Remote Work in 2018 - What it means for Digital Nomads?

We recently wrote about the future of work, which is not so far ahead from us with almost half of the employees in the US working remotely at least once per week. Maybe, there won’t be an immediate transformation into the Digital Nomad lifestyle for everyone but we can now see remote work going mainstream in 2018.

While currently we see Digital Nomads mostly being entrepreneurs or freelancers, employees working in companies are seeing a shift to remote work. For many, this may be the first step towards a Digital Nomad lifestyle. On the other hand, we are seeing some medium/smaller companies opening up to distributed teams, with data supporting this decision.

Hiring and Retention

Data currently suggests quicker hiring rates and better retention rates. Also, due to no time & money being spent on the commute, employees are happier.

Benefits

With a better work-life balance, time saved in the commute, employees have better focus while working and can also have a better financial & family life.

Challenges?

Managing remote workers is definitely more challenging, but software is helping teams break that barrier. With remote working being the first step, many remote employees will be able to travel more and have new experiences while working. With new job portals dedicated to remote work and bigger companies opening up to the idea of working remotely, we can definitely see the trend of remote work going upwards. This may just be the first step of transformation to the Digital Nomad lifestyle with all its advantages like lower cost of living, better lifestyle and new life experiences. We definitely aren’t going to see majority of these remote workers migrate close to the beaches or a Digital Nomad hub like Chiang Mai. Though, this opens up new areas in which Digital Nomads can seek employment.

This shift can have major society advantages like lower pollution, lesser mental stress and a decrease in traffic congestion, with people not needing to commute to work on a daily basis.

Graphs & data from the Matrix Partners Blog.