While it may be relatively safe enough to bring my entire staff back into the office for full-time work, I don’t plan on doing so. Offering remote positions has lowered my expenses and improved my company culture—find out how below.
Discovering The Power Of Remote Work
Regardless of whether or not COVID-19 is over for good, you need to come up with a plan for how your business will operate moving forward.
Will your entire staff be back at work in the office? Will you maintain your current arrangement of remote jobs? Or could you strike a hybrid arrangement?
There are pros and cons when it comes down to deciding what kind of workforce arrangement might ultimately offer the most benefits versus drawbacks during times like these. However, don’t forget that keeping employees happy helps everyone involved.
Consider the following:
- 77% of remote workers report being more productive
- 76% of remote workers would rather avoid the office completely in order to concentrate on their work
- 98% of remote workers want to work remotely long-term for the remainder of their careers
Keep in mind, these aren’t faceless stats either. My staff feels the same way, which begs the question—why not continue with remote work long-term? I know I will.
Businesses are increasingly hiring remote workers, with half of the country working from home even before the pandemic. This means many staff members are working outside of the business’ city of operation and even further away.
The Benefits Of Remote Work
Over the course of the pandemic, I’ve learned three key lessons about how offering remote work can improve a business:
Grow Your Hiring Pool
Expanding your reach through remote work is not only feasible but also easier said than done.
The cost of living has steadily risen over the past few years and even more so during pandemic times; that makes hiring (and keeping) talent difficult no matter where you live today.
What’s worse is that even if there happen to be qualified professionals living nearby, they’ll likely move on within just a few short months when faced with higher costs again. This leaves businesses like yours stuck in a cycle of hiring and recruitment.
By expanding your hiring pool to remote markets, you can hire staff members that won’t have to resign based on changes to your local community’s cost of living.
Eliminate Office Expenses
The fewer staff members you have in the office, the fewer in-office assets and rental space you’ll require. Over the past few years, my budget for office furniture, miscellaneous equipment, and other in-person amenities has shrunk to nearly zero.
Now, while some of these finances have been redirected into investing in my remote workers’ home offices, a lot of that cash has been freed up for other purposes altogether. By reducing these unnecessary expenses, I’ve made my budgeting process that much more forgiving.
Boost Employee Satisfaction
Almost everyone that works for me has reported a general boost in satisfaction since switching to remote work. They don’t have to commute, they don’t have to pack a lunch, and they don’t have to spend nearly as much on gas.
That said, it’s important to recognize that some staff members preferred the in-office environment. That’s why, on a case-by-case basis, we’ve arranged for hybrid working arrangements for those that prefer them. Furthermore, I’ve had to be intentional in planning in-person social events and other activities to keep the social side of our company culture engaged.
Don’t Throw Away Your Investment In Remote Work
You’ve spent the last two or three years learning how to run a company remotely—why let that experience go to waste just to bring your staff back into the office?
With the right strategy, remote work can be an important part of your organization’s long-term success. However, it needs to be done correctly from the start with a plan that includes how employees will interact and collaborate remotely, in both a secure and productive manner.
My team and I can help—over the course of the pandemic, we developed direct experience in helping our partners to launch, optimize and secure remote work capabilities.
