While some can’t wait for it to get cold enough to go ice skating, others prefer to spend the winter in Spain. Certainly digital nomads leave en masse for the sun. Still, if you can do your work anywhere, you can choose the place where you feel comfortable. Work vacations have long since ceased to be only for freelancers, more and more salaried people are also feeling the need to go on workation and more and more employers are seeing the benefits of working remotely.
Changing field of work
The way we work has changed a lot in recent years. We are no longer the same people we were in the last 2 years, where our freedom was limited and working from home was the norm. Everyone is looking for the best way to work hybrid. Work-life balance needs to be rediscovered. We expect flexibility from employers. Employees have wide job choices, so it is extra important to listen carefully to their needs and take them into account.
Remote working is becoming increasingly popular. You see more and more people working temporarily from another country. Some go to Spain for a week on workstation, others go to Bali for 2 months. So many people, so many wishes. As an executive, team lead or entrepreneur, the trick is to find out what the needs of your staff are. And then, how to anticipate them. It varies greatly from company to company what is and is not allowed in terms of remote working. Increasingly, people are looking for an employer that allows you to work from abroad, especially millennials and Gen Z. If you propagate or even promote this flexible policy, you might just have an edge over the competition.
Workation appointments
By no means all companies have a policy around a workation and remote working, let alone on paper. This trend is still evolving and companies are searching for the right guidelines. Policy or no policy, agreeing on remote work is important. For both the employer and the employee. You can make verbal agreements, but you can also put preconditions on paper. In this way you can avoid wrong expectations, risks and possible problems. It is important for both parties to discuss the following points: – Travel period. Do not go during a busy period, or when there are crucial face to face moments.
– Travel time. How long will you be gone? With long duration, you need to determine how you will maintain the connection with your team or clients.
– Destination. Make sure you have good coverage and preferably little time difference.
– Connectivity. Always work on secure Internet connections and make sure you are accessible.
– Good workplace. Make sure you can work quietly and responsibly. Check out fine workplaces at your destination in advance.
– Work days and hours. What does your work week look like? Do you take extra time off or unpaid leave?
– Contact. Make sure relations and colleagues know when you can be reached.
Winning talent for you
If you want to attract talent and win the war for talent, it can be smart to announce that your organization has a flexible policy on this and that you can go on a work station. If you go a step further, you can even offer company work stations. You will then work with (part of) your team from a different location. During the day everyone is working in, for example, a beautiful villa in Spain, after which you will do fun things together. Incredibly good for the team building and connection of your employees. Meanwhile, it is an image boost for your company. With this you please your current team and also make yourself an interesting employer for new talent. If you then turn that into good content for your recruitment marketing, you have come full circle. More and more companies are embracing or even facilitating remote working. Just try to keep your cherished employees out of the hands of the competition. Want to know more about remote working and workations for companies? Check out more inspiration here.