Attracting top talent has never been more lucrative for businesses and the Digital Nomad lifestyle has never been more within reach.
We’ve never been more accessible than we are now. Coworkers, clients, employees, and potential business relationships have never had more access to each other, thanks to incredible advances in technology. Technology grants us the ability to be in constant communication, and with that, many companies and employees are inquiring if an employee must spend 40+ hours a week in the office in order to be successful.
Those seeking the Digital Nomad lifestyle aim to challenge those antiquated requirements by spending part-time of full-time working remotely, often from exotic corners of the world.
Traveling new landscapes and seeking adventure beyond the cubicle of course has an appeal to employees, but what makes this arrangement attractive to companies and employers?
If your company doesn’t have an unlimited hiring budget, most hiring managers have to get creative with incentives to motivate top candidates to work at their respective businesses. Many young adults view perks like having a healthy work/life balance to be non-negotiable when it comes to choosing new opportunities.
Kristin Messina, the Founder of Yonderwork, an international traveling experience for professionals says work flexibility is essential in 2016:
"Flexible hours is now the #1 desired job benefit in the United States and 92% of millennials polled desire the ability to work remotely (oDesk) so I think more companies acknowledge that they need to consider remote working to attract and retain top talent. I think we will see this trend continue to grow over time as employers continue to realize the benefits of remote working."
Hiring the most qualified and inspiring employees often leads to an energized staff brimming with new ideas, which greatly contributes to the success of the business as a whole.
Not being in a physical office full-time means you have the ability to hire anyone in the world. If your operation is based in a rural area, you may still have a shot at hiring the candidate you’ve had your eye on, but who is unwilling to relocate from their current fast-paced city.
When your employees are happy, they are your best ambassadors, and are 12% more productive and often go above and beyond what’s expected of them. And, of course, happy employees keep turnover rates low.
One of the most common frustrations of today’s work culture is the time it takes to commute to and from the office. Just think, instead of spending up to 2 hours a day commuting, your employees could be spending that time devoted toactually working by working from home.
Other benefits for employers include saving money on office space and office supplies.
From The Telework Coalition‘s Wired Working As A Lifestyle Report:
- Businesses saved an average of $20,000 a year for each full-time employee who worked remotely.
- Employee productivity increased by an average of 22% when remote working was allowed.
- Remote working reduced employee turnover by 50%.
By having employees cultivating their lives beyond one permanent city, working remotely offers advantages of reaching potential markets and customers. Having a “man on the ground” promoting your brand from all corners of the globe is especially fruitful for salespeople or affiliates.
You now have the capability to obtain knowledgeable insights from competing or potential markets, making your niche that much more competitive worldwide.
Clearly, working remotely is the way of the future. Just ask these companies who are thriving from embracing this new culture:
Yonderwork Founder, Kristin Messina, also advises that for some companies, it's simply not feasible to allow employees to become full-time nomads. But there are alternatives that are just as exciting! She goes on to say,
"The transition to a remote working culture doesn't happen overnight. I would advise companies who are considering remote working to do a test run. Set expectations up front (starting with how, how often, and when you will communicate) and then allow remote working a few days a week or for a specific project. Monitor your results so that you can build on what is working and you can tweak what isn't.”
Remote work and travel programs like YonderWork offer a great trial platform. For two-months, employees work alongside other remote workers and learn about best practices and the communication and collaboration tools that are available to support success in remote working.
After immersing myself in the Digital Nomad culture and ending the year with 7 new countries in my passport, I can confidently agree to all of these benefits. As a millennial, our generation is job-hopping more than ever and having the flexibility to work and grow beyond the office walls has inspired me to thrive as an employee.
I think work perks such as working remotely has incredible potential and is the way of the future that modern businesses will have to adapt to – or fear being surpassed by employees or clients in favor of companies who are trailblazing in unique ways.
