Work

How Remote Work is Reshaping the World of Work

Published

2 years ago

09/02/2021

Jason Zhang

how-remote-work-is-reshaping-the-world-of-work

The pandemic has brought innumerable changes to our lives. The global lockdowns not only affected economies but also the world of work. While remote work used to be rare, it has become the recommended setup. Small, midsized, and large companies who used to require their employees to come into the office all found ways to embrace remote ways of doing business.

Instead of holding face-to-face meetings, online meetings and gatherings became the norm. The 9 to 5 crowd were pleasantly surprised to find that appraisals, job interviews, status updates, and catch-ups could all be done virtually without negatively impacting organizations.

With remote work becoming the new normal, employees and employers all over the world are discovering its benefits. Many are left questioning if previous office-based work should be reinstated once the global health crisis ends.

While some are more conservative and less flexible than others on the matter, everyone has an opinion. In this article, we talk about what remote work is, its benefits to employees and employers, how it has evolved, and its future.

What Is Remote Work?

Remote work or telecommuting is a working style that gives workers the freedom to work outside of traditional work environments. The concept of remote work is based on the idea that the ability to perform job-related tasks isn’t confined to a specific office or building.

While remote work arrangements were more of an exception and a rarity before the pandemic, the last few years have seen more managers and employers slowly integrate more flexible working conditions for their employees. Such measures include allowing employees to work from home on certain days of the week, implementing 4-day workweeks, and granting flexible working hours.

The global pandemic has forcibly accelerated these changes with the exception of frontline workers who need to continue physically reporting to work to perform their duties.

How Remote Work Benefits Employees

Flexible Lifestyle

Remote work allows employees more freedom and more time. Instead of spending time in daily commutes and staying in the office for a fixed number of hours everyday, they can set their own hours, take breaks when necessary, and cut down on costs from commuting and buying meals outside.

Workers who enjoy this flexibility have more time for family, extracurricular activities, and other non-work-related priorities.

Since work isn’t confined to a certain location, it’s easier for them to take vacations, work in places where they feel most productive, and take their job with them wherever they go.

Better Health and Wellness

Commuting every day and working long hours in front of a desk without much movement impacts our health. By freeing workers from long commutes and stuffy desk jobs, remote employees can more easily pursue healthier habits.

Whether it’s by going to a gym in between tasks, having more time to prepare healthier home-cooked meals, or just getting up and moving around, such practices are easier to integrate when people don’t need to stay in an office or spend time commuting.

Renewed Passion for Their Job

With better work-life balance comes a renewed passion for the job. When employees don’t feel constantly stressed and tired, it’s inevitable that they’ll report to work with greater interest and appreciation.

Since remote work also requires a certain amount of trust between workers and their employers, employees feel more confident and capable of performing their duties.

How Remote Work Benefits Employers

Higher Productivity

Lower productivity is one of the primary concerns of employers who are hesitant to shift to a work-from-home arrangement. However, this rationale is contrary to research findings. According to a 2-year study of over 800,000 employees belonging to Fortune 500 companies, most people reported the same or even higher productivity levels when working from home.

Yet another study conducted by Stanford University professor Nicholas Bloom found that remote employees are 13.5% more productive than employees who reported for work. They also took less breaks, less time off, and less sick days.

When employees have more control over their working environment, they can create workplace settings that enable them to perform at their best. Whether it’s loud music, no music, working from a bed, a desk, or a coffee shop, in pajamas or while on a treadmill, it’s up to them.

Cost Savings

How much have employers saved in overhead costs since the lockdown started? With employees working from home, employers no longer incur costs like leasing a building, paying electric and water bills among other expenses.

Additionally, many remote workers use their own equipment like laptops and other devices for work. It’s a great cost-saving solution.

Engaged Employees

This is another misconception that traditional management has about remote work. On the contrary, the same Stanford University study we cited earlier also reports that remote workers are 9% more engaged with their jobs and 50% less likely to resign.

Higher engagement rates among remote workers tie in with the other advantages we mentioned in this article. It follows that if employees have more flexibility, passion, and are healthier, they would naturally be more productive and engaged in their jobs.

Of course, remote or otherwise, engagement still needs some direction and initiatives from management, but there are ways to address the issue if you have a remote setup. The point is a remote workforce doesn’t necessarily mean lower engagement. In fact, it may have the opposite effect and can improve it.

Is Remote Work Effective?

For the most part and before the lockdown, remote work and its benefits were largely untapped, particularly when it came to large corporations. Quarantine and safety measures greatly sped up their rollout of flexible work arrangements.

It probably came as a surprise when 85% of business owners noticed greater operational efficiency among their remote workers.

Additionally, 75% of remote employees stated that the ability to work from home has afforded them better work-life balance.

While not all professions can be done remotely, there are still many office-based jobs where remote arrangements bear exploring. However, if the effectiveness of a remote workforce is measured in terms of engagement, productivity, employee well-being, cost-efficiency, and higher retention rates, then remote work is certainly effective.

