Remote businesses are becoming more and more common after companies were forced to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Going completely remote is not possible for every company, but there are many benefits to allowing employees to work from home.
Read through these five reasons on the benefits of going remote when you are considering ditching the typical office and decide if the decision is right for you.
➥ Save Money
Office spaces can be a considerable expense. There are many bills to pay in order to keep the lights on, including rent and utilities. Switching to remote work allows you to completely abandon all of these expenses and use the money in other parts of your business. You can instead use a virtual office for your phone and mailing needs.
There are also the funds that come from providing all of the office equipment needed to run an office. When you switch to remote work, you can instead offer stipends to employees and allow them to purchase only what they need. This saves you from buying computer equipment, ergonomic chairs, and printers.
There are also the expenses of stationary and other office supplies that a physical office would need for every employee. Since some employees already have a lot of the necessary equipment, you can save a lot of money that would otherwise need to be spent on these costs. You can also allocate funds for employees who do not already have the necessary equipment.
➥ Employee satisfaction
Many employees prefer the work-life balance that can come from remote work. Employees tend to get better sleep and remain healthier throughout the year due to not having to commute and be around as many people throughout the day.
When employees can cut down on commutes and be home for lunch breaks, they are more likely to eat healthier. They can have time to make and eat breakfast and also make a healthy lunch instead of eating quick take-out or microwave meals.
Some employees may be worried about working from home, but you can offer technology tools to help make working remotely easier for employees. This will help your employees see that their job will not be made harder because they are no longer working from the office.
Remote work can also come with a lot more flexibility in schedules. In a typical office, there need to be more set working hours where the office is open, but when employees work from their own homes, they can have more flexibility of working in the early morning or later into the day than usual.
Companies can benefit from employee satisfaction because it means less turnaround. Workers who feel satisfied with their job are less likely to look for work elsewhere. This means you can spend less time worrying about finding new hires and more time doing the work to make your company successful.
➥ Productivity increase
Employees who feel more satisfied with their job tend to be more productive. When working from home, there tend to be fewer distractions, such as office chatter and co-workers, which helps increase productivity. Employees tend to feel more comfortable at home and have the drive to get things done more efficiently.
Employees who feel free to work at their own pace and without overbearing managers tend to get more done. Remote work also eliminates the distractions that can come from long commutes and not getting enough sleep.
Employees are also less likely to take sick days when they are working from home. This means there are fewer delays that can come from an employee needing to miss a day of work.
Remote employees tend to have higher output numbers than office employees because they are more satisfied with being able to work in their own space and time.
➥ Access to more talent
Companies that offer remote work open themselves up to a larger talent pool. Not everyone who is well qualified for a job is able or willing to move to your company’s city, but most are willing to set up a home office.
When you hire remote workers, you can get talent from more than just the area your business is located. This is an excellent way to find employees who live in many different cities and countries, which can help you diversify your workforce.
Having more diverse employees can help you find different perspectives that could end up helping your business in the long run.
Employees can also help increase your company’s security because they can have more varied backgrounds and experience with cybersecurity. This can end up saving you more money in the long run, which wouldn’t always come when there is a less diverse workforce.
➥ More Competitive
Employees tend to prefer remote work, which means going remote makes your company more desirable than your competitors. Your overall competitiveness will increase when you are being sought after as an employer.
Going remote can also help your company be more environmentally friendly. Reducing the environmental impacts of commuting and running large office buildings can make your company look more green, raising you above your competitors.
By creating a larger pool of clients and employees, you are able to have more growth than some in-person businesses that are unable to meet with international clients or hire top talent throughout the world due to strict office working hours.
Even just partial remote work can help give you the competitive edge to raise your business above your competition.
Conclusion
Remote work isn’t feasible for every business. There can be some drawbacks, but many companies have seen immense growth and benefits from implementing remote or hybrid working styles.
The growing tools and internet presence in the corporate world are making remote work more accessible and are something that every business should look into the pros and cons of. Remember these 5 benefits of remote working next time you consider whether or not making the switch to working from home is right for your business.