Nicolas Vandenberghe's company has 42 employees scattered among 36 cities in 15 countries. As technology makes it possible for people to be in constant touch while working remotely, businesses like Chili Piper are becoming the norm. "We have Zoom, Slack, and an array of other collaborative tools — do we really need face-to-face meetings?" asks Vandenberghe, whose business makes software to help companies manage meetings.
Whether it means a parent working from home while caring for a sick child, an employee who logs into a company computer daily from a coffee shop or an entire firm that operates online, remote working is gaining momentum at small businesses. Technology that makes communication and meetings easy is a big factor in the growth of remote working. But a shrinking labour market, which means companies must now recruit employees outside their main area of operation, is also an influential factor that should be taken into account. Another reason why remote jobs is becoming popular is the fact that working remotely is usually very flexible; employees can make their own hours, take time off for children's activities or to go to the gym or walk the dog.
But even as remote working grows, business owners find managing offsite employees involves more than giving them the latest technology. For instance, owners say a remote operation can't work without trust between a boss and staffers, especially because it can be difficult for an owner to know what an employee is doing during a workday. Tyler Forte recalls that when he first managed staff remotely, he worried that his employees were spending time on social media sites and checked on them too frequently, making them feel uncomfortable as a result. But over time, "you know that you're all working toward the same goals and you eventually develop trust in them," says Forte, adding that he has also found project management softwares that help him keep track of what everyone is doing.
Sometimes, remote work can also be a bad fit for some employees because it often is isolating, which means they can feel disconnected and even alienated from co-workers. That can be countered to some extent through messaging channels that allow everyone to join a fun discussion. Some bosses even went further and created channels devoted to specific topics such as pets, sports, etc. Meanwhile, other owners find remote work can stifle a team's overall creativity. "You're able to brainstorm ideas better in person than when you've got several people on the phone," says Andrew DeBell, CEO of a company in California.
(Adapted from apnews.com)