Out of office:
working your way around the world
See the world while you work
Employers today need to flex for success when it comes to attracting and hiring the best staff. The real movers and shakers in the work marketplace right now are the digital nomads; those who pitch up and put in the hours wherever they can hook onto a Wi-Fi signal. But where do they go? Which industries flex better than others? And which are the remote roles that pay the best?
Join us as we explore the phenomenon of working from anywhere – and uncover just how feasible the life of a digital nomad really is.
What is a digital nomad?
The term ‘digital nomad’ has been around for a while. It describes those who travel to work – but not in the sense of catching the bus every morning to beat a rainy schlep to the office. Nope. A digital nomad travels freely with their laptop and mobile, hopping from spot to spot to work wherever there’s a Wi-Fi signal. And while some have one or two cafes or libraries that they frequent locally, many digital nomads embrace the freedom to venture out and travel and work around the country – and beyond.
Let’s talk about flex
Working from home has become more prevalent in recent years, and many people have since decided they’d like to wave goodbye to the office for good. Right now, many workers would rather work to a hybrid lifestyle - a combination of office time and working remotely from elsewhere, while for some of us it’s possible to work remotely 100% of the time.
That flexibility to work from wherever really is a key driver for UK workers. 49% of those asked in our latest study confessed that their desire for a flexible role has increased since the pandemic. This was a big sentiment among the 25-34 age group, 72% of which said that this was the case for them.
The desire to work flexibly in a hybrid or fully remote role is visibly shaping the working culture across the country. Many of those we spoke to now count flexibility as a deciding factor when it comes to taking the next step on their career path. When asked, 43% of Brits said they would NOT apply for an advertised job if the description didn’t explicitly state that it was flexible.
And this is where the idea of working from anywhere really gathers momentum. 37% of Brits asked said they would like a hybrid role to flex so that they could work while they travel for a portion of the year. For so long this has been the dream of many: the idea of trawling spreadsheets from a poolside office or a giving an online presentation while enjoying a sunny sea view.
Now technology and cheaper travel has made the idea of working from anywhere into an exciting and tangible reality. So much so that even those who were already working remotely can now entertain the option of swapping the home box-room office for the beach.
Where on Earth were you?
However, it’s not all cocktails and screen breaks spent swimming in the sea when it comes to how hybrid roles are perceived. In fact, there is a feeling among many that hybrid roles could be holding careers back. A sizeable 36% of Brits confided that they felt hybrid roles have a negative impact on career progression due to lack of presence – as in actually showing up and being face-to-face in the office.
Indeed, for every flexible fun factor, there’s definitely other aspects to working on the move that may put people off. If you’re intending on hitting the road to mix work and travel under your own steam, it's worth thinking things through before you take the plunge.
The pros and cons offlexible working
Although heading out into the great beyond to work is filled with endless possibilities and adventure (not to mention beaches and cocktails too if that’s your thing), it takes effort to combine travel and work. You’ll have to spend time adjusting to new places, finding where to get your groceries, understanding local systems and amenities, and getting to grips with what your responsibilities are from a legal perspective locally.
Plus, you need to try to get work done, which is always tricky when sights, socialising and exciting experiences are calling. You’re also tied to staying in places with good quality, stable Wi-Fi. No Wi-Fi doesn’t only mean no contact with friends and family, it can also mean no work, which is kind of important for a digital nomad.
It's Flexi Time: The Best Professions For
Flexible Working
So, if you’ve decided that the flexible life is for you, what are the best UK professions to help you make it happen? As part of our investigation into flexible working, we examined which industries in our country currently offer the most opportunities for remote working, along with those which afford the best salaries. Roles in IT lead the way for both factors, with 29% of jobs in the industry listed as remote, and an average annual salary of £60,148. Probably time to start brushing up on those IT skills, then.
Where to go: the best UK locations for
flexible workers
Have skillset, will travel. It’s clear that not every profession is suited to flexible working, but if you’re ticking the boxes for IT, financial services, sales, or any of the other industries listed above, you’re off to a great start.
So now it’s time to pull out the map and see where to head to make the most of your flexible working opportunities. We’ll start with a detailed look at the UK – and from the outset it’s clear that if you want the best remote salaries, you need to head south. Of the top 20 counties and regions across the nation, 14 are south of the Watford Gap – and all are in England.
Hampshire comes top by quite some margin, with an average working from home salary of £80,750 – a good £7,136 higher than the average salary in second-placed East Sussex. Merseyside is the highest placed county in the north, just missing out on the top 10 in 11th place. Of the top 30, Glasgow is the only non-English entry (and therefore the furthest north) in 22nd place with an average annual salary of £44,514.
But perhaps you have your sights set further afield and want to explore the possibilities abroad. After all, with Wi-Fi and portable technology, the world is your oyster. There are plenty of things to consider before you head to the airport however, including average rent prices, broadband quality, the cost of utilities, public safety, and visa requirements. Sounds like a lot to consider, doesn’t it? Well don’t worry – we’ve done the hard work for you.
The ultimate workcation destinations
When it comes to the best cities for a workcation it seems gothic haven Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia takes the top spot. The biggest benefit of Georgia is that with a digital nomad visa, British nationals can spend up to a year in the city working remotely, and there are no taxes for six months. For the first 183 days, you do not pay any taxes, but after that period you become a tax resident and pay 20% of taxes. Aside from the legalities, it is also a reasonably priced place to live and safe too, meaning it is even an option for solo travellers looking for a change of work scenery. Tbilisi offers a picturesque Old Town, eclectic architecture and superb eating and drinking opportunities, giving it the reputation of South Caucasus' most cosmopolitan city, scoring 37.68 out of 50.
Chiang Mai in Thailand is a close second place. Known as Thailand’s “second city” this vibrant destination combines both the contemporary culture of the modern world with the ancient tradition and architecture of the country. Visitors are met with a wonderful metropolis full of exceptional food, hip live music venues and a deeply Buddhist population. The city scored high for reasonable living costs, with rent coming in at £179.84 on average for a one bed outside the city centre and average utilities around £44.31 per month. Not only that but the broadband is fast, and it scores high in the safety department too, earning a score of 37.45 out of 50.
Most flexible working cities in the world, by country
Get the best tech for
flexible working
Knowing what to do and where to go are two key factors for successfully working from anywhere – but having the right tech to do the job is paramount. At Currys, we’ve got everything you need to work flexibly across the UK and around the world. First of all, you’ll want to keep your tech in tip-top condition no matter where you are. A sturdy but stylish laptop bag has to go top of your list of essentials, whilst a reliable PC cleaning kit will ensure your laptop stays free from sand and dust.
Then you need to consider how you’re going to go face-to-face with clients (not to mention family and loved ones) when you’re on the road. A high-quality wireless webcam is a must for staying professional wherever you are, along with decent PC microphones to ensure you’re heard loud and clear. And if the weather suddenly takes a turn for the worse and you find yourself stuck indoors on your days off, be sure to have one of our great range of mechanical keyboards handy for a gaming break.
The survey data came from 1,000 UK desk workers and was conducted by Censuswide for Currys.
The index was put together using multiple data sources to get the statistics needed for each factor.
- Average rent prices, cost of utilities and safety index were taken from Numbeo
- Broadband quality was taken from Ookla.
- Visa requirements were taken from Wikipedia and individual research to confirm.
Each factor was scored out of 10 and the final figure is out of 50, with those closest to 50 being the best location for remote workers to “Work from Anywhere”.
To get the stats for the remote jobs, Reed’s remote working roles were scraped and analysed. Only those advertised as a UK company were included in the study.
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