Remote Working is Here to Stay. A Look at the Whys and the Hows

Why More Businesses are Transitioning into Remote Workplaces

The trend of remote offices is not going away as the number of offices around the world that are fully remote continues to increase. While making the shift from traditional, in-office work to remote work is not a quick transition and requires proper preparation, the benefits for businesses and business owners are becoming more difficult to ignore.

 

What caused this shift in workplace culture? In the last few decades, the world has become digitally connected like never before, thanks to the internet and wide availability of computers and smartphones. Of course, not all jobs can be done remotely, but there are quite a few industries or tasks that lend themselves well to remote work. If you’re trying to do competitor research and need to use a reverse image lookup tool, you can now do that at home because of the availability of such tools online. Employees and employers have noticed it’s becoming increasingly possible to complete work from home, in a coffee shop, in transit, or in other convenient locations. The quick adoption and popularity of remote work has been fuelled by the advantages it brings, which include:

 

Increased productivity

 

Remote work used to be a good excuse to duck out of the office and avoid actually doing work, but those days are long gone. In fact, the opposite is true now, with employees who are offered opportunities to work remotely are more productive than employees who only work in-office.

 

“When you give your employees the opportunity to telecommute or work remotely, you’re effectively giving them a break,” says Mike Moll, CEO, and founder of marketing consultant agency Social Media House. “The next time they come into work, they’re more productive and are willing to work harder because they’re refreshed. They have more energy.”

 

Most managers agree with that sentiment—two-thirds said their employees who work from home increased their overall productivity. Studies continue to show that employees are less distracted, more dedicated, and complete more work when they’re working remotely.

 

Saving money

 

Greatly reduce your business overheads by transitioning to a remote office, or even semi-remote. Having fewer employees in the building means you don’t need as much space and can rent a smaller office. It also means less money spent on other expenses like equipment, furniture, heating and cooling, and electricity, to name a few.

 

Additionally, working remotely saves money on your employee’s commuting costs. Even cutting in-office time by just one day a week can add up and save you and your employees quite a bit on gas or transit costs over time, not to mention it’s better for the environment as well.

 

Improved employee happiness

 

Flexibility makes for happier workers, as they feel less stress and have an increased morale. Employees that are given the flexibility of remote work feel fulfilled in other aspects of life – maybe because they have more time to be with family and friends, or to pick up that old hobby they love – and come into work with a positive and renewed attitude. Indeed, companies that let their employees work remotely experience 25% less turnover than companies that don’t.

 

While it is a significant decision to switch your office from traditional to remote, your employees will thank you in more ways than just verbally telling you; their work performance will increase, they will be more productive, and they will be more dedicated to the company to prove the new remote work situation is a good decision. Plus, let’s face it – your competitors are already doing it, so why aren’t you?


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