Lezlie Garr | Portfolio | GoodMaker Designs

Part 3: Why Working RVers are the Best Hire for Remote Jobs – Thought Diversity & Location Diversity

by Lezlie Garr | Feb 1, 2024 | Uncategorised

Diversity has recently taken a front seat as a business consideration across numerous industries worldwide.

It’s no secret that diversity breeds innovation.

Turns out, it also breeds profitability.

According to Inc.com, “A 2020 McKinsey study tracked six years of data and found that more ethnically and culturally diverse businesses are as much as 36% more profitable than the least diverse companies.”

The same Inc.com article quotes Miriam Lewis, chief inclusion officer for Principal as saying,

“Diverse companies with inclusive cultures outperform more homogenous companies. Revenue, market share, smarter teams, retention–there’s just no lack of evidence.

“While it’s always the right thing to do to have equity in our organizations, it’s also the profitable thing to do.”

Which makes sense, because innovative solutions become unique differentiators that can help elevate a business from its competitors.

The common types of diversity include:

Ability diversity
Age diversity
Cultural diversity
Linguistic diversity
Racial diversity
Sex / Gender diversity
Sexual orientation diversity

But like many social concepts, the idea of diversity is always growing and expanding.

Nomadic workers are the next step in expanding diversity

People who travel often are shown to offer more varying perspectives than people who don’t.

The term digital nomad was popularized in 1997 by Tsugio Makimoto and David Manners in their book, The Digital Nomad.

This fairly new concept stands to be the latest expansion of diversity.

Nomadic workers, digital nomads, and working RVers are able to bring a diversity of experience and a diversity of thought that is virtually unmatched by any other segment of the population.

If a major benefit of diversification is bringing in widely varying perspectives and experiences, that’s exactly what nomadic workers, digital nomads, and working RVers offer.

This geographically dispersed and constantly moving population better understands various local regions, people, cultures, and markets.

What’s transportation like in Chicago vs. Kansas?
What’s the grid like in Texas vs. Washington?
What’s the music scene like in Austin vs. Seattle?

Anyone who’s spent time traveling away from home can tell you that people, cultures, and societal norms differ across different parts of the country.

Which makes sense, because the environment around us is part of what makes up our background and contributes to who we are. And that environment changes drastically in different parts of the country.

Environmental factors include societal views, types of jobs in that area, typical classroom makeup in local schools, whether it’s city, suburb, or rural – and all of these things contribute to who we are and the knowledge base we bring into our work.

Working RVers, digital nomads, and other nomadic workers bring a LOT of value to companies through their widely varying perspectives and experiences from traveling across the country.

*Written with contributions from Xscapers member Jason Boone.

Part 3: Why Working RVers are the Best Hire for Remote Jobs – Diversity was originally published on the RVer Job Exchange, authored by Lezlie Garr.

Part 2: Why Working RVers are the Best Hire for Remote Jobs – Adaptability & Resourcefulness

by Lezlie Garr | Jan 15, 2024 | Uncategorised

It’s undeniable that adaptability and resourcefulness have long been important skills for the workplace. And that’s even more true for remote work, where autonomy is the name of the game.

So how do companies target candidates with those qualities?

One way is to hire RVers.

Being an RVer – especially a full-time, working RVer – adds more complexity to everyday life than what a typical in-office or even work-from-home employee has to deal with from work.

Which means RVers have had to become more adaptable and resourceful to handle and overcome those obstacles.

Some examples of this include:
Using numerous apps to plan travels (and work)
Always being prepared to change locations
Carrying multiple redundancies for power and internet
Dealing with continuous unexpected RV maintenance issues

Let’s break down each of these to see how they relate to success in the workplace.

Using numerous apps to plan travels (and work)

As working RVers, there are a lot of considerations to make for every new location we visit.

Cell and Internet service availability
Power (often solar) availability
Good weather (enough sunshine for solar without extreme temps)
Researching parks, campgrounds, and off-grid spots that accommodate all of the above
Researching fuel and food stops that accommodate larger vehicles

All these things (and more!) are considerations RVers make to live and work nomadically. Fortunately, there are plenty of apps to help us find the information we need.

How it translates to value in the workplace:

First, it shows tremendous resourcefulness.

It’s a lot of work having to look at 10+ different apps for every trip you take, especially when you’re moving every couple of weeks.

But because work is a top priority for working RVers, we make sure to get it done.

