7 misconceptions about working remotely abroad

9 March 2022
7 minuten leestijd

Working from abroad is one big party. At least, that is the general opinion about it. And you can take that both positively and sarcastically. Positive because it is indeed a lot of fun, sarcastic because it is thought to be unproductive. Remote working abroad is becoming increasingly popular. Makes sense too, because partly because corona did prove that you don’t necessarily have to be in an office to do your work. Before corona, there were still plenty of companies that didn’t like working from home. This was mainly due to a lack of trust, or because the necessary online systems could not be used. The latter has now been resolved. But that does not immediately say that the trust is there and that employers will embrace this new way of working. That is something that takes time.

One learns by doing, and also hopefully increases confidence in your staff. You have to, if you want to keep up with the times.

Right now, many companies are looking for a suitable way of hybrid working. Now that you are no longer required to work from home we are going to figure out what is going to be the right balance now. Because honestly, some people like that working from home just fine. But you don’t want to lose connection with your colleagues or underestimate the social aspect of it. A golden mean would be nice. Some days in the office and some days at home.

With my platform, I want to inform people about what it means to work remotely abroad or go on workstation. I do this by sharing my experiences and insights. And that is not only based on what I do myself, but also on the conversations I have with others who also combine traveling with working. There’s still some ground to cover and that’s why I’m sharing the 7 biggest misconceptions here.

1. In the office you are most productive

Do you work harder at home or in the office? I think a lot of people have been asking this question to each other lately. Both has its advantages and disadvantages. It also depends on your personal situation; how your household is composed, how you live, how you like to work, etc. One is easily distracted at home, the other at the office because of all the colleagues. I recently spoke to a lady who was eager to join the workout I organized in Valencia. She was very enthusiastic and had almost signed up, but then her manager put a stop to it. The press conference had just been held announcing that people could go back to the office. And so suddenly remote work was no longer allowed and she was obliged to come back to the office 100%.

She called her employer hugely traditional and unwelcoming and had strong doubts about whether she still wanted to work for them. That’s the last thing you want as an employer. Talk to each other.

What are the needs of employees and what is possible company-wide? Each company will have different policies, but those decisions can affect the choices your staff makes next in today’s job market. And that, of course, is not a threat, but it is something to think about.

2. Hey vacationer

I get these around my ears on a regular basis. After all, I sit in video meetings with a nice sunshine in the background. My first instinct is to defend myself. Because 1) I don’t think this is a vacation, 2) it suggests I wouldn’t be working. But of course I understand the comment. People are creatures of habit and always need some time to get used to new situations. So too that you can work from abroad. By the way, you can do some things yourself to avoid these kinds of comments. For example, in video meetings, make sure that you are not sitting in full sunlight, that no Spaniards are babbling right through your meeting and that no people are walking through the frame behind you. I take finding a good workspace very seriously. Sometimes my clients don’t even know I was abroad during the meeting, but only hear about it afterwards. That is exactly my intention.

3. You are bound to be less productive

I don’t lie on the beach every day with a cocktail in my hand. I take responsibility and do what I have to do. Exactly the same as I would do at home. My job responsibilities don’t change when I go abroad. Only the environment is different. And that’s something that makes many people happy. You can still drink those cocktails, but nice on weekends, for example.

4. Are you paying attention!

There is no denying that in a different (new) environment you are more likely to get distracted. But this is within your control. Self-discipline is important here. Decide what hours you will work and sit in a quiet place. Then you can get to work focused. If you want to go for a walk in the afternoon, of course you can. It is also not strange that you cannot always be on, you don’t have that at the office or at home either. There is a regular discussion about how many hours a workday or week should be at all, and for good reason.

5. A hammock is a great place to work

You regularly see enviable images of hip digital nomads lounging in a hammock or sitting on the beach with their laptops on their laps. Super nice for the photo, but that’s so not how it works as far as I’m concerned. Not only is it disastrous for your back, but you can’t tell me that you are very productive. It could be done for a while, but you really shouldn’t want to do this. Do it when you are free, then you can really enjoy it. This picture below is purely to show how it doesn’t work.

6. Make sure you are reachable!

In most places in the world you have fine reception, so there is no reason not to be reachable. You are simply at work and therefore reachable at those times. Then it is not convenient to sit in a hut in the bush, also because of the wifi you need. But in your own country, Europe or developed faraway places where the connections are good, there is nothing wrong. And yes, do you just dive into the pool and therefore miss a call from a colleague or client then you are caught. And rightly so. You should take that dip in the pool at the end of your working day.

7. It’s one big vacation

Depending on how many hours you work, you may have more private time in a week than you do at work. Then you probably feel very relaxed and indeed like you are on vacation. I think that’s actually a good thing. One of the reasons I work remotely abroad is because I want to be more relaxed and I am immediately relaxed when I am in a different environment. During the day you are just concentrating on work, but especially the time around that is very nice. If you go out after your work day you forget within 5 minutes that you worked. And if you want more time to enjoy where you’re going, take extra time off. Often this is negotiable with your colleagues and supervisor, just as it would be if you worked from home. If there are people around you who have a negative opinion of workations or are critical, above all try to find out why and explain yourself what you mean by it. Often lack of knowledge is hidden in a negative comment. Or fear of something new. So start the conversation. Do you hear other misconceptions? Then I am also very curious to hear them and would love to hear from you via the contact form on the website or a DM on socials! Curious about the 5 benefits of a workation?

Read here

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