowing users to share video webinars.
Google G Suite
Google’s G Suite is a collection of tools, such as Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, etc. G Suite is a Software as a Service product that offers all the cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools developed by Google for businesses. It easily integrates with Android-based mobile devices.
TeamViewer
TeamViewer is an online solution that offers remote support, remote access, and online meetings. If providing technical support is a part of your job, you can easily connect to a remote computer, take control of it and complete the task easily with TeamViewer.
LastPass
LastPass allows you to save all your passwords for different websites encrypted. With one master password, LastPass remembers your login credentials for multiple websites. It is one of the most popular browser extensions.
7 Remote working security tips
Avoid public WiFi
Public WiFi can be encouraging to work outside but it also brings a security risk. To avoid man-in-the-middle attacks, use VPN or your personal hotspot which should be secured by a strong password. If you are using your own internet connection, make sure you set a strong WPA2 password to keep unwanted intruders out of your local network.
Store on the Cloud
If you need to store files related to your work, upload them to a secure cloud service, instead of storing them in an external hard disk. Physical storage devices can easily be stolen or lost. If you really need to store some files in a physical device, you can choose one which offers extra data protection, such as keypad access or encryption methods.
Stronger passwords
During your work time, you will need to remember many passwords, including your personal accounts’ and the ones provided by your company. The worst thing you can do is to write them all on a piece of paper and leave it on your desk, or create a text file named “password” and leave it on your computer’s desktop. To avoid such risks, you can use a password reminder tool which reduces the number of passwords you need to remember to only 1.
Don’t leave PC unattended
Leaving a PC unattended can cause multiple problems, which may cause getting your PC stolen or someone trying to sneak a peek. Never leave your PC without locking your operating system account, even in a private space. Also, try to hide your PC as much as possible if you need to leave it in a car or a room, which can be tempting to burglars.
Stay out of sight
It can be hard to see what is going on around you when you are completely focused on the project you are working on. But always keep in mind, if you are in a public place, there might be someone behind you who can see your screen which is dishing out confidential information about your company. You may never know who else is listening to you during your online meeting while working in a public place.
Two-factor authentication
Most service providers offer two-factor authentication, which means the password is not enough to log in. If you activate your mobile device as a second authentication method, even if someone can be able to steal your password, as long as you have your mobile device with you, your accounts will be safe.
Antivirus and updates
This might be the most basic method but it is definitely effective. Always keep your operating system and other software up to date and if you are somehow worried about your security, use antivirus software, which will alert you in case of any possible attack.