In 2011, I came across the concept of Remote Work Management and quickly adopted it. Though, remote work is more popular than ever today and immortalized over the internet with keywords such as Digital Nomad, Work from Anywhere, Remote Worker, Freelancer.
But, how did it gain popularity over the ages?
To understand that, let us have a look at remote work from a historical perspective.
Remote Work During the Medici Era
It was during the Medici era i.e. around the year 1560, that remote work became recognized. It definitely existed before, but around the Medici era artists and geniuses such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Leon Battista Alberti were hired and supported by the Medici’s to do some work for them.
Most of the artists did not work on-site – they worked at their homes or somewhere else and delivered the final product to the Medici’s. In other words, they were employed, but they had flexible work hours. In other words, their patrons were not worried about the hours they worked or the location they worked from as long as they got what they paid for from the artists.
Fast Forward to the ‘70s and ‘80s …
In 1973 NASA commissioned Jack Nilles to work remotely on a communication system for the space program. That is when the term ‘remote work’ manifested. Jack Nilles was called the The Father of Remote Work because of this.
Back in 1971 the first personal computer, KENBAK-1, was invented. Similarly, in 1975 the first personal computer, Altair 8800, was born and Ed Roberts coined the term “Personal Computer” for it. Plus, between the years 1979 and 1983 IBM started allowing employees to work remotely from home.
By 1983, over 2,000 employees were working remotely like that for the company. Many people started to prefer jobs that could be done remotely.
By 1983 TCP/IP—-a set of rules that governs the connection of computer systems to the internet—was implemented for the first time on January 1st, 1983.
In 1989, the internet started to grow in popularity especially after famed computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web (WWW.)
With the birth of the internet, remote work became a possibility across the globe. Today, more people are working from home than from an office because of such innovations.
What the Future Looks Like for Remote Workers:
Most people love to travel and discover, especially the young generation. As transportation and technology advance and became cheaper for the common folk, remote work is far easier to do today than in the past.
Think about it. Today you have services such as Airbnb and Booking.com. You also have sites like SkyScanner.net, and through a smartphone or smart device, you can access Google Maps and rideshare apps such as Uber.
You also have your debit or credit card as well as roaming internet service so you can buy products and services via cashless transactions. You can also search for tickets online as per your budget, book a hotel, or rent an apartment from someone on airbnb, and you are ready to go.
All of that could be done within a few minutes. You have all the tools that would help assist you with your travel and you got your personal computer with you. That and an internet connection are all the things you need to work remotely.
Even if you lose your device, your data will be safe on the cloud. Just buy a new system and get all of that information back instantly! You also have tools to streamline remote work, such as the Cloud, Jira for Agile, Trello for task management. Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Slack for communication and your email for official communication, etc.
All these come together to make remote work possible and easy without compromising on communication.
In 2010 Barack Obama signed the Tele Work Enhancement Act, which required all federal agencies to create policies for eligible employees to make remote work a possibility. In 2018, 70% of the world’s population worked remotely at least once a week. Those numbers have increased substantially and they will continue to do so especially with the advancements in the freelancing industry.
The Advantages of Remote Work
Every innovation has its pros and cons. Similarly, remote work has shown steady growth. Some of the benefits it offers include the following:
-Cost Reduction for Companies
By allowing employees to work from home, companies can save on their energy bills, office furniture, and maintenance, rent, and purchases.
-Reduces Cost Of Living
Since they are working from home, employees can save on transportation fees and food costs (since they can cook their meals and don’t need to drive or take a ride to work)
-More Freedom for Employees
Employees would not feel as if they are being watched all the time. They would be free to do whatever they want as long as they finish the job on time and as per preset objectives and deadlines.
-Trackable Activity
With access to state-of-the-art tracking tools, employers can track their employees’ productivity and use the data to reward them with better salary packages and benefits.
-Remote Work Saves Time
Since you won’t have to travel to work or drive within the traffic if you are working remotely, you can use that time to do more work.
The Disadvantages And Challenges Of Remote Work
-Isolation
Working remotely especially from home can isolate you from the people you love and your colleagues.
-Reduces Human Interactions
Some people like to keep to themselves, but humans are social creatures. If you work from home too much, you can suffer from conditions like depression.
-Increased Boredom
If you work remotely from home, you can get bored easily and quickly. With time, you may find yourself looking for distractions. The only way you can keep boredom at bay is by taking a keen interest in your work.
-Misunderstandings \ Miscommunication
Several tools can help streamline communication like video/voice calls, emails, etc. However, most of your meaning can be lost in context or your messages can be misunderstood. While your communication is being recorded and you can go back to those to understand their meaning, certain misunderstandings can prove fatal for your career.
Remote Work Conclusion
While remote work is gaining popularity in corporations, companies, and among remote workers \ digital nomads, strategies are being put in place to make it mainstream for several industries. With time, we will see companies and service providers that will create tools or enhance existing tools to tackle issues such as miscommunication, tracking employee behavior and timing, etc.
We will also see new tools and methodologies that can make remote work more engaging and with enhanced human interaction through Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality (AR\VR).
