With the digital age in full swing, it only makes sense that
more and more companies around the world are starting to embrace the idea of
remote and telecommute opportunities for current and potential employees.
This
change is the business infrastructure, though, has also bred a collection of
myths and apprehensions about working from home.So, naturally, we took the time to examine five of the most
heard myths and set the record straight, once and for all.
1. “Dress as if you were going to an actual office building.”
Not so much. That’s really the beauty of working from home.
If you want to keep your most comfortable sweatpants on while catching up with
morning emails, that’s is your prerogative. The only exceptions would be on the
rare occasion you have to meet with a client or coworker in person, or give a
presentation to a live audience.
2. “Anybody can work from home, really.”
It depends. The reasons why most of us despise the idea of
a supervisor, project manager or some other higher-up breathing down our necks
during the day is the same reason why we sort of need them: to provide
direction, focus and structure to an otherwise free-for-all workday. You have
to be diligent about keeping a schedule, adhering to office hours and
maintaining a staunch work ethic in order to be successful working from home,
so it may not be cut out for everyone.
3. “’Work from home’ means exactly that. Nothing else.
Period.”
That’s just absurd. In a time when reliable Wi-Fi signals
are as abundant as the air we breathe, there’s no reason why you can hold
office hours at your favorite coffee shop, local museum or even at the top
of the Eiffel Tower, if you feel so inclined.
4. “Working from home allows you to make your own hours.”
Quite the contrary. Although you may work for a company that’s
based in a different time zone than you, that doesn’t take away from the fact
that there are deadlines, and everyone must adhere to them to the best of their
abilities. Albeit, it is kind of convenient if you work on the east coast and
your employer is on a two or three-hour delay.
5. “Working from home makes you anti-social; a shut-in.”
There are plenty of ways to stay connected with the people
you work with via social networking, video conferencing, instant messaging and
more. Really, we have more ways to stay connected to one another than at any
other point in world history. Ultimately, the only thing that would ever keep
people from being social is internal.
Think of any telecommute myths that we didn’t cover in this
post? Be sure to let us know in the comments below. And to learn more about how
Outside Agent Link can put you on the fast track to obtaining the freedom that
can come with working from home, visit our Contact Us page or email our
offices directly at info@outsideagentlink.com.
