Let’s accept it: working from anywhere is the new normal in the corporate world. As employers and employees enter this setup, they face many new opportunities and challenges.
How do these benefits and challenges influence job satisfaction and productivity?
It does not require complicated math to figure out when you look at the surface of things. Working from anywhere is here to stay. That may mean it can produce a level of satisfaction and productivity that exceeds that of an office setup.
What part of working from anywhere makes employees feel satisfied and productive? Read the article to find out!
Work From Anywhere Impact on Job Satisfaction
Many employees feel satisfaction when working from anywhere compared to working in an office.
Bartlomiej Skura
, Director of Talent Acquisition at Sage, says:
“It allows them to build a better balance between private and professional life, and they do not feel so much stress related to work. In addition, they are happy to work after hours if necessary.”
What Statistics Say
Let’s try to unpack this a little more. The 2021 Flexjobs Survey Result reports the main reasons employees prefer to work from anywhere.
The most significant one is the absence of commuting. This reason is followed by more for the family and health protection.
The benefits of working from anywhere are visible to remote workers. That makes them want to embrace it as the future of work. Here are a few more enlightening statistics that represent the job satisfaction of remote workers:
- Per the FlexJobs’ 10th Annual Survey, 44% of employees will resign if forced to return to the traditional setup. 24% are even willing to receive a pay cut if allowed to work remotely.
- The CNBC SurveyMonkey Workforce Survey reports that 81% of employees feel more well-paid when working from anywhere. 66% see more opportunities for career advancement. 54% feel more appreciated for the work they provide.
- The 2019 Buffer State of Remote Report showed more opportunities to travel for remote workers. 44% traveled at least one week to one month per year.
Reduced Commute Expenses
Global Workplace Analytics says remote workers can save 600 USD to 6000 USD annually. A large portion of this is due to reduced commute expenses. Those who have their vehicle get to spend less on parking and gas. They save on food, too, since they can cook at home.
But it still depends on where the remote employee chooses to work. Those who regularly work at a coffee shop will have to spend on coffee. Coworking spaces, which are becoming a trend, also require membership fees.
Nevertheless, it can be freeing to decide where you spend your money. You don’t have to use it on travel fare or gas.
Greater Work-Life Balance
The flexibility to work from anywhere lets you create a good work-life balance. After all, you can bring your work to where you think you live best. That can be at home or a vacation site.
Most remote work comes with a flexible schedule. That means employees get to start and end their work day as they choose and prioritize other things. For instance, parents who wish to spend more time with their family can work during their children’s bedtime. Meanwhile, they can get their sleep when the kids are in school.
Additionally, not having to commute saves employees time. Per the United States Census Bureau, the average American takes an hour daily commuting to and from work in 2019. When you work from anywhere, you can forget commuting and use the time to do what you enjoy. You can visit the salon, hit the gym, or meet friends.
Ultimately, achieving work-life balance lies in utilizing the flexibility of remote work. Read the article “Achieving Work-Life Balance: The Importance of Time Management” to learn more.
Improved Health and Wellness
How does working from anywhere give employees more allowance to look after their health and wellness?
Mariah Flores, Content Writer and News Reporter for LinkedIn News, shares:
“Remote employees take fewer sick days than do in-office workers; they’re able to work through illness in an environment that, were it replicated in an office, would be called unprofessional.”
If an employee ever gets sick, they can be at a place where someone can take care of them. They can also be free from physical fatigue from traveling every day. They can now use the time they spend commuting for rest or self-care.
Work From Anywhere Impact on Productivity
Chances are, the more satisfied you are with a job, the more productive you become.
One of the common misconceptions about working from anywhere is that workers become distracted and less productive. That is simply not true. One of the most valued benefits of the remote work setup is its flexibility. This feature is positively correlated with productivity.
Jessica Howington, Content Manager at FlexJobs, states that flexibility in the remote setup “facilitates a results-oriented culture that emphasizes strong impact and thus, helps the business thrive.”
Instead of measuring productivity based on presence, managers can look at the results.
What Statistics Say
How does working from anywhere impact job productivity?
Gartner 2021 Digital Worker Experience Survey says almost half of remote employees credit their productivity to the setup’s flexibility. They also cite decreased commuting time, the chance to work more hours, and the availability of new technology.
Of course, productivity may mean different things for varying businesses. But almost everyone will agree that it will require employees to work at their best.
Forbes Council Member Roei Friedberg says:
“When your staff is happy and healthy, their productivity can rise and bring the company’s growth forward.”
But with the company having less capacity to oversee employees, how does it ensure optimum productivity? Is there a way to monitor this somehow? If you want advice about gauging remote work productivity, read “How to Measure Productivity in a Work-From-Anywhere Setup.”
Longer Hours of Working
Let’s go back a bit on Skura’s statement about employees being happier and more satisfied at a remote work setup. He also mentioned how this satisfaction makes them more willing to work additional hours.
