5 Common Misconceptions About Working Remotely, Debunked by FormAssembly

As a 100% remote workforce with employees dispersed throughout different locations and time zones, the FormAssembly team has become familiar with the remote work lifestyle. Along with that, we’ve also become familiar with many of the misconceptions people have about remote work. So, what is remote work really like? In this blog, we debunk some of the most common remote work misconceptions we’ve heard.

Remote employees either work way too much or way too little.

Some people believe that remote employees who work from home are always on the clock, unable to turn off work at the end of the day. Others believe that remote work gives employees the opportunity to fill their day with anything else but work. Neither of these ideas are true!

At FormAssembly, our team members are expected to be online and available for a set number of hours each day, no more and no less. We’re big believers in flexibility and work-life balance, but we’re also a dedicated team that fulfills commitments.

Many of our team members use their own techniques and routines to signify the start and end of their work days. This way, they’re able to stay focused during working hours and unplug at the end of their work day.

Remote teams aren’t productive.

Actually, studies have shown that remote teams are actually more productive. Let’s face it — office spaces packed with dozens of coworkers at once can be full of distractions and disruptions. Remote workers are able to choose where they want to work, oftentimes choosing places where they’re able to avoid those distractions. This means they’re able to stay on task for longer periods of time, with less time spent trying to refocus on the task at hand.

At FormAssembly, our team members stay on task because each person’s productivity directly affects everyone else. Team leaders are also able to hire exactly who they want for specific roles without location constraints, which of course, increases productivity even further.

Anyone and everyone can work remotely.

While it’s absolutely true that remote work opportunities can be great for a wide range of people in all walks of life, not everyone is cut out for working remotely. Remote workers must be great at communication, able to multitask, self-disciplined, deadline driven, and self-motivated.

At FormAssembly, we recognize that successful remote workers have a specific set of traits that tend to mesh well with our remote work environment. In other words: it’s not for everyone.

Culture is nonexistent in remote teams.

At FormAssembly, this couldn’t be farther from the truth! Although the daily in-office chit-chat isn’t much of a possibility with a remote team, our coworkers continuously make efforts to have meaningful interactions with one another. Whether it’s via Google Hangouts, Slack, an in-person meetup or a company-wide reunion, we still find ways to come together and cultivate a strong culture that is uniquely FormAssembly.

That’s right — every year, our entire team attends the company wide FormAssembly reunion so we can focus on team-building and getting to know each other. Learn more about the 2019 company reunion here.

Working remotely kills communication.

Once again, false! With messaging services and video chats fueling our workdays, communication is an absolute must within remote teams. Our employees constantly stay in touch on our company Slack channels and in video meetings.

Working remotely forces you to be excellent at timely written communication to avoid any mishaps and misunderstandings. We’d argue that remote teams like ours often communicate more effectively than in-office teams, simply because we have to.

Conclusion

There you have it: working remotely is much different than people tend to expect! Our team and our company culture thrives in the remote work environment because of our dedicated team members. Want to be a part of our remote team as we work together to build something great?