Latest news with #RemoteWork
Forbes
6 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Digital Nomads Expose Housing Gaps. PropTech Could Help Fill Them.
Digital Nomads Over the last five years, housing markets have been shaped not only by familiar pressures such as economic volatility and supply chain disruptions, but also by profound shifts in how and where people work. Today, more than 40 million people identify as digital nomads globally, a figure that has more than tripled since 2019, driven by the pandemic and a broader decoupling of employment from place. Recent research estimates that 165,000 British citizens alone live and work abroad this way, spending an average of seven months overseas each year. With 67 countries now offering dedicated digital nomad visas and many firms continuing to formalise remote policies, global mobility is no longer a rare perk or pandemic experiment. It has become a structural feature of the modern workforce. At the same time, PropTech has continued to develop and impact how homes are marketed, leased, and managed. Together, borderless living and real estate digitalisation are exposing the limitations of legacy housing systems, particularly in accommodating mid-term stays (rentals lasting one to twelve months that fall between regulated leases and short-stay tourism). A New Class of Housing Demand By Digital Nomads Digital nomads are not tourists, nor are they permanent migrants. Research shows that 80% of digital nomads prefer to stay in one location for three to nine months, driven by visa conditions and cost considerations. This shift reflects more than just tech workers with laptops. Increasingly, digital nomads include professionals from fields like law, consulting, design, and marketing. The result is a growing population whose needs and behaviours don't align with either short-stay tourism or conventional rental models. In hubs such as Lisbon, Cape Town, Bali, and Mexico City, this has produced a growing class of residents who live locally, spend actively, but remain largely detached from the traditional housing supply. The benefits are tangible. In Cape Town, digital nomads have been linked to tourism recovery and infrastructure investment, as policymakers integrated remote work incentives into broader economic strategies. In some locations, co-living operators have begun facilitating skills exchange programmes, connecting mobile professionals with local entrepreneurs to support inclusive innovation. Elsewhere, their spending supports cafés, coworking hubs, and service sectors that benefit from longer stays. But these benefits coexist with mounting strain. Lisbon's central rents have surged, and the Balearic Islands saw an 18% jump in one year, fuelled by workers earning in strong currencies spending in weaker ones. The issue is less about whether nomads should be present in cities, and more about how housing systems can evolve to recognise mid-term demand as a distinct and manageable category. Where PropTech Fits In For Digital Nomads If digital nomadism represents a new class of housing demand, PropTech provides the infrastructure to manage it more intelligently. Its role goes beyond convenience. It reduces friction in housing access, allows for more efficient use of existing stock, and generates data that can inform planning decisions in real time. Much of this is already underway. Platforms for flexible leasing now offer digital tenant screening, dynamic rent pricing, and remote contract execution, shrinking leasing cycles from weeks to days. Meanwhile, AI-driven valuation tools and big data platforms are enabling landlords to track occupancy patterns and adjust pricing or amenities dynamically. As these tools become more embedded, their potential to bridge private-sector activity with public oversight is becoming clearer. The EU's recently passed 'Airbnb Law' provides one example. Short-term rental platforms are now required to share host identity, property location, and occupancy data with local authorities to improve transparency and tackle housing pressures in tourism-heavy cities. Applying similar mechanisms to mid-term rentals and co-living schemes would not be a stretch. Many of these platforms already manage identity verification, digital leases, and occupancy logs. With the right privacy standards, this kind of data could help cities anticipate seasonal inflows, calibrate zoning or permitting thresholds, and avoid the unintended consequences of unmanaged mobility. Conclusion Remote work and global mobility have pushed housing into unfamiliar territory, where residents are neither short-term tourists nor long-term tenants. The strain is real, but so is the opportunity. PropTech's tools, however, can make mid-term demand more visible and easier to manage. When linked with planning frameworks, they offer a path toward housing systems that are more responsive and less reactive. Digital nomads look to be here to stay. As mid-term sojourns become more common, adapting housing is less about accommodating a trend and more about modernising systems to match how people now live and work.
