Remote IT Jobs Popularity & Statistics
The work environment has indeed come a long way. A few years back, the words “remote working” either meant you have just been fired or were at the brink of giving up. This is now a thing of the past.
The 9-to-5 jobs while working in a cubicle and attending the extended meeting is fast morphing into a pliant working disposition whereby the only office etiquette demanded by employers are productivity and efficiency. With this comes the freedom to work from anywhere, creativity, and innovation.
Question, is remote work the future?
A simple answer is a big YES. However, there are a few hurdles to overcome.
Today, companies no longer treat remote working as an alien concept. It is rapidly becoming the code of conduct for any company looking to attract and retain young talented workers.
What began as the last resort for bottom-feeders has become the conscious choice for even the most experienced and schooled professionals cutting across all professions.
Current State of Remote Workers
10 years ago, the best remote jobs you could possibly get was either a customer service or telemarketing position. Fast-forward to today, companies have realized the benefits of having an offshore team as this boldness to commit to individual freedom have turned the “remoteness” into a crucial lever of their success.
According to a 2014 Global Leadership Summit survey, 60% of business leaders believe that more than 50% of their active workforce will be predominantly remote by the year 2020.
In the software development world, a 2017 survey by StackOverflow showed that approximately 11.2% of the 100 interviewed developers work remotely full-time. In Russia, the number of developers working remotely was much higher clocking 20.5%.
In terms of the hiring authority, a 2018 report in the US has shown that out of 1000 hiring managers, 52% agree that remote hiring allows them to widen their hiring scope and massively cut costs.
Although this is just a minor representation of what is happening in the remote work ecosystem, the number of people displaced by outsourcing tells it all.
Jobs Lost to Outsourcing Statistics
Key among the reasons why companies outsource include cost-cutting, business capacity issues, and improvement of service quality. This is why more and more companies are increasingly outsourcing their IT, customer, and business processes.
Whilst outsourcing remote software developer jobs or any other IT services, there are negative impacts on the local economy of any country.
In 2017, the total revenues from the global outsourcing market hit $88.9 billion with the figures expected to reach. During the same period, Business Process Outsourcing emerged as one of the largest contributors to outsourcing revenues generating $24.6 billion. In terms of functions, software development was the most outsourced function.
Despite all these large figures, outsourcing has also led to job losses. In 2017, a total of 14 million jobs were outsourced in the US. Had they stayed within the borders, the 7 million unemployed Americans would have been lifted up from unemployment. This including the 5.3 part-time workers who aspire to have a full-time job.
Fortunately, it’s not just an affair of clutching pearls. Once these jobs move to less developed countries, they create a demand for output that’s produced in the large economies creating a symbiotic relationship. In fact, it’s estimated that for every dollar spent on a company while outsourcing, it generates income for more than 20 individuals in that country through currency circulation.
The Benefits of Outsourcing
Depending on where you stand, the benefits of outsourcing largely outweigh the detriments.
Cost Benefits
The most obvious advantage of outsourcing IT jobs is the cost-benefit. Due to the huge wage disparities in different countries, your offshore software development job can be completed at a much lower cost without compromising on quality. In countries like Ukraine, the cost savings can go to as high as 60% of your total budget.
Increased Efficiency
Most remote IT professionals have a vast experience thanks to the exposure acquired from working with different companies. Essentially, you have the luxury of working with individuals that have prior interaction with large corporations and bringing that experience to your project.
Focus on Core Areas
One of the major reasons why companies fail is the because they tend to mix priorities. Mixing priorities obscures the focus on core competencies eventually fading the enthusiasm. Through outsourcing, you can have the time to focus on the core business competencies and building your brand when someone handles other processes.
Save on Technology Infrastructure Costs
When you outsource, the outsourcing partner is responsible for your business processes. This means they have to invest in infrastructure that supports the same, hence saving you money.
Access to Skilled Resources
Hiring skilled developers is a costly affair. The hassle of scoring the right talent is equally immense. Outsourcing partners have their teams assembled to work on your projects anytime which reduces time wastage. Moreover, you will find a pool of talented workers experienced in their respective fields.
How To Manage Remote Teams
If you are itching to hire a remote developer, it’s not a matter of laptop-and-sweatpants-in-Monaco. It’s a path that requires planning and meticulous thoughtfulness. Everything from communication, the delegation of tasks, and follow-ups have to work like a well-oiled machine. In any case, you don’t have the luxury of walking up to your employees and request for an answer session.
Here are a few nuggets to help you hit that optimal productivity rhythm and flow.
Set Clear Goals
While working with an offshore software development company, you need to clarify what you want to be done to facilitate a smooth flow of work. There are multiple tools that allow team members to share the plan, delegate tasks, check all the to-dos, and even report on progress.
Clear goals give individual team members a sense of purpose and a succinct idea of how their respective tasks will fit into the overall plan.
Remote tech jobs demand that every team member be kind and responsive. This way, no matter where individual members are, they have a sense of trust hence spawning the much-needed coherence and sync. The ability to create a strong sense of trust among your team members gives your company the flexibility to weather all the storms throw by your competitors.
Taking that into account, lip service without documentation remains just that–lip service. Once everyone is privy to what is expected of them, clearly document everything and let every team member commit to living by them.
Provide your Remote Team with the Necessary Tools and Infrastructure
When working with remote teams, the cardinal role of any serious hiring manager is to provide them with the right tools and infrastructure. After all, the team is as good as the tools they have at their disposal. If you want enhanced efficiency and better collaboration, invest in secure, yet intuitive solutions. Great tools will not only help boost productivity but also improve accuracy and cut down on the manual hours in all your remote IT jobs.
Reduce Barriers
An individual remote developer in a large team could be willing to deliver big results only to be hindered by certain barriers. For instance, they may want to communicate with the regional team leader only to realize their ideas are not welcome. Reducing all the unnecessary barriers and frictions both at the individual and team level reduces confusion and misunderstandings.
Future Trends in Remote Working
Many things are set to happen in the remote working world. Here are some of the things to expect;
Increased Acceptance
High-profile organizations such as IBM, Amazon, Sutherland Global Services, and TeleTech do allow their workers to work remotely. With these market leaders blazing the trail, more and more companies will embrace telecommuting.
Improved Social Media Interactions Between Remote Workers
Professional marketers and influencers know the benefits of using social media. However, in the future, companies will leverage on social media to allow remote team members interact when executing a common task.
Although a future remote worker in the IT space will continue to enjoy the freedom of working anywhere, the urge to interact with other remote workers will always be there. Shared spaces are beginning to solve some of these dilemmas and this will continue for the foreseeable future.
Final Thoughts
The remote work concept is definitely rewriting the long-established corporate culture. Gone are the days when remote working meant out of job. With the increasing number of trendsetters in the Tech industry such as Amazon, Toggl, and IBM setting the pace, others will follow suit. Even so, it’s important to keep in mind that it won’t be for everyone, and definitely not for all industries. Lastly, the ever-growing number of industries will continue leveraging on remote jobs as its a viable recruitment strategy. It’s up to individual companies to assess their priorities and choose whether to ride the wave or spectate from the shores.
