Interviews: Remoters

Get to know Ingo Bousa, remote based SEO Consultant living and working from Portugal. Learn how he does it in this interview.

Work out if you are a morning or an afternoon person. I try to get my most challenging work done in the morning because that’s when my brain functions best. It’s much easier to plan your days when you know when you are most productive.

“It was hard to hire talented workers remotely on a global scale, and that’s why I left to create Remote. That’s exactly the challenge Remote provides a solution for.”

It is hard for me to compare working remotely to a normal job, as I have never worked a non-remote job.

“My current employer didn’t believe in remoters, but whatever the main policy of the company, anyone (company) could benefit from hiring remoters. Some people are not for the office work, or wouldn’t relocate to a particular country/city but they might be great.”

“Remote work can bring the opportunity to focus on complex projects without distractions of spontaneous interpersonal encounters. Of course, reduced commute times are a huge benefit”.

From the start I was risk-averse, I was determined to stick with it and not make the make that jump to full time remote working until I knew I had the clients and regular work load to accommodate for my earnings.

“Though I would also agree that there are some industries that are not conducive to remote work or would need to transition longer, the future of working should be taken into consideration for most companies to thrive in the future.”

“I absolutely love the personal freedom that it gives you. Being able to just fly off to anywhere in the world is simply amazing. Furthermore, I find that you meet so many amazing and like-minded people. It is a wonderful way to explore the world.”

“A partial remote policy is an incredible perk for parents and areas where commuting times are very high”

“Ask yourself whether you want to hire the best possible people for the job who’ll be more productive because they get to work when they’re at their best, or whether it’s more important to you to just see someone in the office and micro-manage. “

“I think the main issue right now is not whether they believe in hiring remote workers or not but their ability create effective ways of working together and making these remote relationships work and run smoothly.”

“Being distributed requires certain forcing functions for team collaboration that don’t exist for traditional in-office teams. With the right tools and methodologies, you’re able to build a team that strives not only for productivity, but accountability and trust as well.”

“there is no guarantee that someone who is working in the office is going to be a good worker. You need people that are committed, disciplined and with skills.”

“No commute, more energy, more free time, schedule flexibility, even saving money on food and clothes. It’s all so convenient and you don’t need to be bothered by regular issues office workers bump into.”

“I also save about £162 or so per month not having to commute to work, and I don’t have to jump on a packed underground train full of people. I definitely feel more motivated and productive as there are fewer distractions.”

“If there are positions within a company that are location independent, it makes no sense to tie people down to a location.”

“Invest your money in global people, not in the office.”

“Remote work isn’t as simple as sending people home with their laptops. Remote workers need a virtual infrastructure. Make sure you have places where they can chat, meet with their colleagues, and get looped in on wider company news.”

“don’t fall into the trap that you need 100 tools to work. Just pick the ones you and your clients like and stick to them. Don’t waste time on using many tools: focus on developing your business and getting shit done.”

“If there is sun outside I can go and read a book for a while or go for a swim, I can do it. I set my own hours and workplace.”

“For employees, it makes their jobs dependent on their output/results rather than how often the boss sees them working late at their desk.”

” day-to-day, I don’t feel I miss out too much as a remote worker. The rise of video conference calling has made it much easier to build rapport with colleagues nowadays.”

“For companies, there will certainly be a time of adaptation but it is a long-term investment: the costs related to employees are reduced and promoting the freedom of employees to work remotely allows them to develop personally, reduce resignations and avoid costly staff turnover.”