How Blueground Is Embracing the New Way to Live & Work
Parks. Coffee shops. Scenic Greek beaches. Apartments halfway around the world.
It’s possible to work from almost anywhere now. That also means it’s possible to live almost anywhere now — near or far.
Without a doubt, the digital nomad community is flourishing.
In this article, we’re digging into why this is happening and how Blueground and the digital nomad lifestyle fit perfectly together.
Why has the digital nomad lifestyle surged in popularity?
Clearly, the pandemic changed how we live, work, and travel. People in many different sectors now have the ability to combine work with leisure travel — sometimes even referred to as a “workcation.”
There are numerous benefits offered by this unique fusion of employment and exploration.
According to this BBC article, a survey of 1,000 people who took a “workcation” found that “more than four-fifths of them felt the trip had boosted their productivity and creativity, and helped them cope with work-related stress.”
Due to the pandemic, we’ve also seen a rise in remote workers and an increase in employees’ desire to work from anywhere.
In a recent Blueground survey, we found that 33% of Blueground for Business guests, not their employers, initiated a move to their new homes.
“This percentage reveals the intention of employees to travel more and their need for flexibility,” said Dimitris Psaltoulis, Blueground’s SVP of People.
In response, companies have begun introducing initiatives that offer more flexibility to their teams.
Psaltoulis explained that “Because of Blueground’s model, which allows guests to explore new cities with more flexibility and without binding contracts, we’re seeing the highest demand we’ve ever had.”
What’s important to digital nomads?
Two elements are essential for those working from anywhere: high-speed Wi-Fi and a dedicated workspace.
With a fully furnished Blueground apartment, workers are sure to enjoy both of these key items.
“Having an office in the apartment is the first thing they look for,” Dimitris Psaltoulis revealed about digital nomads considering Blueground.
Better still, if a Blueground guest has slightly different requirements, Psaltoulis said, “We can change the setup by adding and removing furniture, appliances, etc.”
So it’s not a cookie-cutter experience, but more personalized to each individual.
What is Blueground Nomads?
With the value Blueground places on transparency, flexibility, and respect for personal time, establishing a “work-from-anywhere policy” for our employees made perfect sense.
So, we created the Blueground Nomads program.
“We wanted to offer the same flexibility to our team members,” said Psaltoulis, “so they can choose where they live and work.
“In fact, in a survey we carried out,” continued Psaltoulis, “we saw that 71% of our team have already worked or intend to work from somewhere other than their office or home.”
The Blueground Nomads program provides flexibility for all, allowing BeeGees to choose the work setup that best suits them, whether they want to live and work abroad, telecommute from home, or be in the office full time.
In the last year alone, BeeGees visited a total of 54 cities worldwide! Here’s a snapshot of where our teams decided to live and work from:
Read more about the Blueground Nomads program here.
What do BeeGees like about the program?
Psaltoulis shared a couple of top reasons why BeeGees appreciate flexibility. “The feedback we get most about the program is that it allows them to visit their family more often and spend time with their friends.”
He also stated that those who move abroad enjoy the opportunity to practice their foreign language skills and experience new cultures.
These are a few of our favorite BeeGee remote work setups around the world:
Yorgos Kleivokiotis, Blueground’s CMO, explained, “For younger team members, it’s certainly mind-opening to live in a new city, especially in a new country.”
Kleivokiotis is a digital nomad, spending 40% of his time in Athens, 40% in Dubai, and the rest in New York City.
He shared that living this way has an added benefit. “Blueground Nomads helps us understand our guests and their experience better.”
The overall effects of this work-from-anywhere program?
- Higher engagement and commitment to Blueground
- Increased morale and productivity
- International professional experience
- Cross-cultural awareness
- More comfortable with managing change
- New, fun experiences
Do you want to channel your inner explorer and work from anywhere? Check out Blueground’s open positions.