Another high-value transferable skill this brings to the workplace is the ability to aggregate data from a variety of sources and use it to make important decisions – which can provide value across a number of roles at any company.

We also consistently create backup plans for places to stay, because we have to be able to work and we want to be prepared in case Plan A (or B or C) doesn’t work out.

This is another strong transferable skill and mindset that working RVers bring into the workplace.

Always prepared to change locations

Speaking of creating backup plans…working RVers are always prepared to hitch up and hit the road if we need to. While this doesn’t happen often, we always know it’s a possibility.

Whether because of disruptive neighbors, the weather, internet signal going out, or some other unexpected issue, we may wind up having to move to a new location.

How it translates to value in the workplace:

This requires a huge level of adaptability and openness to change that we bring in our everyday lives – which are two more high-value transferable skills we can also bring into the workplace.

The strongest and smartest companies know you have to adapt to survive, and having adaptable employees is the best way to give yourself a competitive advantage.

And while it may be hard to pinpoint where adaptable candidates come from, one sure way to find them is to target working RVers.

Multiple redundancies for power and internet

Location flexibility isn’t the only way RVers show our adaptability and resourcefulness.

We also demonstrate it by carrying multiple redundancies for power and internet.

Since cell signal and internet are so important to us getting work done, working RVers often have hotspot devices from the top 2 (or even 3) service providers. That way if one provider isn’t strong in that area, we have other options.

Read more about internet and other redundancies working RVers use here: Why Working RVers are the Best Hire for Remote Jobs: Part 1

How it translates to value in the workplace:

Having this mindset of creating backups and redundancies carries into the workplace and helps us to be better prepared for unexpected situations that may arise.

This helps reduce potential delays and additional expenditures that occur when roadblocks come up, and overall keeps businesses running smoothly and moving forward.

Continuous problem solving

RVs break a lot.

Like, A LOT.

As working RVers, many of us have had to become “YouTube experts” in RV maintenance and repair to avoid the time, trouble, and expense of constantly going into a repair shop.

From repairing water heaters (in extremely tight, jigsaw puzzle-like spaces), to troubleshooting wiring issues, to replacing the kitchen sink and so much more – working RVers do what it takes to stay on the road.

How it translates to value in the workplace:

This takes a lot of resourcefulness, determination, strong work ethic, creative problem solving, and willingness to learn, which are all valuable transferable skills for any workplace.

Whatever issues may arise or challenges we may face, we’ll meet them head-on with curiosity and a problem-solving mindset.

It also shows we’re open to continuous learning and development to keep up with the work we do. In today’s rapidly evolving world, this skill shouldn’t be overlooked.

Part 2: Why Working RVers are the Best Hire for Remote Jobs – Adaptability & Resourcefulness was originally published on the RVer Job Exchange, authored by Lezlie Garr.

Part 1: Why Working RVers are the Best Hire for Remote Jobs – Redundancies

by Lezlie Garr | Jan 1, 2024 | Uncategorised

When the pandemic hit in 2020, our working world started to change.

A great many companies across most industries had to – almost instantaneously – learn to adapt their operations to become remote friendly.

Since then, the remote work trend has continued to accelerate, and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

According to Forbes:

Researchers from Ladders have been carefully tracking remote work availability from North America’s largest 50,000 employers since the pandemic began. Remote opportunities leapt from under 4% of all high paying jobs before the pandemic to about 9% at the end of 2020, and to more than 15% today.

The number of remote work roles is increasing.

At the same time, the number of full-time RVers is also increasing.

According to the Annual North American Camping Report by KOA (the world’s largest system of privately held campgrounds), the number of full-time RVers increased by 10% YOY.

But those new RVers certainly aren’t giving up on work.

CamperReport.com says, “Up from previous years, 40% of campers say that they sometimes or always work while camping.”

But, many companies are missing out on the awesome talent available from working RVers.

Many feel hesitant to hire a digital nomad or working RVer because they think someone who travels won’t be as reliable as someone who is always in a stationary location.

But the truth is, the remote workforce is way more prepared for work than a lot of people realize.

Heck – we’ve had to be.

For years, we never wanted our employers to know we weren’t working from a landline internet connection or a stationary “sticks and bricks” location – because we were afraid we’d get fired.

So, in order to hide the fact that we work nomadically, we’ve learned to be over-prepared for remote work.

How did we do that?

By creating redundancies

Backups. Contingency plans. Alternative options and strategies.

All created to make sure we could work from the road without interruption.

Turns out, many of us do it with even less interruption than working from a stationary home.

