How to work with remote teams? That’s a question many job-seekers ask themselves and others when contemplating the idea of working with distributed teams.
Effective remote working is a fine art. This type of work organization doesn’t come easily or intuitively, especially for startups. To start working at a remote company you need to have the right tools, organization, discipline, and coworkers. Most importantly, the whole team needs to be on board.
Pros of Remote Work
Saves Time
Working remote saves you time everyday from spending hours stuck in the traffic to go to the company's office and back home. This time can be enjoyed focus on other things, and do activities you like. It's possible to have a better life-balance in general".
More Productivity
If you choose to work from your home, it may also promote more productivity as you can create a space of your own and organize it they way that helps you to focus. You are in charge of your environment, and many people find it easier to concentrate this way. Besides, tools like Google Drive, Asana, and Slack, and Zoom allow you to keep connected with your co-workers wherever they are.
Increased Flexibility
Another advantage that convinces many people to choose work remote is the possibility to create their own schedule and travel around the world while working. You only need stable internet connection and a laptop, but there isn't the obligation to be in the same address every day.
Some companies such as Illuminate Education have flexible work hours that may be even more conducive to remote workers looking for that added advantage of not being tied down to any particular place or timezone.
If your company is international like JivoChat’s, you have the added bonus of learning about different cultures.
Cons of Remote Work
Less control
You have less control over external things like an internet or energy outage. Dependent on where you work in the world, the quality of video calls can effect remote communication and work life in general.
Discipline
If in on one hand working from wherever you are is very attractive, on the other hand it also takes a lot of self-discipline. You need to be highly organized to deliver your tasks on time, and not allow distractions getting in the way of completing your work. It isn't because you are working from a idyllic destination that you can leave your tasks behind.
Company culture
As the encounters with co-workers happen online it is a challenge for managers to create a strong company culture. It is necessary to think of ways to strengthen the bonds among the teams even with the distance, and encourage teamwork.
