As people pursue a healthy balance between their work and home life, they’re seeking employers who allow them to work remotely. Having remote workers has proven successful for many businesses, but others are still trapped in the 9-5 mindset.
If you run a business, there are plenty of reasons why you should allow your employees to work remotely. Here are a few reasons to get you thinking about this business model.
Technology Allows It
Not only does technology make it easier for people to work remotely now, but there are tools specifically made for this purpose that are readily accessible online. For example, tools like the Humanity staff schedule maker, Trello, and Slack keep everybody on the team up-to-date about work progress and schedule expectations.
Working remotely used to require employees to carry around mobile phones the size of bricks while wearing a pager and operating a fax machine. Now there’s rarely a reason that anyone needs to be in the same country, let alone an office building. Important document and file transfer become less hassle and risky to store with the use of online fax services and their method of data encryption. Fast File Transfer by GoAnywhere Managed File Transfer increases efficiency and productivity while maintaining reliability.
Larger Candidate Pool
The ideal employee for your business may be halfway across the country. Rather than incurring costly relocation fees or letting them venture elsewhere to work, be open to the idea of allowing them to work remotely from their current location. In taking this approach to hiring, you greatly extend your reach as a business and can recruit top talent from around the globe.
The same applies if you have a well-respected employee who is required to move elsewhere. Save yourself the headache and costs incurred through the hiring process and keep your employee on the payroll.
Cost Savings
Consider this: if you have a team of 10 employees and choose not to have a remote working option, you will have to rent or purchase an office that fits everyone. You will have to pay for utilities for that office, as well as for printers, stationery, etc. Your employees will also save money on things like gas, car insurance, childcare, and the constant siren’s call of the diner across the road.
These little differences add up, both for you and for your employees. By allowing them to work remotely, you should experience higher profit margins overall.
Productivity Implications
One of the main reasons business owners are hesitant to let their employees work remotely is because they fear the employee won’t be productive. In most cases, it’s not being at home that causes an employee to be less productive; the remote work highlights productivity issues with the individual.
Having remote work allows you to shift to a task-based model rather than having set hours. This improves flexibility for your employees and ensures that you’re paying them for work being completed, rather than someone spending three hours on social media while in their cubicle. Setting tasks while maintaining contact throughout the day will help keep employees productive. Allowing your employees to flex their hours will ensure things get done.
Have a Policy in Place
As with any business function, having a well-written policy in place will ensure that everyone is on the same page about your expectations when working remotely. This document might evolve as time goes by and situations arise but can start as a barebones guideline to keep people on task.
For example, if there are specific business hours that they must be available, they should be outlined. If an employee needs to flex their hours due to an appointment, outline how they’re expected to communicate this and how they can make up the difference. You may outline how often they’re expected to check and respond to emails and how deliverables will be submitted.
By having a strong policy and an open mind, your business will evolve and get in line with the times. You’ll benefit from the boosted employee engagement and lower operating expenses.
