Remote Work: The Difference Between Visibility and Deliverability

*A significant portion of this article was inspired by the TED Talk performed by Kavi Guppta titled The Remote Work Revolution.

If your business depends on your location, then your organization is limited in its growth and success. With the right people and tools, most of the work in the service sector of the economy can be performed from nearly anywhere. Ignoring that is to deny the ever-increasing wave of digital technology that is overtaking the world. You are turning a blind eye to a world of opportunity and choosing to limit yourself.

Autonomy and Independence

Autonomy is the ability to self-govern. One vital element of earning and sustaining the independence of remote work is the ability to be autonomous. You must be able to manage your time, your daily schedule, and your ongoing projects without direct supervision. The ability to do this will make employees more attractive and these are the traits employers should be looking for in remote workers.

For Employees:

What's the Optimal Work/Life Balance for You?

Do you feed off the energy in an office space? Or do you perform your best work without distractions? You might have loved ones at home that require your time and attention. You could also just be happier at home. There is a substantial portion of people who are fueled by time spent alone. Whatever side you fall on, remote work options offer you a more flexible work/life balance and a better chance to find what model makes you happy.

Do You Want to Travel and Still Earn a Living?

Many young people might not want to settle down in one city and call that home, pinning their hopes to a single work environment. The modern job market sees young workers change businesses, positions, and professions faster than they upgrade their iPhones. Why limit yourself to the organizations and companies bound to a single city when you could be gainfully employed from nearly anywhere.

Do You Want to Make More Money?

Under-served sections of humanity like women and minorities still report lower wages than their white male counterparts in similar positions. If you know you deserve more than you are currently making, then remote work is a viable path for putting your talent in front of the people who will appreciate you with appropriate financial compensation.

For Employers:

Are You Looking for the Best Talent?

Why limit your company resources to only the people who live a stone's throw from your street address? With remote work, you can mine for talent literally anywhere. You might find the new perfect employee next door or across the nation. You'll never know what you're missing if you're not looking and your mind is not open.

Want to Keep Costs Down?

Are you intent on staying out of debt? And not spending thousands on office space and liability insurance? You can watch insurance premiums, property leases, and other infrastructure costs drop when you begin to rely on remote workers. Put that money into growing your business and finding the best talent money can buy.

Are You Dependent on Visibility or Deliverability?

It is easy for any employee to look busy at their desk. Let's say you've got one employee who shows up early and stays late, and you've got another employee who shows up for work on time and leaves right at the end of the workday. It could be that the early bird is bad at time management or maybe they are going the extra mile, how can you know for sure?

The only way to judge objectively, who is getting more done is by assessing what they deliver or accomplish in a day's work. With remote work, it is impossible to fake that someone is doing their job or looking busy at their desk. You can clearly judge what they are delivering. You've got less visibility because you can't watch them at their desk all day, but you've got clear deliverability to judge as their work comes in. The question then becomes, which one is more important to you as a leader.

*The views expressed here are my own and do not necessarily reflect on any employer that I currently work with now or in the past.*