Main Benefits of Working Remotely for Developers and Tech Specialists

Thinking about switching to remote work? Let’s take one more look at its benefits and analyze the most common fears of going remote so that you can make the right decision asap.

Remote Work - Benefits and Advantages for Developers

Being mostly triggered by the pandemic challenges, 18% of the working population and 16% of companies in the world are fully remote. These figures don’t seem to be too high, however, it is projected that by 2025, 70% of the workforce will work remotely at least five days per month. That’s why it would be reasonable to get ready for these changes right now, reconsidering remote work benefits and dealing with possible fears.

In this article, we will overview the specifics of working remotely for tech specialists to help you get better prepared for the possible challenges, guided by feedback from our developers.

The State of Remote Work in 2022

Working remotely isn’t a trend anymore - it’s already a reality most workers and businesses are welcome to take advantage of. Below are some stats and facts to prove that remote work is here to stay.

• 30% of US employees are working remotely
• 80% of people working remotely would recommend it to a friend
• Since 2009, there was a 159% increase in the number of remote workers
• 40,7 million Americans will work remotely by 2026

Healthcare, financial services and IT are the industries with the largest remote work adoption.

Top Benefits of Going Remote for Businesses and Their Staff

Remote work adoption is value-adding for both businesses and their employees. Below are the most important advantages of going remote, supported with statistics as well. 

For Business: 

• Cost savings. According to the research, the companies can save $11,000 per employee per year when the latter works remotely at least half of the time. This figure takes into account the lower office rent costs, better employee productivity, and better retention. 
• Global hiring. The opportunity to hire globally, embrace cultural diversity, and bridge specific talent gaps is another benefit for the companies planning to switch to remote mode. 84% of managers believe that having a fully remote team is a new norm, and such an approach comes with more pros than cons. 
• Better retention. Giving your staff the opportunity to work remotely is also a way to decrease turnover and improve retention. According to the research, having a remote or at least flexible work option allows for reducing turnover by 50%. 

For Staff

• Flexibility. A flexible schedule and a better life-work balance are the top benefits appreciated by those working remotely, according to Statista. While ultimate flexibility isn’t always possible, especially when you have to work in different time zones with the team and the customers, the opportunity to partially manage your time on your own is still encouraging. 
• Less stress. 57% of remote workers agree they feel less stressed when working from home, compared to their usual after-office well-being. Less stress, in turn, means better productivity and more engagement, which is beneficial for both employees and business owners. 

Better work-life balance opportunities. Supporting the work-life balance is the top benefit remote workers have. 75% of them are sure they began to live a fuller life, after going remote.

Remote vs Office Work - Top 5 Fears Employees Have

Despite all the benefits remote work offers, a lot of prospective specialists from different industries are still afraid of going remote or switch to freelancing. Below are the most common fears they have, along with the possible solutions.

1. The fear of having no time management and self-management skills

Managing your time to meet deadlines and build your schedule in a smart way is actually a challenge most remote workers face. Here is what our developer say about it: 

“Boosting your skills should be the top priority for any programmer. Not only in terms of writing code but also in terms of project management and self-organization. Once you have these skills, you are no longer dependent on the office. You can move around the cities to visit relatives and do not need to ask your boss for permission. The only important rule is to organize your time and complete the daily task plan.”

So, any skill can be upgraded, and getting started with its development step by step is the only way to achieve a new level. Remote work creates such an environment that makes you upskill with time management and self-organization day after day, so give it a try and keep moving.

2. The fear of earning less and payment delays 

This fear is especially relevant for those considering freelancing as a remote work option. Indeed, freelancers and their customers have fewer obligations towards each other, compared to the legal relations of an employee and their workers. However, there are some earning protection and budgeting practices you can follow to feel more secure. For example:

• Ask for a 25-50% pre-payment
• Strive for building a loyal customer pool you can trust
• Optimize your budget and foresee the possible payment delays
• Consider running 2-3 part-time projects to reduce the likelihood of not being paid on time

What’s more, in practice, the fear of earning less doesn’t always have a reasonable ground. On the contrary, the average annual income of remote workers is $4000 higher compared to their in-office colleagues. 

