Ignacio Álvarez is the chief engineer in Spain of the Silicon Valley company Eventbrite. At the beginning of summer he decided it was time to leave behind the hustle and bustle of Madrid, so he packed his bags and came to Lanzarote to telework.
“I chose Lanzarote because I have come on specific occasions and it is a paradise, I personally love it”, says the teleworker.
The Canary Islands has positioned itself as one of the most requested destinations by teleworkers in recent years, especially the island of Lanzarote, which occupies the top positions in several search engines.
“There is a consolidated idea that opportunities are always in big cities, that the great minds are in places like Madrid or Barcelona, but teleworking has come to deny this, because now you can be productive from anywhere”, explains the young man.
“From work to the beach in just one step”
The worker of the global technology platform for event management and ticket purchase is staying at a friend's house in Caleta de Famara, with the beach just 10 minutes from his “office”.
Ignacio chose the island of Lanzarote for “its paradisiacal beaches and its good weather”, but also because it is one of the most popular enclaves for diving in all of Spain, one of the young man's great passions.
“You finish working and you can go for a walk, go diving or go to the beach, in the end that translates into mental health, because you can disconnect”, he explains.
In addition, he emphasizes the life time he saves going to work living in Lanzarote. “In Madrid it can take you 50 minutes to go and 50 minutes to return from work and you see it as perfectly normal”, he says. “You are not aware of the time you lose”.
“Teleworking, and especially in Lanzarote, gives you the advantage of being able to, for example, pick up your children from school if a problem arises and return without having to warn because it doesn't take you anything”, the engineer gives as an example.
However, many will wonder why Lanzarote and not an international destination, such as Thailand or Indonesia. “It is important to deny the myth that teleworking from another place is going on vacation, because it is not like that, I work a lot”, he insists.
“In the end, if you go to the other side of the world, you start to have some problems with the issue of time zones, and it is also easier to manage any problem from your own country, if something happens, not to mention that they are the same customs, you still feel at home”, he adds.
“Lanzarote has to bet more on teleworkers”
Although the young man emphasizes that he has not yet found significant disadvantages or impediments when teleworking on the island, he points out that there is always room for improvement.
Specifically, the engineer points out the case of connections and transport in general, since the geography and situation of the island “practically forces you to buy a car”.
“In big cities like Madrid you can always rent a motorcycle or an electric car for a few hours when you need it and then you can spend days without worrying about it”, he explains. “Here in Lanzarote there is none of that and also, depending on where you live, public transport may not pass so frequently”.
He also adds the problem of finding accommodation for many teleworkers, not only because of the high price of rent, but also because of the limited supply on the island, very focused on tourism.
Therefore, Ignacio suggests the creation of more coliving infrastructures in Lanzarote, spaces adapted to people who work from home and end up creating a kind of community. “If it is already difficult to find a house, a house adapted to work is much more so”, he adds.
“I have the feeling that the island focuses a lot on conventional tourists, but does not bet on us”, reflects the engineer. “They have to bet more on teleworkers, because in the end, if you incentivize this offer, you will end up generating more demand”.
The flexible teleworking model is “the future”
The engineer insists that flexible work models, such as Eventbrite's, are “the future”, since more and more companies will end up giving “the option of choosing to the worker, if he wants to be always in the office, always at home or if he prefers to move between one and the other”.
“Teleworking is here to stay, but I don't think it will be 100% teleworking”, says Ignacio Álvarez. “In the end we have seen that once the pandemic has passed, many jobs have returned to the office, and many will stay that way”.
“Many people don't understand how I can do all the work from home, but the reality is that I am even more productive, so as long as I meet my objectives, I am proving that it works”, he insists.
Likewise, the young man emphasizes that teleworking has not prevented him from continuing to forge relationships with his colleagues, whether they are in Madrid, in the United States or in any other place in the world, the key is to “force those relationships”.
“When you were in the office, relationships were forged almost unintentionally, while you had a coffee during the break, for example, now you have to encourage those connections through video calls and meetings”, he explains.
For the moment, the young man intends to take advantage of the opportunity that his company gives him and stay all summer in Lanzarote, but points out that he “does not rule out” extending his stay on the island.
“I will decide as time goes by, but for the moment I am very happy here”, he concludes.
