Have you heard of a digital nomad? It’s a term that’s become more widely adopted in recent years, given technological improvements and increased connectivity through social media.
Here’s what you need to know as a business that currently works with, or is considering working with digital nomads, whether you’re an assurance, tax or consulting business, or you’re based in another sector.
Introduction to Digital Nomadism
A digital nomad is defined as a remote worker who travels freely across the world using technology and the internet to their advantage. As a result, many digital nomads pair work with travel, taking advantage of 5G and internet connection in a range of settings all over the world. The idea is that work doesn’t tie you down to a single location.
It challenges the idea of a typical 9-5 corporate job, allowing people to live and work more freely. It’s been predicted that there will be one billion digital nomads worldwide by 2035.
Advantages for Businesses
Many businesses can benefit from working with digital nomads. Here’s why:
- Flexibility: It can be easier to hire someone flexibly rather than hiring for a full-time internal position unnecessarily.
- Cost savings: Working with someone through a short-term arrangement can be a great way of keeping costs low for businesses. There’s no need to pay for overhead costs such as office space and utilities.
- Access to global talent pool: Plus, the ability to hire talent from all over the world means there’s a wider pool to tap into. The internet has meant that finding this talent has never been easier.
Challenges and Solutions
Of course, while there are advantages, there are also challenges associated with digital nomads.
- Communication barriers: Communication can be tricky when it isn’t face-to-face. That’s why it’s important to factor in as much communication as you feel is necessary, whether through video calls or routine updates via email.
- Time zone differences: Inevitably, time zones can restrict your ability to collaborate in real-time. That’s why it’s important to coordinate your schedules and plan ahead to avoid the impacts this could have.
- Legal and compliance issues: You need to be aware of legal complications when hiring digital nomads from different countries. For example, you need to make sure you aren’t liable for breaching another country’s laws or visa requirements with the type of work you ask them to do for you.
Managing Remote Teams Effectively
- Set clear expectations: Establish your expectations from the get-go so that digital nomads know whether they can accommodate your needs as a business. This means addressing expectations in the form of KPIs, work schedules and communication with the business.
- Foster a culture of trust: Distance can cause people to be hesitant when it comes to trust. Make sure you make the effort to integrate digital nomads into the team and they, in turn, are more likely to show respect back. It’s about cultivating a feeling of belonging.
- Invest in technology: Technology is crucial to a digital nomad’s career – and it’s important that you meet the mark if you’re going to interact with them regularly. This means having the right software and functions to enhance communication and collaboration with remote workers.
Recruitment and Onboarding
- Tailored recruitment strategies: Recruitment processes will need to be tailored to attract the right digital nomad talent, which includes working out how to assess their capabilities remotely.
- Comprehensive onboarding: Like with any other candidate, you still need to conduct a successful onboarding process, taking into account training and team integration. Perhaps this is through video calls and securing opportunities for digital nomads to interact with teams.