Having multiple redundancies for the most important aspects of our work – Internet, Power, and Environment – is a huge part of how the remote workforce brings even more value than stationary work-from-home employees.

Internet Redundancies

Multiple Service Providers

Internet connection is one of the most important components of being able to work from the road.

For RVers, the most common way to access the internet is through an internet hotspot, either from a standalone hotspot device or from their cell phone.

Since the hotpot is provided by a cellular service provider, the internet connection is dependent on cellular service in that area from that particular provider. In areas where a given service provider has a weak cell signal, the internet signal will be weak, as well.

To combat this, many RVers create a redundancy by having phones and/or hotspot devices provided through multiple carriers.

Of the top 3 carriers in the U.S. (commonly understood to be Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile), many RVers will choose to hold plans through at least 2 of them; some go even further and opt for all 3.

This means that if internet signal is weak through one carrier, they can just switch to using another.

Which gives them an advantage over most stationary work-from-home employees, who usually don’t have backup internet if their primary one goes out.

For RVers, having these backups is just a normal part of living and working on the road.

Signal Boosters

Beyond having backup carriers for cell and internet access, many RVers also use signal boosters to maximize usability from each carrier.

The 2 most common types of signal boosters for RVers are cell signal boosters and WiFi boosters.

Cell signal boosters amplify cellular reception, which allows for better cell phone calls and stronger internet signal from any hotspot devices.

This helps RVers take business calls, access the internet, and get work done from remote areas of the country.

WiFi signal boosters help lengthen the reach of a wireless internet signal, which helps RVers have stronger internet when staying at an RV park or campground.

So no matter if we’re camping off-grid or staying right in town, we have devices to make sure we have strong internet access.

Starlink

Starlink is a satellite internet network by SpaceX that uses advanced satellites in a low orbit to provide high speed, low latency internet that enables high data rate activities like video calls.

And through its new Portability feature, it’s making high-speed internet more accessible than ever for RVers. And since Starlink fills the gaps left by major carriers in more remote areas of the country, even the most adventurous RVers can get work done from wherever they go.

Power Redundancies

There are two main default ways an RV gets power: from being plugged in to an external power source or from onboard batteries.

External power sources often come from ‘shore power’, which is usually the electrical box at an RV park or campground, but can even be an electrical outlet in a home garage.

As for RV batteries, while many of the factory-installed ones are small and don’t provide much power, most full-time RVers level-up to lithium batteries, which provide exponentially more power.

Another common power source for RVers is a generator, which is another external power sources that provides power in much the same way ‘shore power’ sources do.

Finally, many full-time RVers opt to have solar power as an additional back-up (or even primary) option.

Most full-time RVers who work from the road choose to have all 4 options for power, so we’re almost never in a situation where we can’t power our devices and get work done.

Environment / Location Redundancies

Pre-Planning

Working RVers use a multitude of resources to research and choose our destinations.

There are apps, tools, and other online resources to plan travels based on weather, cellular coverage, WiFi signal, and so much more.

By using those tools to pre-plan our travels, and having back-up options just in case the first 1, 2, or 3 don’t work out, we’re able to make sure we land in a spot that lets us get work done.

Adaptability

Because we know we need to have back-up options, RVers are usually more adaptable to changing environments.

So, for instance, if the location we’re in has been good for a few days, but all of a sudden there’s construction or an influx of loud adventurists – we can hop in the truck and head to the nearest town to get work done in a coffee shop or restaurant for the day.

Many of us even do that research ahead of time, so we’re prepared to do that if we have to.

And we’re usually already equipped with remote work tools like a hotspot device, laptop, and earbuds, so it’s not much hassle for us to change locations on the fly.

That’s not always the case with stationary work-from-home employees.

Location Independence

Speaking of changing locations on the fly, the best part about living in an RV is that your home is on wheels, so you can always move it if you need to.

No matter how much pre-planning we do, there will always be things out of our control.

But for RVers, if plans A, B, and C don’t work out, and we wind up in a spot for a night with less-than-optimal working conditions, we’re always prepared to sleep on it, regroup the next day, make a new plan, and get to somewhere we can work from.

Stationary work-from-home employees don’t often have the option to go somewhere else if a 3-month construction project starts in their neighborhood.

That’s the beauty of being a digital nomad.

And hiring one.

Part 1: Why Working RVers are the Best Hire for Remote Jobs – Redundancies was originally published on the RVer Job Exchange, authored by Lezlie Garr.