What do you not like about remote work?
Interview with Laurel about helping companies transition to remote work
That so many workers are using location flexibility as an excuse to avoid work.
I have reviewed thousands of job applications in which the candidate says they want a virtual role just because they crave the freedom to travel, want the flexibility of working less hours, or feel the entitlement of not having to report to a boss. It is these attitudes that create the perception that remote workers are lazy and untrustworthy - because the perks of the job are being valued more than the job itself.
Too many people fail to remember that remote work is still work.
No one can build a business or a career without grit.
The remote workers that prove the stigma wrong are those that capitalize on location independence to fuel productivity, spark creativity, and maintain better work-life balance (which, in turn, enhances their job performance).
Flexibility and independence aren't the substitute for hard work, they are the reward for it.
Laurel is an advocate for remote work and helps companies learn how to work remotely through her consulting and writing.
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Interview with Dani and Luca, digital nomads who have mastered work and travel
Working remotely is awesome; believe us. We are lucky, though, because we are traveling as a couple. We have friends who are enjoying their remote life but are also feeling loneliness from time to time.
The good side of working from an office is that you can enjoy the company of the people you work with and you can make jokes and spend quality time with them.
A remote worker may have Slack, but it is clearly not the same thing.
While traveling, you get to know a lot of people, but they last only a few days.
Dani and Luca have mastered the art of traveling while working—see their hacks & tips for thriving as digital nomads.
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Interview with Laura, a communications specialist and travel writer by night
Sometimes I do feel stifled and want to change my atmosphere. That's when I go to the restaurant right across the street and work from there.
I live in a country club, and there are landscapers often working on the property. The loud noise of leaf blowers can be bothersome.
Laura Coronado discusses her method for juggling her career as a communications specialist by day and her side hustle as a freelance travel writer by night.
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Interview with Gregory, a Senior Software Developer
If the company really values remote work, there isn't a ton I don't like.
It makes communication harder. This is something that every remote worker I know needs to continuously put in effort for.
The biggest thing missing is the ability to "overhear" things. If you are in an office with others, you might overhear that Bob is having trouble with that same component that you had trouble with last week, you might be able to offer him some pointers, or that Sarah is brainstorming a bit with Michael on ways to design this element, and you would like to be a part of that conversation so you can go over and ask. But when working remotely, you don't get that.
Conversations naturally tend to happen only with the people that they were meant to: Bob asked his boss about that issue, Sara and Michael had a call to discuss the design, and you never heard anything about any of it.
A policy of having conversations in a "public" space (like a Slack channel, GitHub issues, or some other kind of company "forum") can go a very long way toward solving a lot of this trouble, in my opinion.
Companies that don't understand the amount of work, and how much they need to really try to create a good remote work environment, are a really big downside. I don't really believe that it can work well unless a significant portion of the company works remote, or unless there are some very core very early employees that work remote.
Also, getting the job in the first place can be very difficult. You aren't competing against those in your area, you aren't even competing against those who are willing to relocate to that area, you are competing against the entire country, and in some cases the whole world.
Getting a job is a lot harder when statistically there is probably someone else out there looking for a job that will do it for less than you, and might even do a better job than you.
Add to that the fact that remote-work is still uncommon, and you now have a much larger pool of talented developers competing for a much smaller group of potential companies.
I don't really have any advice here, but it is a problem that I have encountered in the past, and it is a big downside to trying to work remotely.
Gregory is a senior software developer working from home - learn how he finds the balance between lack of focus and hyperfocus.
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Interview with Digital Nomad Sage, an entrepreneur and UX consultant
It gets pretty lonely. I like the peace and quiet of working from home, but you start to miss being around people that aren’t your family.
With a traditional company, there’s almost something new or interesting that happens to everyone when they come back from the weekend. You can joke around with them during lunch. With remote work, you kinda lose out on that experience and miss it.
The other thing that I don’t like about remote work is that your income is dependent on others and you don’t have the security that a stable paycheck from a traditional job provides.
From e-books to blogging, Digital Nomad Sage has become an expert on making money online—see his advice for developing an online business.
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Interview with Betsy, a head of content and remote work routine expert
As a huge introvert, I was surprised by how lonely I felt when I first started working remotely. It definitely took time to build both online and offline friends as well as making the additional time to prioritize that.
It also takes a lot of discipline to work remotely and I think that can be a big adjustment for many people, especially if you're used to a typical 9-5 work environment. This concept is a big reason why I started writing about remote work on my blog. It was to help others who found themselves struggling with the transition to remote work.
Betsy Ramser is a content manager, blogger, and teacher who helps other remote workers thrive while creating a daily routine that works.
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Interview with Liz, a UI/UX designer and cowork advocate
My chief complaint is that it is isolating. Some may prefer the quietude or the lack of coworker chatter, but I felt the absence of the bustle of other people the most when I moved to a new city.
Professional contacts are also important for transitioning job roles and making strides in your career. The reason I started Ladies Work Remote was to create that professional network that you don’t get when you work from your house.
Liz is a traveling UI/UX designer—see her strategy for thriving as a digital nomad and her efforts to promote coworking.
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Interview with Katerina, a team collaboration consultant who sees the value of discipline
When working remotely, you need to be active in reducing the feeling of isolation. Also, professional development or informal learning requires more effort.
I'm not sure I would say that these elements make me not like remote work. It is just part of work that is not an issue if you work in an office. However, good remote work companies, those that are fully remote, will take care of this.
My biggest learning experience was to turn off the computer. I began using a tool that will shut off the computer at a set time. That helped to establish a pattern.
Katerina fell into remote work by accident - she reveals how easy and straightforward it can be to make discipline a daily part of remote work.
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Interview with Ayush, a CEO and avid remote team builder
I believe that people looking to do remote work should not consider it as an alibi for lesser or less productive work.
Sometimes I have found individuals who take up remote work opportunities so that they can do other household chores at the same time. That's not how they should treat it.
Ayush is a CEO that is committed to helping companies build successful remote teams—see his process and tips for developing location independent teams that thrive.
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Interview with Alexandra Cote, a remote digital marketer and freelancer
I love it! As mentioned, though, it's not for everyone. So if you're working with someone who's not a fit for this culture, communication can get tough. And annoying. Especially if you're a hard worker who hates seeing that people are not doing anything and the company's not moving forward.
I was once part of a small project and had to be part of a team for a week. The team was supposed to be online for three hours each day. Obviously, since the team was fully-distributed, they weren't working to their full potential, and instead, they put in less than even those three hours of actual work.
I honestly felt like the only one who was working. Safe to say the company wasn't going anywhere, and they're still struggling.
Alexandra juggles freelancing, a full-time remote job, YouTube, and Skillshare instructing. How does she manage it all? Find out in her interview.
Read full interview from Interview with Alexandra Cote, a remote digital marketer and freelancer.