Geeky Gadgets
2 days ago
- Business
- Geeky Gadgets
8 New Microsoft Teams Features Arrive in Latest Summer 2025 Updates
What if your team could accomplish more in less time, with fewer distractions and smarter tools at your fingertips? Microsoft Teams is raising the bar yet again with its Summer 2025 updates, introducing eight new features designed to transform how we collaborate and communicate. From AI-powered Copilot Chat that drafts messages for you to voice isolation technology that eliminates background noise, these updates promise to redefine productivity in the workplace. Whether you're a remote worker navigating noisy environments or a project manager juggling multiple tasks, these enhancements aim to make your workday smoother, faster, and more intuitive. In this deep dive, Mike Tholfsen explores how these features—like customizable keyboard shortcuts, a unified chat and channels view, and interactive Loop components—can elevate your workflow. You'll discover tools that not only save time but also adapt to your unique needs, making Microsoft Teams feel more personal than ever. Curious about how AI is reshaping virtual collaboration or how a simple emoji search can boost team morale? These updates are more than just incremental improvements; they're a glimpse into the future of teamwork. Let's unpack the innovations shaping the way we work, one feature at a time. Microsoft Teams Summer 2025 Updates Integrated Copilot Chat: AI at Your Service The Integrated Copilot Chat is a standout addition, using AI-powered assistance to help you complete tasks more efficiently. This feature can draft messages, summarize conversations, and even automate workflows—all seamlessly integrated within Teams. With enterprise-grade data protection, your sensitive information remains secure, making sure compliance with organizational standards. Additionally, Copilot Chat offers customization options, allowing you to tailor its responses to suit your specific needs. Whether you're managing a project or responding to team inquiries, this tool simplifies complex tasks and enhances productivity. Unified Chat and Channels View: Simplified Navigation Navigating Teams has become more intuitive with the unified chat and channels view, which merges conversations and channels into a single, streamlined interface. This update allows you to sort and filter content, such as viewing only unread messages or creating custom sections for quick access to your most-used chats and channels. For users who prefer the traditional layout, the option to toggle back to the separate view remains available. This flexibility ensures that Teams adapts to your workflow, not the other way around. 8 New Microsoft Teams Features Watch this video on YouTube. Enhance your knowledge on Microsoft Teams by exploring a selection of articles and guides on the subject. Expandable Right-Hand Panel in Chat The expandable right-hand panel in chat is a fantastic option for multitasking. This feature allows you to access shared content, such as files, links, or meeting notes, without leaving the conversation. You can resize the panel to suit your needs, making sure that you stay engaged in discussions while referencing important materials. Quick-access shortcuts, like 'Alt + P', further enhance navigation, saving you valuable time during collaborative sessions. This update is particularly useful for teams working on complex projects that require frequent reference to shared resources. Emoji Search Functionality: Faster Personalization Adding a personal touch to your messages is now easier with the emoji search functionality. By simply typing the name of an emoji, you can locate and insert it instantly. This small but impactful update enhances communication by making your interactions more expressive and engaging. Whether you're celebrating a milestone or lightening the mood in a meeting, this feature ensures that your messages convey the right tone quickly and efficiently. Customizable Keyboard Shortcuts: Tailored Navigation Microsoft Teams now offers customizable keyboard shortcuts, giving you greater control over how you navigate the platform. You can modify existing shortcuts or create new ones to align with your workflow. If a conflict arises between shortcuts, the system provides an alert, making sure a smooth and conflict-free experience. This feature is particularly beneficial for power users who rely on efficiency and speed to manage their daily tasks. AI-Powered Voice Isolation: Crystal-Clear Meetings Background noise during meetings is no longer a concern, thanks to AI-powered voice isolation. This feature focuses exclusively on the speaker's voice, suppressing distractions such as typing, ambient sounds, or background chatter. By creating a personalized voice profile, you can ensure that your voice is prioritized, resulting in clearer communication. This update is especially valuable for remote workers or those in noisy environments, as it enhances the overall quality of virtual meetings. Message Forwarding in Channels: Simplified Information Sharing Sharing information across Teams has been streamlined with the ability to forward messages from channels to other chats or channels. This eliminates the need for manual copying and pasting, allowing you to quickly redirect important updates or discussions to the appropriate audience. Whether you're sharing project updates or redirecting queries, this feature ensures that information flows efficiently across your team. Collaborative Loop Components in Messages Microsoft Teams now supports forwarding messages containing Loop components, such as task lists, tables, or checklists. These components remain interactive and editable even after being forwarded, allowing seamless collaboration. Team members can continue working on shared content without interruptions, making this feature ideal for dynamic projects that require real-time updates. By integrating Loop components into your workflow, you can ensure that everyone stays aligned and productive. Maximizing the Benefits of Microsoft Teams The eight new features in Microsoft Teams for Summer 2025 reflect a commitment to improving productivity and collaboration for modern teams. From AI-driven tools like Copilot Chat and voice isolation to customizable interfaces and enhanced message-sharing capabilities, these updates address the diverse needs of users across industries. By incorporating these features into your daily workflow, you can streamline communication, reduce distractions, and focus on achieving your goals more effectively. These enhancements ensure that Microsoft Teams remains a powerful tool for fostering teamwork and driving success in today's fast-paced work environments. Media Credit: Mike Tholfsen Filed Under: AI, Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Top Remote Roles Companies Are Hiring For Now—and Where To Recruit Them
