Digital Nomad // The Extraordinary Rise

The Extraordinary Rise of the Digital Nomad

The Covid-19 pandemic has rewritten the rules governing work, with employees choosing to ditch the office permanently in favor of remote work. 

While many are leaving cities to settle in more affordable and spacious locations, a small but growing number are taking the opportunity to become ‘digital nomads, remote workers who travel the world. 

One study shows that in mid-2020, the digital-nomad population exploded 50% from 2019, up to 10.9 million from 7.3 million. 

And, as more workers turn nomadic, the lifestyle has mainstreamed: telling your family or company you want to move around while you work might have drawn skeptical looks in the past, but the idea doesn’t seem so far-fetched now especially as some companies are increasingly allowing their staff to work remotely indefinitely. 

The rise of the Hybrid Workstyle has also largely contributed to the increase in the number of digital nomads.

Surveys around the world have shown that most workers want to continue to work remotely in some way: at home, at a seaside cottage, at a ranch house in a far less pricy suburb than the city they were living in before in a different country altogether.

As previously perceived, digital nomads were stereotypical beach-dwelling backpackers with laptops, stringing together creative freelance gigs. However, the is slowly being redefined.

As interest in digital nomadism has spiked during the pandemic, the term is increasingly becoming more expansive – a sort of new, updated, modified digital nomad. These workers may feel far more familiar: people who work a standard, full-time 9-to-5 at a large corporation.

Throughout the pandemic, many ‘conventional’ workers have already begun to move towards digitally nomadic set-ups. 

While previously a lifestyle reserved only for freelancers and travel bloggers, a report by MBO Partners shows that the number of digital nomads in what are considered to be traditional, full-time roles has risen dramatically – from 3.2 million in 2019 to 6.3 million in 2020.

This has resulted in big-name companies such as Spotify, Twitter and Salesforce announcing that their employees are allowed to work remotely as a permanent option. Spotify’s Work From Anywhere model not only allows its employees to choose the country and city they work in, but will also provide coworking space membership for all of its workers.

Many factors contribute to independent workers’ ability to become digital nomads, including the rise in co-living and coworking spaces, the growth of online talent marketplaces, digital nomad tour services, and the rise of helpful online information sites aimed both at nomads and at travelers in general.

Workers have flocked to wi-fi-equipped cottages and cabins to work remotely. As more people adopt this phenomena.

What are the key factors to becoming a digital nomad? 

Before you jump into conclusions, being a digital nomad is not for everyone. There are some types of jobs that don’t allow for that at all. Some jobs need regular face to face interaction with clients. 

While it is true that many jobs are evolving to hybrid patterns, there is still a minimum in person service and physical location that may be needed to drive business. 

Also Read : Digital Nomads in Nairobi // Why Nairobi Garage is An Ideal Stop

If, on the other hand, you have realized you can do your work anywhere in the world, here are some ideas on how to become a digital nomad. 

Become a freelancer

We hear so many stories about people who can’t take their regular office jobs anymore, and they really need to break free. Freedom is the number one reason people go down the digital nomad path. But at some point you need to make a living and try to generate some nomad work.

You may have it really clear in your mind what your skill set is, but you need to get organized. The key here is to know what is required to work independently, prepare yourself, and work out all the legal local requirements where you are to set base. There are plenty of options to get it done.

Start your own business

This is step 2 of the previous point. Once you have passed the survival phase and have exponentially grown your business and client base, you might start thinking about setting up your own remote company, and even hire other digital nomads who will help you get further. 

Ensure connectivity and technology. 

While schedules are flexible, you still need to make yourself available. You might be able to manage your own time when working on a project, but other stakeholders might have different schedules from yours and might come up with questions that need quick answers. 

Make sure you have really good mobile data connectivity and roaming capabilities so that you don’t have to miss a beat while traveling. You can also find great local wifi spots where you can work.

Find communities around the world

While remote working can be isolating, a digital nomad’s working life doesn’t have to be. Socializing is really important and you have to find environments where you can meet people who share your mentality. It’s healthy and it makes work more fun.

Co-working spaces like Nairobi Garage have up to 4 locations across the city and they offer an excellent setting to work and exchange ideas with other people.

Nairobi Garage also offers suitable packages suite for digital nomads that come with an array of benefits including, flexibility to work from either of the company’s locations, bottomless tea and coffee, 24/7 space access, access to all the networking events and so much.

There are already quite a few online communities like thenomadist.com that offer very useful information and tips for traveling and working around the world. 

As an organization, it’s important that companies wishing to attract and retain digital nomad talent in the new world of work adapt their businesses to consider the digital nomad community. Here are a few tips on how to meet their needs.

Have work policies in place

Unlike employees who base themselves in and around one location, digital nomads travel around so it’s important to have suitable policies in place.

Companies must consider the regulatory and legal risks of having ‘location-independent’ employees who work while travelling through different countries. US law firm Littler has compiled a report that unpacks some of the legal issues surrounding employees who work as they travel.

Consider the different time zones

Working in similar time zones to head office will mean that remote ‘travelling’ teams are reachable within standard business hours.

For the sake of maintaining your productivity and open team communication, you need to set clear guidelines about availability.

Secure, and reliable internet

In some countries, internet connection is too weak and this will be an issue for the digital nomad community. Companies that can provide access to a professional coworking space will address the key issue of finding safe, secure, and reliable Wi-Fi to work from.

Coworking spaces like Nairobi Garage, are perfect for Digital Nomads as we ensure that digital nomads have everything they need to keep working on the road.

The rise of digital nomads reflects the broader worldwide shift towards hybrid working, with an increasing number of progressive companies taking the model a step further by allowing their employees to Work From Anywhere (WFA). 

And with 90% of digital nomads happier in their jobs, and another study showing they are 13% more productive than their office-based colleagues, companies are only set to benefit from the change.