Creative Editor Samantha Zarzosa talks about agile working:

‘Several of my friends have recently asked me for advice on how they can find clients that work remotely. I was particularly surprised by one of them, as she normally loves working in an office environment, but she’s been reflecting on her daily life; her normal routine being leaving home at 8am and not getting back until 7pm, giving her very little time for her personal life. My daily routine is completely different. I do not have to commute every morning, I have time to do personal tasks before I get ready to start my work at 9-9.30 in the morning. By 6pm I have finished for the day and can get on with my daily life or socialise if I wish to. Times are changing, people appreciate working in their own space, not having to commute everyday (for many it’s normally two hours) and realising that working remotely would bring them a better work/life balance.

As an editor and a creative person you’re normally either working in an enclosed room or in a busy office environment. I find those working conditions often difficult when trying to find thinking space, inspiration and creativity.  I have convinced several of my clients that I would produce better work when I produce it remotely, where I’m not constricted or distracted.

The technology is available to do this and it continuously keeps improving. Recently we’ve worked Slack, a team messaging application where you upload your video and the client can give you feedback and communicate through the same system simultaneously. The workflow was absolutely seamless and efficient. It’s exciting technology that allows freedom and focus for both parties involved. Both myself and the client can fully focus on the project with direct communication.

Other professions that have engaged with this work model include computing, medical and health, writers, software developers and the education sector. A survey of business owners by Virgin Media Business recently predicted that 60% of office-based employees will regularly work from home by 2022. A separate survey by Office Angels found a third of employees think commuting will be unheard of by 2036.

Among the questions that some employers would have is whether remote working means lounging at home or cracking on with the work. Data shows that remote workers are actually saving companies billions. A study found that remote work options showed higher levels of employee engagement than without remote work options. Remote workers could be based in any location, allowing companies to have a wider choice of people that they would like to engage.

In my case, I often work from my house in France, thanks to the technology available, I am no longer restricted to remaining in the same location. I find the most important factor in gaining trust from my clients is to maintain constant communication, being readily available when they get in touch, replying to emails promptly and most importantly deliver the work on time and sticking to a schedule. Data plays an important part in gaining a client’s trust, many worrying whether the material is safe once it leaves their building. The reality of this is that data does leave their office everyday and can even be leaked within the building via the internet, but there’s no reason why any professional would willingly jeopardise their career or be faced with a lawsuit. Being incredibly careful to secure the data provided for my work has always been of utmost importance.

I feel very lucky to have several clients that work with me remotely and that I’ve managed to convince other clients the benefits of working like this. Although I am aware that we’re still living in a culture where more than a quarter believe their performance is primarily measured by the time they spend in the office rather than what they deliver.’

Samantha Zarzosa is a Creative and Editor for Thieves Kitchen.