3. The fear of not finding the next workplace or new customers

Getting started with something new is always stressful. However, when you are a specialist with a solid background and extensive experience, while your job specifics allow for remote work, you have nothing to be afraid of. There is a significant talent shortage, especially in the IT sector, so the chances of finding a winning job opportunity are extremely high. Get some motivation from the feedback gladly shared by Kenan Allahverdi, React Native Developer at SpaceBus. 

“I saw many people not believing in their skills and think that people abroad know more, although they write the same code. So don’t keep your bar low or stand still, try it, through the interview you will learn more, find out what you lack, what you need to raise to be ready to work remotely for other companies.”

4. The fear of communication issues with the team

17% of those working remotely report communication and collaboration issues as some of the biggest challenges they face. Such a problem is even more relevant for the teams that are fully remote and were gathered from scratch, especially when the team speaks different languages or most members work in different time zones. 

However, in such cases, team leads often develop communication practices and standards that make collaboration more robust and effective. Just ask about them before getting involved.

5. The fear of not being able to follow the work-life balance

Not being able to unplug is one of the biggest struggles remote workers face. While most of them are happy with their work-life balance, those prone to overworking and perfectionism are likely to face the reverse side of the coin. However, the solution is pretty simple as well - just let’s get back to the #1 fear on this list. Managing your time wisely and creating a clear schedule is the only way to find a work-life balance.

Non-Obvious Advantages of Working Remotely for Tech Specialists

The IT industry was one of the first to accept the remote work model and allow its specialists to work flexibly. For tech businesses, such an opportunity is ultimately value-adding since it allows the workers to realize their potential to the fullest measure.

Below are the core benefits of working remotely that are especially relevant for developers. 

• Cultural diversity. Software engineers always have to find new solutions to old problems. Being a part of a global and remote team gives the opportunity to discover how people from different cultures solve specific problems and enrich your portfolio with such an exclusive experience. 
• Tailoring your working hours to the ones of your customers. Those thinking about providing programming services on freelance terms can add value to their offers by matching their working hours with the ones of their customers. For example, our developers located in Azerbaijan can perfectly meet the deadlines set by the US customers and stay in touch with them, resolving urgent issues. 
• Less likelihood of burnout. Software programmers and other intellectual workers are more likely to burn out. Remote work and a flexible schedule allow them to follow a better work-life balance. 
• Better opportunity to find the perfect workplace. Global hiring is equally winning for both business owners and tech talents. When you aren’t limited to the location you are living in, you are welcome to consider the top offers from companies worldwide. In this case, your experience and personal fit are more important than your location. 
• Higher salary. Another advantage of remote work for programmers is that you are no longer limited to the local salary level and are independent of the local currency. Here is what Elmir Mahmudov, ReactJs developer at SpaceBus say on this matter: 

“My name is Elmir and I work in SpaceBus. I will talk about the benefits and advantages of remote working in Azerbaijan. There are obvious advantages and benefits of working online. The first is the currency difference. In a country where the USD is equal to 1.7 AZN, it is more profitable to earn in dollars and it creates more chances even earn money in AZN. ”

• Upgrade your foreign language skills. Being a programmer means boosting your skills day after day, learning new technologies, and adopting more innovative development practices. Working remotely gives you all these opportunities at once. Here is feedback shared by a Farhad Aliyev, Software Architect at SpaceBus. 

“First of all the main thing that seems scary for our developers is to sign a contract with a company that is outside of our country. But as there are some of our developers working already, it gives the trust. While working on different projects from around the world seems challenging, it also makes us progress our technical side and language skills”

Conclusion

Remote work is here to stay, delivering its benefits to both business owners and their staff. We, at Space Bus, stand for the opportunity to work remotely and flexibly as well, creating all the favorable conditions for our dedicated teams. The reviews we have shared in this article are the honest opinions of our developers. Right now, you are welcome to join our tech team and give remote work a try - just get in touch with us for more details.