Miscommunication around remote work terminology is creating confusion between companies and global talent.
Many job listings mislabel positions as remote, neglecting the subtle differences between remote, WFH (Work From Home), WFA (Work From Anywhere), and distributed-first models. This lack of clarity often results in mismatched expectations and missed opportunities for both sides.
To help bridge this communication divide, we’ve developed a comprehensive overview for companies, offering clear and concise explanations of key remote work terminology.
This resource aims to ensure a mutual understanding, enabling companies to better articulate their job offerings and attract the right talent.
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Remote Work
Working remotely nowadays often refers to working from a different country or continent, and notably not confined to a home office within the same city or country as the company’s main office.
Hybrid Work
A model that combines, allowing employees to split their time between working from home and working from the office.
WFH (Work From Home)
An acronym indicating that an employee is working from their home.
Work From Anywhere (WFA)
A flexible work arrangement that allows employees to work from any location, providing they can fulfill their job responsibilities.
Flexible Work
Work arrangements that allow for variations in hours, location, or other conditions.
Distributed Work/First/Teams
Work is organized in a way that team members are geographically dispersed, collaborating remotely.
Future of Work
Refers to the ongoing evolution of work practices, often involving remote or flexible arrangements.
Asynchronous Communication
Communication that doesn’t happen in real-time, allows participants to respond at their convenience (ie work in their time zone)
Synchronous communication
Real-time communication where participants engage simultaneously often implies core working hours.
Hot Desking
A flexible office seating arrangement where employees don’t have assigned desks and can choose where to work each day.
Digital Nomad
A person who works remotely from different countries. Can be self-employed or employed remotely.
Workation
A new hot trend among those workers who are not fully remote and defined as a period during which individuals combine (extend) work and vacation activities.
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
A secure network connection that allows remote users to access a private network over the internet.
Remote Tracking/Monitoring
Coworking
A workspace shared by individuals from different companies/freelancers, promoting a collaborative and flexible work environment.
Coliving
A shared housing arrangement where individuals or residents live together, often with shared resources and a sense of community.
