If there’s one major challenge to be faced as a remote worker, it has got to be the task of building a community for yourself amidst the freedom of working from home (while being on your own schedule). Below you’ll find three techniques for creating a sense of camaraderie while living the life of a digital nomad, from connecting with fellow remote workers to renting out space in a coworking environment.
1) Find Fellow Remote Workers via Social Media
A 2016 Gallup report stated that 43% of employees work remotely for at least part of their jobs, and the trend is continuing to grow. That being said, you might very well be surrounded by thousands of remote workers in your city and not even know it. So how can you get connected? Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
Social media serves a lot of purposes, but one major one that remote workers can take advantage of is the ability it provides for networking. Facebook has hundreds, if not thousands, of public and private groups for remote workers individualized by city. As it turns out, finding fellow remote workers is important for everyone with a flexible lifestyle, as traditional nine-to-five workers don’t have aligning schedules. Additionally, by searching hashtags on Instagram or Twitter, you can instantly find other remote workers on the web. Hashtags such as #remotelife, #remoteliving, #remotecontrol, and #remotework will all pull up bountiful numbers of Instagram captions and tweets posted by digital nomads.
Once you’ve found some fellow remote workers that live in your area, that’s when the networking can begin. Remote worker meetups are often common happenings with social media groups, allowing you to connect with other remote workers and hopefully form lasting friendships. After all, who better to meet at a coffee shop on a midweek morning for some free wi-fi than a fellow remote worker?
2) Invest in a Coworking Space
If reaching out via social media isn’t your scene, then you may want to consider investing in a membership at a coworking space. Depending on your budget, you can either get a flexible desk membership, a permanent desk, or even a permanent office space at a coworking space. As for the community workspace perks? They’re huge. Members of coworking spaces form relationships with their peers, as well as get to experience a sense of “office culture” minus the inflexibility and full-time commitment.
Not to mention, a recent Officevibe survey reports notably high stats when it comes to coworking spaces and the benefits they have on remote workers. Here are just some of the impressive coworking statistics for remote workers:
- 70% reported they felt healthier than they did working in a traditional office setting
- 68% said they were able to focus better while coworking
- 92% are satisfied with their coworking space
- 91% have better interactions with others after coworking
- 90% said they felt more confident when coworking
Obviously, these numbers aren’t anything to laugh at, and neither are coworking spaces. Looking to sign-up soon? Check out our list of the best coworking spaces in the world.
3) Stay Engaged with Your Employer
Just because you’re working remotely doesn’t mean that you’re working solo. Remain engaged with your employer and coworkers by communicating frequently and participating in any and all company chats, email threads, or forums. Many companies that work with remote employees make use of applications such as Slack or Trello to improve communication and keep a steady flow of conversation going between employees.
Additionally, if the company has an office location, stop by for a visit every now and again to connect with your employers and coworkers face-to-face. Even if it’s only a few times a year, visiting the company office can prove to be helpful in bolstering your engagement with the company and its culture.
Originally written by Chelsey Grasso at Remote.com