Have you ever found yourself staring into space while commuting to your work during the rush hour? While throngs of people squeeze into your personal space, you begin to resent the hassle you’re forced to put up with.

That was what everyone experienced back in the day. Some tried to solve this mildly infuriating yet regular experience by purchasing their car. The result? Traffic jams lit up the highway like red Christmas lights. 

There wasn’t an easy solution before. People simply put up with the hassle. Then somewhere along the lines, someone thought of a creative solution. Why not try working remotely from home?

While some careers have no choice but to physically be present in their offices daily, other careers brought about by the digital age don’t necessarily need to follow the traditional route. One prime instance of this is remote IT work. Software developers, digital marketing, and other careers fit right in with remote working. 

Is your profession a part of the workforce suited to remote work? Or are you looking into its benefits to see if it fits your company’s environment? Learn all about work-from-home culture from our first-hand experience!

What is Remote Work?

If you want to consider a remote work environment, you should know what it is first. Remote working means collaborating and working from a location outside of a traditional work environment. 

Usually, remote workers are employees from all over the world hired by companies or clients to work for them online. Outsourced IT services, call center agents, and digital marketing services are just some of these examples.

The goal of remote working is to collaborate with different employees around the world who provide the services you need at a cost-efficient price. At the same time, employees receive less hassle from commuting to the workplace daily, receive fair compensation for their services, and upgrade themselves to a higher standard. 

While the majority of remote workers come from abroad, there are other employees who prefer work-from-home jobs while employed by a company in the same country. 

Types of Work From Home Jobs

Now that we know what remote work is, it’s time to discuss who the candidates are for a remote work environment. Multiple types of jobs can create work-from-home opportunities. Below are some key examples of work-from-home jobs:

Software Development

Software development is a highly technical career path that involves using complex programming languages and maintaining quality assurance. Deliveries are usually on strict deadlines and defects are rampant. 

However, this doesn’t mean the developer needs to be onsite. If anything it could prove more beneficial to have a remote work setup. Defects, also called bugs, don’t come on a fixed schedule. Having a remote work setup means the developer can take care of critical situations immediately regardless of the time.

IT Support & Help Desk

When you think of entry-level remote work it usually has something to do with customer support. Many customers require assistance once they have purchased a product. Unfortunately, they can’t just go to the physical store at any moment.

For situations where physically visiting a storefront for assistance is impossible, IT support and customer service representatives step in. These representatives assure solutions to issues or transfer tickets to notify the situation to respective authorities regarding your situation.

Cybersecurity

Financial transactions, a compilation of sensitive information, and other data that are stored within a company or organisation are vulnerable to criminal intent. Lack of cybersecurity can prevent data breaches, illegal selling of private information, and scams that could cause damaging effects. 

Since most cybersecurity professionals only need to work digitally they don’t need to go to one location after another. It’s better to have an assigned computer with them at all times so they can monitor any suspicious behaviour and ensure any dangers are eliminated. 

Benefits of Remote IT Work

Many employees are now choosing to shift to work from home. Remote working environments offer numerous benefits that make it difficult to ignore for the everyday man. That’s why even large corporations have opted to offer work-from-home settings. It’s no surprise that it’s Australians leading remote work shifts either. Especially since Australia is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world.

But why do they opt for adapting to the employees and the remote environment? Here are the key benefits employees and companies receive from opening their doors to hybrid setups:

Flexibility

Every job has a set of tools required for the employee to do their tasks. For remote workers, it could involve their laptops, mobile devices, or other items. The common ground for all of them is that they don’t need to be physically present at the site. Instead, they need to be available during crucial moments.

The challenge of business growth is that it finds itself stuck in a cycle if people refuse to change. Issues like having emergency situations being solved only the next day instead of being solved to prevent further damage will simply repeat themselves unless flexibility is encouraged.