But wait, wouldn’t that mean they are more overworked? Samantha McLaren, Lead Copywriter of Global Impact Marketing at LinkedIn, states:
“Overwork has been proven to lead to diminishing returns, resulting in burnout, lack of sleep, and a drop in productivity.”
Working longer hours willingly and happily does not translate to the energy-depleting kind of overwork.
The flexibility of the remote work setup lets employees include healthy breaks between their tasks. That provides them with breathing space to de-stress. The increased autonomy allows them to customize the perfect setup for their motivation and creative stimulation.
Hence, when employees work longer, it is not out of passive obligation but active inspiration.
Comfortable Workspace of Choice
In the Gartner Survey, remote employees attributed their increased productivity to changes in physical space. They also mentioned the lessening of management supervision.
At first, they may seem trivial. But lighting, air quality, temperature, and noise level affect employee productivity and performance. The amount of noise can bore or distract you. The lighting can also stimulate you or make you feel sleepy.
The overall vibe of a workplace is detrimental to how you perform. So, remote work lets you customize a space that brings the most out of your productivity.
The lack of face-to-face management supervision may seem worrying, especially to company owners. But it allows employees to tap more into their creativity. It also teaches them to be more responsible and accountable.
If your fear is about employees completely deprioritizing their jobs, there’s no need to worry. There are ways to monitor them, even in a remote setting. You just need to find the right tools and software.
Increased Autonomy and Decision-Making
Constantly thinking about your boss’ watchful eyes and micromanagement can cause so much stress while working. When you work from anywhere, you do not have to worry about that. You can simply focus on delivering the results expected from you.
A certain level of autonomy is vital to perform well in a job. It teaches you to be more responsible. It also exercises your creativity and critical thinking. You become more involved in your work instead of simply relying on instructions.
Tsedal Neeley, a professor at Harvard Business School, states:
“Autonomy allows for a degree of control over one’s working conditions and processes. For remote workers, this usually comes down to their ability to shape the two variables of space and time.”
But along with autonomy, there must be a sense of accountability. It does not equate to working alone. Team collaboration is just as important to productivity as autonomy.
Tips to Be More Satisfied and Productive When Working From Anywhere
Working from anywhere requires responsibility from employees to ensure their satisfaction and productivity. Of course, the company must make ways to address these concerns in the remote setup. But without the capacity to oversee all employees, companies can only go so far.
We prepared some tips to ensure you are pursuing satisfaction and productivity in your job:
1. Choose a comfortable and stimulating location.
Working from anywhere frees you from the stress of the traditional physical office. But choosing the wrong location can just lead to more stress.
One of the common dangers, especially when working from home, is blurring the lines between work and personal life. Home is where you dedicate your time to your family and attend to self-care. But when you bring your work into that space, you risk putting your home life in the back door.
There are two solutions to this:
- Create a separate office space at your home where you can attend to work. Out of that space, make sure to focus on family and self-care.
- Work somewhere else away from home. It may be in a coffee shop, a coworking space, or a different location.
How do you decide where? It has to be somewhere comfortable and stimulating for you. It shouldn’t distract or stress you. It also has to help you avoid being unmotivated and unproductive.
Do you want tips on where you can do remote work? Read our article, “Interesting Locations For Work From Anywhere Setup.”
2. Organize your schedule and to-do lists.
Working from anywhere is a chance to create a good work-life balance. But without the physical space to highlight that balance, you must organize your schedule and tasks.
First, prepare your to-do list. At the start of every week and day, map out your responsibilities with a to-do list. It can help you stay on track since you don’t have a manager to oversee you.
Chances are your company will suggest a way to have you report your daily performance. They may make you send a list of your outputs. Seeing your finished tasks will help you feel productive, leading to greater job satisfaction.
Second, make sure to have a set schedule. It’s not enough to just have a to-do list. It’s easier to accomplish tasks when you have a proper schedule. Remember to include regular breaks to avoid burnout.
3. Get familiar with online tools.
Dom LeRoux, an E-Commerce Project Manager, says the recipe for efficient remote working is for employees to have “resources to get together online, communicate in real-time, and work as if they were all together in one place.” You can make this work by setting up a conducive virtual space instead of a physical one.
Hence, you will need to be familiar with how things work online. Learn how Zoom, Google Suite, Microsoft Teams, and other software applications work. Companies must lay down the basics of their online management system upon shifting to a remote setting. They also need to provide training.
From video conferencing apps to schedulers, you’ll be surprised at how many tools you can use!
Related Questions
1. How do job satisfaction and productivity affect one another?
You become more motivated to work when you are happy and satisfied with your job. That helps you be more productive, which gives you more satisfaction. These two are positively correlated.
2. How does working from anywhere affect employee retention?
Research data show that employees have greater job satisfaction when working from anywhere. Employees are less likely to leave the company if they are consistently satisfied. Hence, the work-from-anywhere setup increases employee retention.