Remote work has made it possible for companies to hire top talent regardless of location. According to the World Economic Forum, there will be 92 million global remote roles by 2030. The tech sector, where talent shortages are especially acute, has benefited from hiring internationally, with Gartner reporting that 58% of organizations employ tech talent working remotely from other countries. Beyond overcoming talent shortages, hiring globally allows companies to build diverse teams, optimize labor costs, and gain insight into local markets. But when the talent pool is as wide as the world, how do you decide where to focus your global talent strategy? As remote hiring has ramped up, certain countries and regions have emerged as talent hot spots for specific roles. So, if you're a People leader or C-suite executive wondering where to hire key team members to power your next phase of growth, below are the most popular countries for sourcing the most frequently hired remote roles. Software engineering: North America, India, and Brazil In the recent Global Hiring Trends and Impact Report, Oyster analyzed its internal platform data and found that Software Engineer was the most frequently hired role, representing 18% of new hires in 2024. Software engineers are in high demand around the world since they're the ones who build the digital products and infrastructure that underpin the modern economy. If you're looking for engineers, developers, QA testers, DevOps, or anything in between, below are the top locations for hiring software talent: North America: Home to Silicon Valley and the world's leading software companies, the United States boasts 4.4 million software developers, making it a prime destination for hiring highly skilled tech professionals. But high demand has also driven up salaries, so Canada offers an attractive alternative with a thriving tech ecosystem with hubs in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, as well as welcoming immigration policies, competitive exchange rates, and U.S.-aligned time zones. India: With its emphasis on technical education, India has established itself as a global hotspot for tech talent and is home to 5.2 million software engineers. The Indian tech sector is gearing up for significant growth in emerging technologies like AI, quantum computing, and robotics. Brazil: Producing more software engineers annually than the U.S., Brazil has a booming startup scene bolstered by strong government support as well as over $2 billion in venture capital funding in 2024. Its time zone proximity and cultural alignment with the U.S. make it a top hiring destination for developer talent. Marketing and sales: U.S., U.K., and the Philippines Global talent is a strategic choice for marketing and sales roles since these team members help you gain valuable insights into local markets, cultural norms, and consumer behavior. If you're expanding into new markets or serve clients around the world, having employees based in those regions will ensure that your campaigns and messaging resonate with your intended audience. Looking for a marketing coordinator, brand manager, sales rep, or BDR? Below are some of the leading talent markets for hiring marketing and sales roles: United States: The U.S. is the epicenter of global marketing and sales innovation, with a vast and diverse talent pool across all marketing disciplines and sales methodologies. U.S. professionals have strong communication skills, experience in highly competitive and mature markets, and deep insight into Western business practices and consumer behavior. United Kingdom: The U.K. is known for creativity and innovation and is particularly strong in digital marketing, advertising, and branding. London is a global hub of creative agencies and multinational corporations, leading to a rich talent pool, while the U.K.'s geographical position makes it a good base for exploring European markets. The Philippines: With an outsourcing sector worth $38.7 billion, the Philippines offers a large pool of experienced candidates in telemarketing, B2B sales, and digital marketing. Filipino professionals have excellent English skills, a deep understanding of both Western and Asian cultures, and a strong grasp of U.S. business practices. Data analytics: India, U.S., and Eastern Europe Businesses depend on data and insights to make informed decisions and gain a competitive edge, so data analyst, data scientist, and data engineer roles are in high demand. Requiring strong technical skills, job openings for these roles are projected to grow 36% from 2023 to 2033. For companies recruiting globally, here are the top regions to consider when hiring data professionals. India: Known for its emphasis on technical education, India offers a rapidly growing talent pool of data professionals proficient in tools like Python, BI, and SQL, as well as AI and machine learning. Data science is the fastest-growing field in India and is projected to be worth $3.38 billion by 2030. United States: The U.S. is the global leader in data science with market revenue projected to reach $43.5 billion by 2030. It has the largest and most mature market for data professionals, thanks to its high concentration of tech giants, startups, and research institutions pushing the boundaries of data-driven insights. Eastern Europe: With a rapidly maturing tech sector, Eastern Europe is an attractive talent market to hire data professionals. Countries like Poland and Romania, for instance, offer candidates with deep technical expertise and a strong mathematical and engineering backgrounds. Customer