What‘s your definition of ’remote working’? (7 simple terms)

Most companies are associated with a location.

London is the financial heart of the UK.

Aberdeen, is the UK’s oil-epicentre.

Dundee is known as the tech hub of Scotland.

But what happens when your company doesn’t have a physical HQ. What happens when you can’t pinpoint it on a map?

How do you define your company, if not by location?

How about by its lack of location.

But what descriptive terms currently exist that describe your company’s lack of corporeality?

There are plenty to consider:

1) Flexible (e.g. a ‘flexible’ company)

Definition: This is a general, umbrella-type term used to describe work that is less constrained by location or time. One potential problem with this phrase is that it can be too general; it doesn’t define how flexible your company is or where it is on spectrum of working.

2) Remote (e.g. a ‘remote’ company)

Definition: This term is used to describe companies whose employees live outwith the geographical location of the main office. A key disadvantage of using this term is that it has negative connotations. The word ‘remote’ implies that your company team is isolated and distant from one another. For future company applicants, it may be potentially off-putting as it might suggest a lack of ‘togetherness’ in your company.

3) Distributed (e.g. a ‘distributed’ company)

Definition: The term ‘distributed’ means that your team is dispersed geographically over a wide area (domestically or internationally). Again, a potential downside of using this term is that it can infer that your employees are very separate from one another and aren’t ‘connected’.

4) Teleworking/telecommuting (e.g. a ‘telework’ company)

Definition: ‘Teleworking’ or ‘telecommuting’ are terms used to describe people who work remotely (e.g. from home). A pain point of using this term is that it’s antiquated. People use computers and not telephones to work together in the 21st Century. If your location-independent company wants to stand out as a leader, you need to use a term that people identify with.

5) Virtual (e.g. a ‘virtual’ company)

Definition: The term ‘virtual’ is used to describe a company that heavily relies on collaborative technology to communicate with their workforce (located domestically or internationally). One downfall of using the word ‘virtual’ is that it can infer that your company is technology-dependent and lacks personality.

6) Work-from-home (e.g. a ‘work-from-home’ company)

Definition: The phrase ‘work-from-home’ is, unsurprisingly, used to describe a company where employees work from home.

If all your employees literally ‘work-from-home’, then this phrase would be a good descriptor for your company.

However, one downside of using this term is that it can be restrictive for other companies.

It suggests that your employees only work from home. Whereas, in reality, employees could work away from home; in a coffee shop, in a co-working space, on a beach, in an airport or even in another country.

7) Anywhere (e.g. an ‘Anywhere’ company)

Definition: One of the terms above may be ‘right’ for your company. But if not, then you could define your company with the phrase ‘Anywhere’. Why not think of your company as an ‘Anywhere’ company; where employees can work anywhere that they can get work done?

The phrase is descriptive; it implies that your company is flexible as employees can work in any location.

It’s positive; it doesn’t suggest that your employees are isolated or disconnected.

It’s not old-fashioned; it’s a fresh, forward-thinking term.

It’s not impersonal; it doesn’t imply that your team is more virtual-focused than human-focused.

And it’s not restrictive; it doesn’t suggest that employees only work from home.

We use the word ‘Anywhere’ to define how we work.