4 Reasons Millennials Love Working Remotely

Unlike the traditional workforce of previous generations that would find happiness in their nine-to-five schedules with ease, Millennials are now shifting towards a more flexible way of working that allows them so many changes in their lifestyle. The emergence of digital nomads, stay-at-home parents who manage to work while they raise kids, freelancing for a multitude of clients scattered across the world, and other hybrid combinations of lifestyles has enabled Millennials to abandon the rigid structure of the nine-to-five.

Some employers still resist this form of hiring, though. While they might have their justifiable reasons, they are missing out on a very hard-working, loyal generation of employees that have the potential to grow their business significantly. If you’re still undecided as to whether or not remote employment makes sense for your company and your teams, take a look at the following reasons that have inspired the Millennial workforce to jump the nine-to-five ship. Perhaps understanding their perspective a little better will give you the insights you need to switch some of your own processes to a remote team based mode of working.

Work-life balance as a top priority

Let’s be completely honest here and state the obvious: the nine-to-five work schedule has never really been nine-to-five. Perhaps in its infancy when the idea just arose, but as soon as the market became competitive enough, employees were expected to show up early and leave later than the schedule stated. This was and still is, of course, a silent agreement among many corporations that encourage their employees and reward them for all those extra hours they put in. 

Millennials, on the other hand, have other priorities. Most of them have started their careers in debt due to student loans, and few have their property issue settled so they might need a mortgage to buy a house. In such a stage of life, they know that hard work is a must, but not at the cost of their family lives, health, or mental stability for that matter. That is precisely why remote work is a preferred mode of operation for Millennials – having the freedom to organize their lives around their wellbeing makes them better workers, and remote work empowers precisely that. 

Boosting productivity

Time is of the essence for every single employer out there, but also for every ambitious Millennial. Wasting a single minute of it on commuting, in a standstill during the morning rush, pacing away across miles of urban jungles – this is certainly not the most productive way to spend time. Plus, it’s a drain on our energy and makes us feel less enthusiastic once we do reach the office. Millennials have found a way to not just completely avoid going back and forth every day, but also to preserve their energy by working remotely.

Without the distractions of other colleagues rushing through the office, phones ringing, meetings in the next room, and traffic noise, you can get more work done in less time. Take away the stress of it all, and you get an even “cleaner” equation that allows Millennials to devote their time and all of their undivided attention to their side projects.

Location-independent work

When you work in an office, vacations rarely come by. Remote work, however, gives employees the freedom to work wherever they please, as long as they deliver their work in time and within the agreed parameters. Millennials now have the chance to see and live in the world’s most exotic locations if they so wish, and if they have the freedom to work remotely. Why not take your laptop and work from Paris, Madrid, or Bali. According to the data collected by Invest Islands, Lombok Island and other hidden gems in Indonesia are gaining more traction due to their natural wealth as well as available attractions for digital nomads.

Millennials are fueled by exploration, so having the ability to work from new places boosts their motivation and creativity alike. 

Greater sustainability

The issue of climate change and our undeniably negative impact on the environment has shaped many an employee’s career path, and the same is with the Millennial workforce. According to a recent survey, over 70% of Millennials stated that they are more likely to work with a company that has a sustainability agenda. If you’re wondering how remote work fits into that philosophy, here are a few ideas that can help you envision a greener future with remote work.

Reducing carbon emissions by avoiding car rides or public transportation is a great perk of remote work. Add to that, no need to use electricity, water, or any other energy for an entire office makes the entire business far more energy-efficient. A business can be run almost entirely in a digital realm, making it pointless to use paper, which makes perfect sense when all of your employees use the cloud to access to share and collaborate on documents of relevance. No need for plastic water bottles, cups, disposable paper towels, toiletry, and a slew of other ordinary, planet-damaging goods offices typically require. 

And that makes for a great foundation to make other, more relevant green initiatives and embed them into your company culture. Remote work allows your employees to live by their values, and it leads to potentially higher retention rates as a result. 

While a growing number of companies are transitioning towards a more flexible mode of operations, you can rest assured that Millennials will certainly be more attracted to your job opportunities if you add this perk to your job ads. Remote work has the potential to become the predominant way of collaboration, so if your industry allows for the option, try finding ways to offer it to your Millennial employees. 

Guest writer Jacob Wilson is a business consultant, and an organizational psychologist, based in Brisbane. Passionate about marketing, social networks, and business in general. In his spare time, he writes a lot about new business strategies and digital marketing for Bizzmark blog.