support: The Philippines, India, and Latin America People in customer service and support roles are frontline workers who respond to and resolve customer issues as soon as they arise. This crucial function helps you keep your customers satisfied and loyal to your company in the long term. Global companies frequently hire globally for customer support roles to ensure time zone coverage, service in multiple languages, and an understanding of regional and cultural nuances. If you're looking for customer service or support professionals, the following talent markets have emerged as frontrunners. The Philippines: Widely known as a customer service powerhouse for global clients, the Philippines offers a deep talent pool with strong English proficiency, strong familiarity with Western markets, and a natural inclination towards hospitality and service. It's a well-established hiring destination with excellent infrastructure and government support. India: Another leading destination for customer service, India offers a highly educated and tech-savvy talent pool that's well-suited to provide tech support for complex inquiries. For companies based in North America, India's time zone helps ensure round-the-clock coverage for their customer support needs. Latin America: Thanks to their time zone alignment and cultural affinity with the U.S., Latin American countries like Colombia and Argentina are gaining in popularity for customer service and support roles, especially for companies targeting the North American market. Their language skills in English and Spanish are a major advantage for companies serving diverse customers in the U.S. Additional considerations for choosing where to hire While this article focuses on the countries and regions that have become known as top talent markets for specific types of roles, hiring managers and talent acquisition teams should also consider the following when deciding where to source talent for open roles. Time zone overlap: Does the role require real-time collaboration, or can it be performed autonomously and asynchronously? Language proficiency: Does the role require strong communication skills in English and/or other languages? Labor costs: What's your budget for the role, and where can you hire based on your budget? Cultural fit: For roles that are client-facing or highly collaborative, what kind of cultural fit do you need to ensure success? Thinking through these questions will help you narrow down the best talent markets to source candidates for specific roles. This story was produced by Oyster and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Ninety laptops, millions of dollars: US woman jailed over North Korea remote-work scam
In March 2020, about the time the Covid pandemic started, Christina Chapman, a woman who lived in Arizona and Minnesota, received a message on LinkedIn asking her to 'be the US face' of a company and help overseas IT workers gain remote employment. As working from home became the norm for many people, Chapman was able to find jobs for the foreign workers at hundreds of US companies, including some in the Fortune 500, such as Nike; 'a premier Silicon Valley technology company'; and one of the 'most recognizable media and entertainment companies in the world'. The employers thought they were hiring US citizens. They were actually people in North Korea. Chapman was participating in the North Korean government's scheme to deploy thousands of 'highly skilled IT workers' by stealing identities to make it look like they were in the US or other countries. They have collected millions of dollars to boost the government's nuclear weapons development, according to the US justice department and court records. Chapman's bizarre story – which culminated in an eight-year prison sentence – is a curious mix of geopolitics, international crime and one woman's tragic tale of isolation and working from home in a gig-dominated economy where increasingly everything happens through a computer screen and it is harder to tell fact from fiction. The secret North Korean workers, according to the federal government and cybersecurity experts, not only help the US's adversary – a dictatorship which has been hobbled by international sanctions over its weapons program – but also harm US citizens by stealing their identities and potentially hurt domestic companies by 'enabling malicious cyber intrusions' into their networks. 'Once Covid hit and everybody really went virtual, a lot of the tech jobs never went back to the office,' said Benjamin Racenberg, a senior intelligence manager at Nisos, a cybersecurity firm. 'Companies quickly realized: I can get good talent from anywhere. North Koreans and other employment fraudsters have realized that they can trick hiring systems to get jobs. I don't think that we have done enough as a community to prevent this.' To run the schemes, the North Koreans need facilitators in the United States, because the companies 'aren't going to willingly send laptops to North Korea or even China', said Adam Meyers, head of counter-adversary operations for CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm. 'They find somebody that is also looking for a gig-economy job, and they say, 'Hey, we are happy to get you $200 per laptop that you manage,'' said Meyers, whose team has published reports on the North Korean operation. Chapman grew up in an abusive home and drifted 'between low-paying jobs and unstable housing', according to documents submitted by her attorneys. In 2020, she was also taking care of her mother, who had been diagnosed with renal cancer. About six months after the LinkedIn message, Chapman started running what law enforcement officials describe as 'laptop farms'. In addition to hosting computers, she helped the North Koreans pose as US citizens by validating stolen identity information; sent some laptops abroad; logged into the computers so that the foreign workers could connect remotely; and received paychecks and transferred the money to the workers, according to court documents. Meanwhile, the North Koreans created fictitious personas and online profiles to match the job requirements for remote IT worker positions. They often got the jobs through staffing agencies. In one case, a 'top-five five national television network and media company' headquartered in New York hired one of the North Koreans as a video-streaming engineer. The person posing as 'Daniel B' asked Chapman to join a Microsoft Teams meeting with the employer so that the co-conspirator could also join. The indictment does not list victims' full names. 