One of the biggest trends happening in the workplace today is working remotely. And it didn’t start with coronavirus outbreak. According to US Census data, in 2017, there were eight million people working remotely, which accounts for 5.2% of the working population. It has been a slow but steady rise in the past decade, but experts believe the pace is set to pick up. As of 2018, a Switzerland-based service found that 70% of workers from around the world where working from home at least once a week, showing that the trend isn’t just happening in the United States.
There are a lot of factors that are contributing to this trend, such as the ease of connectivity that people now have at home, allowing them to set up a virtual office that is effective and productive, and the fact that employees can rent smaller office space since fewer employees are there in person.
Employees who work from home have also shown an increase in productivity levels because they are happier and less stressed out, and the fact that many employees are even willing to accept a lower salary if it means working remotely.
So, with the numbers on the rise, it’s easy to assume that anyone would do well in a remote position – but that’s not actually true. Remote work is for everyone, at some capacity, but there are certain personalities that flourish within this environment.
It’s sensitive people, the ones that tend to be introverts that may be the best remote employees. And why is that? Well, let’s take a closer look.
It Is a Controlled Environment
For sensitive people, especially those who are classified as highly sensitive people (HSP), the uncontrolled work environment can be really difficult to cope with. There is constant noise, the lights can seem overly bright to them, it can feel stressful, and it can be hard to focus since there are always distractions.
It can all leave an HSP person feeling quite flustered and totally out of control, which can affect their work and productivity in a negative way. When working from home, all those distractions are removed, the employee can control the noise level, soft lights can be used or natural light, and suddenly the environment is stress-free.
There Isn’t the Pressure to Be Chummy with Co-Workers
Another problem that can affect sensitive people is the pressure to be chummy with co-workers, showing that you are “part of the team” and one of them. While a sensitive person may like each and every person they work with, it doesn’t mean they are comfortable or confident in a group setting.
They aren’t likely to be the type that gets involved in the water cooler discussion or meets up with a group of employees in the break room to have an animated discussion about a sports game last night.
Now that’s not to say that working remotely means you won’t still have work relationships and that you won’t be working with others. That will still be the case, but it is done virtually, which can be a whole lot less intimidating for sensitive introverted types. Also, relationships in remote setup tend to be much stronger, meaningful and built through one-on-one conversations.
Creativity Can Bloom More Freely at Home
It’s quite common for sensitive people to be the creative type, which means they pursue careers that speak to their talents. Jobs such as a graphic artist, animator, copywriter, and so forth are all very common with these artistic sensitive types.
With that said it can be hard to tap into those creative juices when you’re in a busy office space with all kinds of people around. Working remotely can often allow creativity to bloom more freely, giving employees the chance to do their absolute best work in the environment they chose.
Sensitive People Tend to Think Through their Actions First
Sensitive people aren’t usually the type to barrel through on projects without thinking out each and every step, and how it affects the entire process and project. With all that extra thinking that they put into their job, the solitude of a home office can be a welcome escape. From an employer’s view, the fact that the employee is giving so much thought to their job is excellent, as there is less chance of error.
It’s also normal for them to want to work on one task at a time, keeping careful track of all the things they may have going on. A home office allows them to set up a system that works for them in terms of organization and planning focusing on deep work, again without any pressure from co-workers or how things are typically done in an office environment.
Interactions are Usually One-on-One
We’ve already mentioned this earlier. When it does come time for meetings, or interactions with co-workers and their boss, typically these are one-on-one. Again, this is much less intimidating and overwhelming for a sensitive type.
The interaction may take place through online chatting, a video chat, or even a phone call. It can beat standing up in a busy board room or meeting room any day of the week as far as a sensitive person is concerned.
These one-on-one interactions can also be more productive, as there is no talking over each other, not being heard, and not getting a chance to speak since there are only two people involved.
Are You a Sensitive Person?
Are you curious to know if you’re deemed the sensitive type who would probably excel in a remote position? Why not take a personality test that can shed a little light on yourself? This test takes about 10 minutes to complete and is meant to act as a personality type indicator, pointing out some of the highlights of your own personality. You may be surprised with the results it comes back with.
Watch for this Trend to Continue
While there are plenty of trends that come and go in the workplace, this move towards more people working remotely only shows signs of continuing and growing each year.
Just a couple of days ago, Gartner has reported that nearly three in four CFOs plan to shift at least 5% of previously on-site employees to permanently remote positions post-COVID 19.
