Doesn’t that sound dreamy? Instead of looking at boring office walls, or endless open-plan offices, your gaze wanders to a beautiful beach while you work. In the background the sunset. The sounds of the sea and chirping birds instead of noisy colleagues or the copier. And always with you: laptop and smartphone! You guessed right, we’re talking about remote work. Working from anywhere, even from “vacation”, is no longer a rarity and is becoming a mega trend. We’ll explain to you what it’s all about and which tools are helpful in implementing it.

Remote Work means…

Location-independent work. Quite simply, remote work means that employees do not work in the office, but from home, or even in a bar in Hawaii. With this model you have the possibility to choose your workplace without having to discuss it with your boss beforehand. The prerequisite is, of course, a good Internet connection, presence at the virtual team meetings, and that the tasks are completed reliably.

Benefits for companies and employees

• Productivity – Without the distraction of office noise, work is much more productive and focused. This also results in projects being completed faster.
• No more commuting – Employees who have to commute two hours a day now have the option to work from the comfort of their home or another location. This is not only good for the environment, but also alleviates stress levels.
• Health – Eliminating the commute also creates more time for exercise, healthy eating and walks in the fresh air. Remote work can be a great benefit for physical and mental health if you stick to the separation of work time and free time.
• Cost savings for employers – If only half of the employees come to the office, costs for parking, drinks, electricity, etc. suddenly disappear. This allows companies to significantly reduce their expenses.
• Reduction of the location disadvantage – Through location-independent working, small and medium-sized companies outside the metropolitan areas also become more attractive again for good skilled workers.

These are the disadvantages

• Isolation – Shared lunch breaks or the morning coffee chat can at best be carried out virtually. This is not for everyone and can quickly lead to loneliness and isolation.
• Time management – Self-discipline and personal responsibility are prerequisites for working productively from home. The cozy bed or the couch can become a great temptation. To avoid this, to-do lists and weekly plans help (you’ll learn more about this below ;-)).
• Lack of information flow – If only a part of the employees work remotely, this can lead to team cohesion being jeopardized or coordination for a project going wrong. On-site, it’s usually easier to coordinate quick changes directly and exchange information. So remote workers should make sure they always coordinate with each other virtually and use communication tools.

These are the tools you should know about

• Slack– For team communication. Slack is a web-based instant messaging service that is primarily used for communication within work groups. Here, you can create different channels that are organized by project, topic or team, depending on what’s on your mind.
• Todoist – For your time management. With Todoist you can quickly record and organize tasks, keep track of deadlines and mark completed tasks. Project planning including subprojects and subtasks is also possible, as well as prioritization.
• Monday – For managing projects. This is a project management tool for teams and organizations of any size. The board offers a fully customizable spreadsheet for managing your projects, workflows and day-to-day tasks.
• Our secret tip – Google! Video calls via Google Meet, various group chats via Google Hangouts, to-do lists with Google Tasks, or even editing notes together in Google Notes. The advantage: instead of many different tools, Google offers you the possibility to use many gadgets in one. It’s much easier to organize and you’ll never lose track of everything.

Our conclusion: Remote work brings a number of advantages, but also some disadvantages, but these can be easily avoided with the right tools. For a successful model, each company must find its own definitions and rules that make flexible working possible for employees – whether completely location-independent or only partially, whether only for some jobs or for all areas. The important thing is that a successful collaboration and space for exchange and development are still guaranteed.

Do you have further questions about this topic, or are you looking for an exciting job in the IT sector? Then get in touch with us. We will be happy to advise you!