'I just typed in the name Daniel,' Chapman told the person in North Korea, according to court records of an online conversation. 'If they ask WHY you are using two devices, just say the microphone on your laptop doesn't work right.' 'OK,' the foreign actor responded. 'Most IT people are fine with that explanation,' Chapman replied. Chapman was aware that her actions were illegal. 'I hope you guys can find other people to do your physical I-9s. These are federal documents. I will SEND them for you, but have someone else do the paperwork. I can go to FEDERAL PRISON for falsifying federal documents,' Chapman wrote to a group of her co-conspirators. Chapman was also active on social media. In a video posted in June 2023, she talked about having breakfast on the go because she was so busy, and her clients were 'going crazy!', Wired reported. Behind Chapman were racks with at least a dozen open laptops with sticky notes. In October 2023, federal investigators raided her home and found 90 laptops. In February this year, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Over the three years that Chapman worked with the North Koreans, some of the employees received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a single company. In total, the scheme generated $17m for Chapman and the North Korean government. The fraudsters also stole the identities of 68 people, who then also had false tax liabilities, according to the justice department. In a letter to the court before her sentencing, Chapman thanked the FBI for arresting her because she had been 'trying to get away from the guys that I was working with for awhile [sic] and I wasn't really sure how to do it'. 'The area where we lived didn't provide for a lot of job opportunities that fit what I needed,' Chapman wrote. 'To the people who were harmed, I send my sincerest apologies. I am not someone who seeks to harm anyone, so knowing that I was a part of a company that set out to harm people is devastating to me.' Last week, US district court judge Randolph Moss sentenced Chapman to more than eight years in prison; to forfeit $284,000 that was to be paid to the North Koreans, and to pay a fine of $176,000. Chapman and her co-conspirators were not the only ones conducting such fraud. In January, the federal government also charged two people in North Korea, a Mexican citizen and two US citizens for a scheme that helped North Korean IT workers land jobs with at least 64 US companies and generated at least $866,000 in revenue, according to the justice department. Racenberg, of Nisos, said he expected cybercriminals to use artificial intelligence to 'get better and better' at performing such schemes. Companies should conduct 'open-source research' on applicants because oftentimes the fraudsters reuse résumé content, Racenberg said. 'If you put the first few lines of the résumé in, you might find two, three other résumés online that are exactly the same with these very similar companies or similar dates,' Racenberg added. 'That should raise some flags.' During an interview, if there is background noise that sounds like a call center or if the applicant refuses to remove a fake or blurred background, that could also be cause for concern, Meyers, of CrowdStrike, said. And companies should ask new hires to visit the office to pick up their laptop rather than mail it to them because that allows the company to see if the person who shows up is the same one you interviewed, Racenberg said. Five years after the pandemic, more companies have also started to require employees to return to the office at least part time. If all corporations did that, would it eliminate the threat? 'It's going to prevent all of this from happening, yes,' Racenberg said. 'But are we going to go back to that? Probably not.'
The Australian
7 days ago
- Business
- The Australian
Victorian Premier launches push to make work from home legal right
Working from home for two days a week could become a legal right in Victoria, under new plans proposed by Premier Jacinta Allan. The state government is promising to introduce the law — covering both public and private sectors — by next year, with it applying to anyone who can 'reasonably' carry out their work away from the office. Ms Allan will tell the annual state Labor conference: 'Working from home works for families and it's good for the economy. 'Day after day, unions are being contacted by workers who have been denied reasonable requests to work from home, and across the country, Liberals are drawing up plans to abolish work-from-home and force workers back to the office and back to the past. 'That's why the Allan Labor government is acting. Enshrining work from home in law means this life-changing practice isn't something you or your loved ones have to politely ask for. It's a right you'll be entitled to.' The plan would make working from home two days a week a legal right in Victoria. She will add that a consultation will take place on the proposed Australia-first law, but added it won't determine if the plans should go ahead. 'We're already clear on that: it should be. We just need the appropriate laws to reflect it,' she said. Ms Allan said the new policy is aimed directly at supporting families, promising average savings of $110 per week, or $5308 annually in commuting costs. 'Work from home supports women with children, carers and people with a disability to work,' Ms Allan said. 'Thanks to work from home, workforce participation is 4.4 per cent higher than before the pandemic.' The legislation is expected to be introduced later this year. The move follows significant debate about work from home policies during the federal election, with Peter Dutton forced to backtrack on a proposed policy to limit remote work for public servants due to public backlash. Amelia Swan Journalist Amelia Swan joined News Corp as a cadet reporter in 2024. Amelia Swan
