One of the most exciting things to come out of the pandemic is that companies accepted the fact that they need to listen to their employees and cater to their needs, especially as there’s a war for talent happening. The hybrid work model looks like it will be the new standard. Workers will be in the office two to three days a week and work remotely the rest of the time. There are now other new, different, fun and exciting ways to work.
During the outbreak, there’s been a fast-emerging trend of workers taking residence in other countries, as a digital nomad. People have taken to doing their jobs at the beach or near ski slopes. Some decided to relocate to lower-cost locations within the United States to save money—while still receiving the same pay. Adventurous types traveled to other countries.
Blueground Nomads
To capitalize on this new and exciting trend, Blueground, a proptech company, is reinventing the way people live and work with its new program—Blueground Nomads. The startup offers around 4,000 fully furnished apartments in 15 cities around the world. You could sign up for an apartment wherever and whenever you want.
The company is courting people who want to explore and experience new adventures. You could have an extended stay in an apartment for a month or longer. It could be in New York, London, Paris, Athens or Vienna. As opposed to Airbnb, where you rent a person’s home, Blueground offers corporate apartments to ensure consistency and safety. The company provides a ready-to-move-in apartment, along with the tools needed to work remotely.
Alex Chatzieleftheriou, the cofounder and CEO of Blueground, said about the program, “Flexibility, exploration and the freedom to choose how and where you spend your time is the essence of Blueground.” Chatzieleftheriou traveled extensively for work and has lived in 15 cities around the world. He wants other people to also get “exposed to different geographies and cultures,” as it’s a “unique opportunity.”
The chief executive says living in different places broadens one’s perspective, while helping them develop as a person. Through the Blueground Nomads program, he said, “We’re not only providing max flexibility, but we’re encouraging our team members to choose the best work environment for them. We’re removing obstacles and providing options, opportunities and the tools to experience the world and its cultures.”
The real estate startup is positioning itself as the go-to choice for workers who want to travel or move to a new city. The concept is similar to co-working companies, like WeWork.
Blueground partners with real estate landlords and executes long-term leases, which in turn are subleased to the nomad workers on a flexible basis. Just as the co-working spaces offer desks, chairs, phones and conference rooms, Blueground apartments are fully furnished by professional interior designers and equipped with couches, beds, tables, big-screen TVs and other amenities, so people don’t have to worry about anything and can just move right in.
Leaving Big Cities, Going To Different Exotic Places
The work-anywhere-in-the-world or digital-nomad movement will continue to accelerate with remote work becoming commonplace. This trend skews toward white-collar workers. During the pandemic, we’ve seen Wall Street bankers, hedge fund managers, tech titans and others flee big cities, such as New York, for the Hamptons, Palm Beach, Martha’s Vineyard, suburbs of Connecticut and New Jersey or jet off to exotic locations.
Several countries encouraged Americans to migrate there with special visas and open arms. Since tourism was down due to the Covid-19 and their economies hurting, Barbados, Estonia, Bermuda and Georgia opened their doors to Americans, inviting them to come, work, pay taxes and contribute to the economy.
Similarly, Hawaii saw its economy suffer due to a lack of tourism—a large revenue source—and the closures or limited operations of many businesses. In an effort to turn things around, state officials—intent on reviving the lackluster economy—started a program to bring remote workers to the Aloha State.
Living The RV Lifestyle
The same way people view remote work as gaining back freedom, there’s been a steady growing movement of people traveling the U.S. in their recreational vehicles (RV) for work and pleasure.
The Escapees RV Club is one of the largest and most active RVing communities in the world. The group has over 60,000 members, around 100 employees and thousands of volunteers. Many members live in their RV year-round. Some travel nonstop and others may spend some weeks or months in one location before moving on. The group covers all ages, including Millennials, Gen-Xers, Baby Boomers and the Greatest Generation.
A fast-growing number of its members “work full time or part time from the road—doing anything from camp-hosting to writing to software development, and everything in between.” The organization says that it’s relatively easy to conduct business remotely in an RV from anywhere they want, as “today’s sophisticated options for mobile internet make it possible to stay connected and work remotely from almost anywhere.”
According to the club, “[The people are] united by our shared love of travel and exploration. We like being independent, self-reliant and, yes, sometimes even a little unconventional. We believe in sharing our knowledge and experience, and caring for our fellow members. And most importantly, we enjoy being part of a community of like-minded folks.”
Lezlie Garr is a career coach and living the “RV lifestyle.” Eschewing houses or apartments, Garr and her partner travel the country in their recreational vehicle. They traverse the U.S., enjoying seeing new sights. Garr is particularly fond of nature. She goes to national parks and visits beautiful scenic locations.
She’s not alone. Garr says that so many people have adopted the digital nomad path that many parks are overcrowded, forcing her to focus on paths less traveled. It takes a lot of planning. Garr needs to ensure that she has internet and phone connectivity to work with clients seeking out new jobs, needing help with a résumé and improving interviewing techniques. One of the things she enjoys most is the freedom to pursue her passion for traveling, enjoying new experiences and meeting people from all walks of life, while simultaneously successfully helping her clients.
The pandemic brought us a lot of pain, but it also opened our eyes. We no longer need to be shackled to an office eight to 10 hours a day, five days a week. As workers are regaining power due to a hot job market, they’re able to demand flexible options. People can now lead their best lives by working the way they want from wherever they desire.
Source: Forbes