How Remote Work Has Evolved

Technology has been a catalyst for the growth of remote work. The ability to send and share emails, files, pictures, videos, and other materials instantly has created a borderless workplace where employees and their managers need not sit in the same building, city, or even country in order to work together.

As technology has become cheaper and more accessible for everyone, mobile phones, laptops, imaging technology, and the wide variety of applications have allowed more people to participate in a digital-driven world.

Technology’s pervasiveness has often left us constantly connected to one another and has removed the demarcation between work and non-working hours. This is perhaps more common with remote workers since their managers may work in different time zones or may not have clear or fixed ideas about their working hours.

Future Of Remote Working

After the COVID-19 health crisis hit, the number of Americans working from home jumped from 17% to 44%. Undoubtedly, the pandemic has left an indelible mark on the traditional work culture and our concept of work.

The popularity of remote work is expected to continue post-pandemic. In fact, more than half of US employees who are currently working from home expressed the desire to continue with their current work from home arrangements even after the health crisis is resolved.

Upwork, a job site that connects employers with remote freelance workers, predicts that the number of US remote workers will grow to 36.2 million by 2025, an 87% increase compared to pre-pandemic levels.

It’s expected that developments in AI, the release of new tools and equipment, and applications that foster collaboration across distances will continue to drive the growth of remote work opportunities. While it’s impossible to predict the extent to which large traditional companies will adopt work from home practices after the pandemic, it’s clear that remote work is here to stay and will only continue to grow.

Work

Five Things Employees Look for in a Job Role

Published

2 days ago

05/18/2023

Jason Zhang

five-things-employees-look-for-in-a-job-role

The world of work has been changing lately. While technological developments and paradigm shifts in business models have changed the landscape of work globally, workers both globally and nationally have found their worth and their voice. Despite the rise of AI and automation, the worker is worth more than ever, and some businesses are struggling as a result. What is it that employees look for in a role today, and how might a business adopt them to improve their own employee turnover?

Flexibility

One of the most important factors to workers today is flexibility. This has been borne out by the runaway popularity of remote and hybrid working schemes, which were introduced as a result of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. With businesses demonstrating that remote work is possible without impacting productivity, more workers today expect accommodations for remote work as a standard part of their contract.

Stability

Stability is another major factor that employees bear in mind when considering a role. It can appear in two distinct ways: a comfortable wage, and guaranteed job security. Offering a competitive wage means employees can worry less about their living standards or future, allowing them to settle into their role. A robust development pipeline and internal career trajectory can also show employees that staying would be to their benefit.

Benefits

Salary alone is not enough to entice applicants to a job today, though. It is also necessary for a role to offer a number of competitive perks and benefits in order to sweeten the deal. These can range from small perks to major additions. On the smaller side, healthcare workers might get a Nandos NHS discount as a small token; on the more essential side, workers might get offered private healthcare coverage for themselves and their family.

Trust

Trust as a factor touches on the company culture within and office or department, and the management style of both middle and executive managers. If an employee feels micromanaged by their line manager or any superior, they are less likely to feel trusted in their role, and more likely to look for somewhere that is a better fit. A conversational management style and a transparent structure for departments can go a long way to demonstrating trust.

Shared Values

This last factor is one that has gained prescience in recent years, as employees seek to match their personal values with their career trajectory. Social justice and good causes can form interstitial parts of an employee’s identity, and in an age where information is more readily available than ever, workers are able to see the impacts a business has outside of its secondary role as ‘job-giver’.

With a principled workforce unwilling to tacitly lend credence to damaging acts or activities – key focuses at present being the climate crisis and rising racial tensions -, individual job-seekers are seeking roles where their values are shared by their prospective employer. This is both to pressure organisations into adopting those values, and to ensure that their own are not being compromised in their professional lives.

Work

Tow Truck Training: 5 Tips to Select the Right Course and What Can You Expect

Published

2 months ago

03/22/2023

Jason Zhang

tow-truck-training-tips-to-select-the-right-course

If you are looking for a career in the tow truck industry, selecting the right training course is crucial. Many different schools and programs are available, so it can be challenging to decide which one is right for you.

This blog post will get five tips for selecting the right tow truck training course. Read ahead to know what you can expect from these courses and how they can help you start your career in this field.

What Does It Entail?

If you’re interested in becoming a tow truck driver, you’ll need to complete a training program. The programs are typically offered at community colleges or technical schools. During the training, you’ll learn how to operate a tow truck safely and secure and transport vehicles properly.

You’ll learn about State and Federal Regulations governing the industry. Upon completing the training program, you’ll be prepared to take the state-licensed exam and begin your career immediately.

Types of Training Programs Available

There are many different types of tow trucking training programs available. Some are designed for those who already have experience in the industry, while others are meant for those new to the field.

The programs may cater to specific vehicles, such as those used in heavy-duty construction or logging. No matter your experience level or desired type of truck, there is a course that helps you get the skills you need to succeed.

Similarly, some programs may last only a few days, while others may span several weeks or months. The length of the program will often depend on the type of truck you wish to operate and the level of experience you already have. Many programs will include classroom and hands-on instruction to give you the complete education possible.

