The Rise of Remote Work: How it keeps Businesses Running
Brick and Mortar businesses have traditionally been the structure that keeps employees coming to work. Over the past decade new communication tools have been developed to essentially have workers from anywhere on the globe. Remote work recently became a massive trend for employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. This once temporary shift to make work flexible has become a new structure to many businesses worldwide. We will be exploring how remote work has positively impacted businesses in this blog.
How Remote Work Benefits business
When employing remote workers businesses find cost savings in Operational costs like office rent, utilities and office supplies. The workers themselves benefit by reducing the cost of commuting, cutting down on expenses for fuel and maintenance. For some employees working from home allows parents to watch after their children without forking over the high cost of childcare. Opening up to remote work offers access to a greater talent pool than a brick-and-mortar business could provide locally. Having a global pool to pick from significantly improves the capability to acquire talented, diverse, and innovating employees.
According to Business.com remote employees tend to have significant boost in productivity and engagement compared to working in office. Studies suggest that by giving employees autonomy to work in ways that make sense for themselves, leads workers to feeling a sense of control and ownership of their work. Retaining great employees is a key to maintain a strong workforce. By offering flexible work arrangements it allows employees to balance work with personal life, this reduces burnout and increases work satisfaction.
Implementing Successful Remote Work
The 1st step is to assess which roles can work effectively work remote, categorizing them by job responsibilities, required tools, and collaboration needs. Clearly document expected work hours/availability, protocols for communication, quotas, and all of the technological requirements. Implement the technology tools that enable secure access for collaboration, conferencing, management, cybersecurity, and cloud based file sharing. Selecting the correct tech stack will ensure seamless communication and productivity. Make sure that employees have resources for training or support programs that effectively help employees adapt to remote work technologies.
Establish Standard Operating Procedures for checking on employees, projects, and technical support. In order to effectively monitor performance, shift from time-based to outcome performance. Using metrics that measure productivity, quality of work and team contributions rather that the amount of time invested, will ensure progress. Remote workers struggle with feelings of disconnect from their company which is why it is important to develop a company culture. Planning virtual team building sessions and encourage informal interactions to preserve company environment and culture,
Many benefits are associated with remote work on both ends of the spectrum. The rise of remote work has transformed business operations, cost savings, increased productivity, and more satisfied employees. Challenges still exist and it’s imperative for businesses to invest in remote strategies and technologies to maintain productivity in the evolving digital landscape. Embracing remote work is now becoming a necessity for long term success and should be considered for any eligible position.