The honest truth of working remotely
By Isabelle Van der Trappen
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, believes engineers are more productive in the office. Zoom now requires employees to work from the office two days a week, and Google's administration has stated that office attendance will impact performance reviews. Ever since the well-known COVID pandemic, we have seen an increase in working people opting for hybrid or remote working. A recent survey by Harvard Business Review predicts a continued trend of remote work. Currently, 16 percent of global companies operate entirely remotely, while 40 percent opt for a hybrid system, according to Squaretalk, a platform that manages business processes for BPO Contact Centers.
As a fully remote worker myself, curiosity led me to explore how other remote workers came to the choice of working remotely. How do they handle their work? What are they struggling with? I decided to engage in a dialogue with three Space Dogs who also work from their satellite, and share their insights.
Chiara, who works from a Laika satellite in the Netherlands, came to Berlin for her internship one and a half years ago. When her time abroad and internship came to an end, she decided to move back to beautiful Amsterdam to finish her degree in Communications. However, the Laika Space Dogs and Chiara herself couldn’t say goodbye to each other, so she stayed as a remote working student.
Linda reintegrated into the working field after her maternity leave. As a remote worker, she operates from her Hannover satellite. “It was clear to me that my next job needed to offer me freedom. As my man is a professional handball player, we move a lot from place to place. Therefore, working remotely is the best choice for me. Telling your boss every time you need to quit because you’re moving is not pleasant.”
Myra ended up in Germany unexpectedly due to the war in Ukraine. Trying to rebuild her life, she sent around 224 resumes, and the first interview invitation was from Laika. She lives ~400 kilometers from the spaceship and therefore chose to start working remotely. The thing she likes the most about this way of working? Freedom and flexibility.
Have you learned any extra skills by working remotely?
Through remote work, certain skills often emerge that might not develop in a traditional office setting. From my own experience, I’ve learned that being able to organize your day is a key element of working remotely. But, what are some best practices to organize one’s day?
As Linda says, “I start my day around nine in the morning by drinking coffee, placing a bottle of water on my desk, and letting some fresh air enter my workspace. Creating a room that’s only meant for work helps me stay focused during the day.” After taking those steps, she’s ready for the day that lies ahead of her. “At the end of the working day, I try to set up my to-do list for the next day.”
According to Myra, remote work requires planning. “Figure out two main priorities of the day, three second priorities, and five small business tasks. Give yourself a time limit for each task. When working from a home office, you can work 24/7. By planning your day, you respect the balance between your work and private life.”
Of course, setting boundaries to maintain a balance is not as easy as it looks. “As a remote worker, it’s important to be true to yourself. Set up your own rules and stick to them. When faced with a challenging situation that appears puzzling, consider taking the initiative to discuss it with either your supervisor or colleagues who may be experiencing similar uncertainties. This is so you can navigate and forge your own path,” shares Chiara.
Working remotely also offers an extra asset when it comes to self-reliance and problem-solving. Linda agrees, “If there’s always someone beside me, it’s easy to quickly ask for help. When you’re alone in the room, it’s also easy to huddle, but you’ll first try to solve the case by yourself.”
Don’t you feel lonely?
If you consider working remotely, you might fear isolation. Or, that it won’t work out if you’re a social person. According to Forbes, a global media company, 53% of remote workers say it’s harder to feel connected to their coworkers. “When seeing the crew on a regular basis in real life, it’s easier to connect. However, as a remote worker, you try to put more effort and value into communicating with your fellow Space Dogs,” says Chiara. Personally, I agree and feel that you can build a deeper relationship when you connect in real life. There is room for spontaneous conversations rather than scheduled meetings. Fortunately, at Laika we make space to strengthen that connection. For example, by our daily standup where we share our achievements, obstacles, and tasks of the day. We also have a biweekly Laika Space Café in which we answer a question like, “If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?" and a Laika retro, in which we discuss our highs and lows of the past two weeks.
These days, technology, and digitalization offer a lot of options such as donut meetings. Yes, you can take this literally. It's an informal meeting between Space Dogs where you eat donuts, have a chit-chat, and catch up with each other. Isn’t that lovely?
What do you struggle with?
“Body language,” says Chiara. “For example, imagine having a presentation. It’s way easier to communicate in real life as the interpretation becomes clearer. Besides, they see your way of acting before and after the presentation. During an online meeting, you simply hang up and they’re gone.” According to Alison, an advanced body language expert, more than 70 percent of communication is nonverbal. The article explains, “The more you can think strategically about your movement patterns and movement patterns of others, the better you’ll be able to communicate.”
Myra, on the other hand, struggles with her mobile phone. “It’s easy to get distracted by notifications and to start scrolling on social media platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn. Luckily, it helps to put my phone five meters away from me.”
What’s your advice for someone who would like to start working remotely?
Chiara advises, “By working remotely, you can work from anywhere. But, when starting a new job as a remote worker, it can be useful to start the first weeks or months in the office. Then, you get to learn the company culture, the crew, as connecting can be harder as a remote worker.”
Linda shares, “If you consider yourself a creative person that needs more space and freedom, working remotely would definitely work out. You can get inspired from working in different places, but keep in mind that, at the end, it also matters what you present. Be reliable.”
Myra adds, “Working remotely requires discipline. You need to learn how to prioritize and plan your day. Be honest with yourself about whether or not you can check this box off. Have an honest talk with yourself. How are you handling things? Are you disciplined? Are you confident in the work you do? If you need to admit to yourself that you're 40 to 50 percent not organized, working remotely maybe isn’t the right thing for you. It gives you freedom, but the real challenge is to not forget the obligations.”
As you see, working remotely has its advantages and disadvantages. The personal stories of Chiara, Linda, and Myra show us why working remotely is the right choice for them. In the evolving landscape of remote work, I’m curious about what the future holds.
Will the trend of remote work continue to increase, as the Harvard Business Review predicted? In 2022, a McKinsey survey stated that 87 percent of the respondents said that when offered the chance to work remotely, they would take it. And when that happens, will the benefits of freedom and flexibility overcome the challenges, such as maintaining a work-life balance and overcoming the absence of physical presence? Only time will tell.
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