Benefits of Joining Training Programs

Tow trucking training programs offer many benefits for those seeking a career in the industry. Perhaps the most apparent benefit is learning from experienced drivers.

These programs provide an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the job, from the proper way to hook up a vehicle to the safest way to transport it. In addition, the programs often offer their students access to a fleet of trucks to get real-world experience before they even start looking for a job.

And finally, they can help students network with other people in the industry, leading to better job opportunities.

Selecting the Right Training Program

With so many different tow truck training programs available, it can be challenging to decide which one is right for you. Here are a few tips to help you select the right program:

Accredited by a Reputable Organization: Make sure the program you select is accredited by a reputable organization, such as the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA).

Offers Classroom and Hands-On Instruction: Look for a program that offers classroom and hands-on instruction. It will ensure that you get a complete education.

Fits Your Schedule: Choose a program that fits your schedule. If you’re working full-time, you’ll need to find a program that offers evening or weekend classes.

Affordable: Make sure the program you select is affordable. There are many programs available, so be sure to shop around for the best price.

Length of the Program: Consider the length of the program. Some programs may last only a few days, while others may span several weeks or months. Choose a program that fits your needs and schedule.

What to Expect from Training Programs?

Tow truck training programs are designed to give you the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in the tow truck industry. During the program, you’ll learn about truck safety, vehicle loading and unloading, proper use of towing equipment like winches and straps, and defensive driving techniques.

Work

How to Find Online Job: Options that Require Little or No Work Experience (that are truly fun!)

Published

3 months ago

02/27/2023

Jason Zhang

how-to-find-online-job-without-work-experience

In today’s world, earning money online has become increasingly popular. For many years, commuting to the office and going out to work was the only way to make a living. However, things changed with the evolution of technology, as this resulted in tehnological advancements that were embraced by many industries.

Working from home now has become extremely popular. Many companies have implemented hybrid and remote models so that employees can enjoy the flexibility to work from anywhere.

Here, we will discuss online jobs that require little to no experience to get started – and they can be fun as well!

These are jobs for absolute beginners as well, so if you have the right skill set but no prior work experience, we’ve got your back! So, let’s see the different online jobs you can consider, and hopefully, we’ll help you narrow down your choices when making applications.

OnlyFans

You don’t need any special expertise or work experience to be part of the OnlyFans community. You just need to sign up on the platform, create the content and start connecting with your fans.

Even as an absolute beginner, you can earn pretty well. The living proof is the fact that even OnlyFans amateurs earn a lot on this platform by creating content and interacting with their fans.

So, don’t worry if you lack social media experience or have very limited knowledge regarding the platform or the type of content you should post. All it takes is thorough research, a willingness to keep up with the latest social media trends, and a compelling niche to keep your fans interested and entertained.

Web Design

Working in the web design industry comes with some challenges. Having said that, even though you need a certain set of skills to start working as a web designer or web developer, you can land a job even without prior working experience.

If you’ve just finished college or a web development academy, but you have no work experience on your resume, start applying for small web design jobs online. You can then build a portfolio, and once you’ve created a portfolio, you can start applying for bigger projects.

The first step toward becoming a web developer is using coding boot camps to fast-track the learning process. The practical advantages of such boot camps are numerous, as you can:

Network with like-minded individuals

Expand your horizons
Work on your problem-solving skills
Improve your communication skills

As you continue diving deeper into the web development industry, you will need to choose a development specialization. The web development industry is categorized into:

Front-end development – pertaining to the “client-side” of the process, such as the design, layout, and functionality of the site
Back-end development – focuses on the “server-side” of the process, such as servers, hosting, networks, databases, and more
Full stack development – needs to have knowledge in both areas

But don’t worry; you can choose a specialization and focus on one of these categories once you’ve started working in web development.

Content Writing

Content writing is another popular yet fun option where you can earn money online with little to no prior work experience. Let’s get it clear from the beginning – you do need certain skills to be successful as a content writer, even if you don’t have work experience.

Thus, if you’re a self-motivated individual with a passion for creating content for the web, blogs, technical documents, reviews, advertisements, or scripts, this is the job for you.

Blogging

You don’t need any particular experience to kick off your career as a blogger. If you have a topic area or a subject you’re passionate about and would like to share it with others, you can start your own blog.

The most profitable blogs are those that provide value to the readers, so make sure you choose a relevant topic and create high-quality content. After you’ve created your blog, you can place ads on specialized blogs, promote the blog on various social media platforms, or even incorporate pay-per-click advertising.

According to Good Financial Cents, the best blogging niches are:

Investments

Cars and car repair services
Credit cars
Travel
Fashion
Real estate

Entertainment

As we mentioned earlier, make sure you choose a relevant topic that you are passionate about. This way, you can engage people and attract a larger number of visitors to your blog, which will turn your blog into a profit-generating one.

Advice to Get Started

All of these job opportunities require little to no prior experience to get started. Here are a couple of tips before you start applying for certain jobs:

Be persistent – do not even think of giving up
Make it happen – don’t let all of that hard work you put into learning new skills go to waste
Keep hustling

This is your chance to generate a good income, so start applying!