Cost-efficiency

The common misconception about cost-efficiency is that it only benefits the employer. Most remote workers are located in developing countries and have lower rates in comparison to others. However, this statement is entirely false. Remote workers receive a fair amount of pay for their job while still being able to provide for their families thanks to this globalised interaction.

Their talents, which may or may not be overlooked, are skills wanted by other companies. It’s just that they don’t live in the same area. The pay may be less in comparison to the employer’s location, but it’s exactly what remote workers need.

Not only do you provide the talented employee a job, you also boost the economy and purchasing power of their countrymen. Doesn’t that sound like a win-win situation?

Work-life Balance

Even if you don’t live in a developing country, there’s a high chance you still prefer a remote work setting. Why? The benefit of work-life balance of course. Being able to make dinner or spend time with your relationships without being burnt out from traveling to work is priceless.

Employees who enjoy the comfort of remote working no longer have to stay stuck in heavy traffic jams or squeeze themselves into commutes. Their money can be saved from going out every day yet receiving the same money and benefits they deserve while working.

Globalised Opportunities

Globalised opportunities are at the forefront of what makes remote IT working beneficial. In comparison to working at local companies, IT workers can receive international connections. 

Being able to form a network of international clients gives remote workers the chance to improve their skills on a global standard. Not only does it give them professional growth, but it also introduces them to different cultures. 

Disadvantages of Remote IT Work

There’s always a balance between the good and bad. This includes what makes remote work jobs great and what makes it challenging. Below are some key issues employees and employers face with remote IT work. 

Don’t worry too much about these disadvantages though. We also included some proven solutions to prevent these negative experiences from affecting your business’ growth.

Micromanagement

Multiple employees have left their company for a specific reason: micromanagement. Because employers, HR teams, and managers cannot see their employees, they opt to micromanage.

Prime examples of these micromanagement methods are using time tracking tools which could result in resentment and low morale. While it may not be the intention of the management to make them feel less trusted, the actions can have irreparable results.

To solve this, what you need is a healthy balance of management and delivery. Many managers have chosen to prioritise their employees’ deliveries and outputs rather than the tracking devices. This encourages employees to work harder while feeling trusted by their management.

Miscommunication

Miscommunication is a common issue with remote working. Especially since remote work means using digital communication channels to collaborate. Typing something and saying something can be misinterpreted easily. Especially if they’re working with people of different cultural backgrounds.

The solution to this is to foster team building, have weekly meetings to discuss any issues and provide a channel where they can talk that doesn’t involve work. Building a relationship of camaraderie between employees can ensure that miscommunication can be solved efficiently without the interference of managers.

Isolation

For introverts, the isolation of remote IT work could be a benefit. However, prolonged periods of isolation could result in mental health decline. People are generally sociable, even if it simply means going out to eat with friends once in a blue moon. 

To be stuck in their office home for days, just working on their task could make them feel lonely. It’s one of the biggest issues that employers and managers face when it comes to remote working. 

The solution that fixed a large part of isolation was to create events in which employees could participate. These events can be held in physical or virtual locations. By doing so, the employees feel like they belong to the company group.

Security Risks

Experiencing security risks is a big factor as to why business owners fear the remote work setup. Data breaches have become too common for comfort. This is because cybercriminals are adapting to the new changes continuously in hopes of illegally selling sensitive data, committing ransomware, or using false identities.

The solution to security risks isn’t a foolproof one. It is a joint effort to retain a secure infrastructure backed by awareness, multiple-factor authentication methods, and risk mitigation planning. Always train your employees about the potential scams and breaches when using your company’s data.

Conclusion

Remote work related to information technology has multiple options, benefits, and disadvantages. What matters is whether or not it fits your company. 

Just because the idea of a digital workplace is the newest form of work doesn’t mean it applies to your profession or industry. Reflect on the information we gave you first before deciding on any major career changes or management changes within your corporation. 

Interested in hiring experienced remote workers in information technology? Contact Flexisource IT for a free consultation and inquiry about our skilled software developers, digital marketing team, and more.