5 Myths About Remote Working Debunked
by Aris Apostolopoulos
Skeptics have so much to say about working remotely. But usually, it all comes down to a simple argument: That working remotely is easy, seasonal, and not able to help you build a real career.
Is this true though?
In this post, we’re looking at 5 of the most common myths about remote workers. The data comes from TalentLMS’ Remote Work Statistics Survey where 450 remote workers responded to questions about the nature of working from home.
1. Remote workers are 100% flexible
There’s a common misconception about working from home. That you can set your own hours and work at your own pace. Partially, it’s true. But 60% of remote workers said they all work fixed hours and have to log on to their computer at a specific time every day.
So, yes. Remote working is flexible in terms of location, policies, or even dress-code. But when it comes to when remote workers have to work, the rules are pretty specific.
2. Remote work and training don’t go hand in hand
This must be among the top myths about working from home which, ultimately, leads to another false conclusion: that remote employees are not good employees.
But TalentLMS survey suggests that 87% of remote workers receive some kind of training regularly, with 70% of them getting it directly from their company. The remaining 17% is responsible enough to find courses online and pay for them so they can advance as professionals.
What’s really interesting, though, is that 67% of remote workers said they would like to receive more training — no matter where it comes from.
Of course, as they’re trained from the comfort of their own homes, 85% receive their training online.
3. Remote workers are introverts
Let’s be realistic. This myth makes complete sense.
Most people believe that if you’re working alone, at some point, you might lose your social skills and become distant or aloof.
That’s what we predicted too. To our surprise, only 28% of respondents self-identified as introverts, 34% described themselves as extroverts, and 38% said they were ambiverts (both introverts and extroverts).
So, no. You don’t have to be an introvert to like a work-from-home lifestyle. You just need to work well. And when you feel lonely, you can do what this sample does when feeling lonely:
- Use communication apps (40%)
- Visit the office (37%)
- Work from a public space (15%).
Or whatever suits you best!
4. Remote work productivity is a lie
It’s 2019, and we’re still talking about remote workers not working or not being productive. Again, this is a myth, and it’s been debunked before.
But let’s do it one more time, shall we?
According to our respondents, remote workers feel more productive when they work from home. To put it into numbers, 90% of remote workers said they get more work done when working remotely.
Period.
5. Remote work is temporary
Again, for some reason, many skeptics think of remote working as a temporary solution before moving on to “a real career.” But the truth is that remote workers feel exactly the opposite.
As a matter of fact, 85% of remote workers say that remote work was their decision, while 88% would recommend a remote work career to their best friend. And as for the future? Looks like 60% would like their job less if they had to go to the office every day and do the exact same job while 35% would like to work more days remotely.
This sounds like a career, doesn’t it?
Conclusion
You might be a skeptic. You might be a remote worker. You might have just read this article out of curiosity.
Whoever you are — whoever we all are — we need to admit that every professional has a different way of working, doing business, or staying productive.
Sure, working from home will never be the same as working from an office. But it will always be equally fruitful.
