How a Business Can Prepare for the Digital Nomad Boom

The growing number of people calling themselves digital nomads has resulted in some real effects on business management. As more people adopt the digital nomad lifestyle, employers are being forced to adopt greater flexibility in the workplace. Now that technology has reached the point where work roles can be performed from anywhere in the world, the traditional workplace is changing shape. While not every job is possible to do without being on location, copywriters, website design, coding, translation, and many other work roles can all be completed by anyone with an internet connection and a device. Making use of digital nomads brings with it some challenges, but with the right preparation, it could see your business taking advantage of this growing job trend.

Benefits of Digital Nomads for Employers

While the digital nomads themselves get an unprecedented amount of geographical freedom, the question of benefits to an employer is complicated. The key advantages of hiring digital nomads are:

Brand culture: When a business’ brand is one of their most vital tools in marketing, they are better able to attract a generation that is otherwise a challenge to engage with.
Fewer Costs: Not only do digital nomads take up zero office space, meaning that you get to pay rent on smaller premises, they are also often freelance employees. That means that you avoid annual salaries and only pay for the work you need doing.
Global outlook: Because they can be anywhere in the world, digital nomads are immersed in different cultures. That gives them insights that you may otherwise be lacking. Nomads also come with a variety of soft skills like adaptability and confidence that can benefit a brand.
Improved engagement: When employers give their employees more control over how they work, productivity will improve.

Challenges for Employers

There are some very obvious issues to tackle if you are considering making use of digital nomads. For roles that require face-to-face communications, a digital nomad may not be suitable. There is also the worry about accessibility. Digital nomads move around a lot, and that means that they might go through time zones without you knowing, and be unavailable when you need them. They will also have to deal with countries that have poor internet infrastructure, limiting what they can do for you (although most nomads will have their own backup internet connection).

Communicating With Digital Nomads

You should start by clearly defining your expectations of their work output. Communication is going to be your single most important factor to consider, so it’s vital that you get it right from the outset. You could use tools like Slack or Trello, but this may require training. A good way to address the communication issue is to have your own website apps available that not only allow for easier communications, but also make it easy for employees around the world to upload their work directly to your website or team. Make use of web application development for an improved CRM or in-built management system. This can streamline your and their workflow.

The advantages of digital nomads are clear, but you should take adopting this workforce slowly. It’s a good idea to start with your trusted, existing employees. Do a trial month, evaluate the effectiveness, and move on from that point. Whether you start making use of digital nomads or not, this is an employment trend that is here to stay. Make sure that you have the tech and the culture to take advantage of this growing change to the way that we work and play.