Remote work culture is growing faster than ever before and it is indubitably moving from being an exception to a norm, and from the future of work to the present.

It is clearly a trending and hot topic nowadays, but is remote working right for you?

Have you often felt the pain of noisy coworkers, irrelevant conversations, and constant interruptions? Are you sick of long commutes? Or do you just want more autonomy and time for yourself in your daily life?

If your answer is yes, we hear you and we are definitely with you! And these are not just empty words – Sintezis has been a fully remote company for a full year. For now, we have one office in Zagreb open 24/7, so our people can drop by anytime they feel creative and in the mood for some serious coding, or if they just want to hide from their better halves… 🙂
Nonetheless, everyone is welcomed to work from any other location, as we have people living all around the world and being fully remote members of our team. Sounds unrealistic?

Well, we can assure you it is not. Of course, transitioning into remote work isn’t all cupcakes and butterflies, but in this post and ones to come, we will try to give you a clue in on the pros, cons, personal stories, everyday hacks, and bits of advice. But let’s start with some basics.

Remote work is an amazing perk. And not just that, it is a lifestyle and like any other lifestyle change, it has its pros and cons. It is not for everyone, but we have to admit it, at Sintezis, we love it.

There are two very common and extreme myths about remote working that need to be debunked from the very start. So, just because we work from home, does not mean we are sitting in front of the TV and watching Netflix in our pajamas (the part about pajamas might be true). On the contrary, it also does not mean we work 24/7. We have our schedules and we work similar hours as everyone else.

So there, we are not idlers, nor workaholics. We are just a bunch of creative, passionate and geeky go-getters. We have a hacker mindset, we work hard, we solve hard problems, communicate a lot (yes, that is true) and at each moment we know what is expected from us. We trust one another, we know we are accountable and responsible for our own work and as long as the high-quality deliverables are there on time, we don’t care about that Netflix or any other way one chooses to design the day. 

There is this huge annual survey about remote work published in the State of Remote Work report and there’s one statistic that remains unequivocal each year: remote workers almost unanimously want to continue to work remotely for the rest of their careers. So that sums it all – once you have tasted it, you don’t want to go back and here are the top 4 reasons why:

1. No more googling “How to find the time for…”

More time for hobbies, exercise, friends

Sleeping a bit longer, walking the dogs, or that mid-morning gym season instead of long commuting? Heck yeah. Breaks that you would usually spend surfing Facebook you can now use to take a power nap, play a few tunes on your guitar, enjoy a long unplanned lunch or do some yoga. In a nutshell, there is simply more control over how you decide to organize your time, day and work setting. And yes, less stress and more of “me time”. Result – increased satisfaction and happiness. Simple as that.

2. Find a connection

Home, island beach, Instagramic French countryside.

There is probably no need for an answer. So, this is a short one. Your office becomes a mobile workspace and you can work anywhere on Earth with an internet connection. Period.

3. “Hey, do you have a minute?”

No. I. Don’t.

How many times have you been interrupted at your desk for just one minute and a quick question that would turn into long conversations? Or caught yourself in some office gossip, drama or irrelevant conversations, especially if you work in an open office? Too often. Humans are notoriously bad at multitasking, and small distractions can cause us to lose concentration and focus for at least 20 minutes. There are of course different types of distractions when you work remotely, but the trick is YOU are the one who controls it. The study from Connect Solutions reported that among those who worked remotely, both part-time and full-time, 77% stated they were more productive when working remotely; and 30% stated that they accomplished more in less time than when they worked in-house.

So, want to get more done and ditch the interruptions? You know what to do.

4. Saving money

And saving the earth.

Pricey lunches, snacks, commuting expenses, new clothes, car, fuel, Uber, even child care…Yes, those are all the things you can save your money on when working from home and from our personal experience, you’ll see an immediate difference in your bank account. Also, no more stress about what to wear each morning. Hurray!

If the reasons above don’t seem like enough, then consider this: by working remotely you are directly benefiting the environment and a more sustainable future. By eliminating long commutes, you contribute to lower emissions and the amount of traffic in a particular place, which means improved air quality and eased congestion. One study showed that remote work decreases greenhouse emissions by 54 million tons annually! Also, if we consider the amount of electricity needed for the smooth functioning of an office space, remote work directly contributes to energy efficiency.

To wrap up, whoever you are and whoever we all are, one thing needs to be clear: remote work is not for everyone. Every individual has their own way of working, doing business, or staying productive. However, if it seems to be something that would be right for you, we urge you to try it, because the truth is, it rocks. It allows you to design a life that works best for you and ones that are close to you. 

In essence, remote work does work. At Sintezis, we have managed to work hard — not hardly — remotely very successful for a year and we will continue to do so.

Interested in working with us? Check the current positions we have available on our career site. Also, ask us more about our team, projects, cooperation or anything else you’re curious about at info@sintezis.co.