As more and more businesses embrace remote work, it’s impossible to deny the appeal of working from home. In addition to enabling people to do their jobs in a place where they feel safe and comfortable, remote work provides them with a greater sense of control over their own schedules. As such, any business owners who are currently on the fence about remote work would do well to consider the ways it may prove advantageous to both them and their workers.
Increased Employee Satisfaction
It should come as no surprise that so many members of the workforce prefer remote work to the traditional office experience. For one thing, it provides them with a much greater degree of control over their respective schedules. As long as deadlines are consistently met and everyone remains on the same page, the location from which someone does their job shouldn’t matter – and a growing number of employers are starting to realize this. Being able to work remotely ensures that employees don’t have to get up at uncomfortably early hours, rush through chaotic morning routines, brave congested commutes, and needlessly spend eight hours sitting at a workstation.
Remote work is also ideal for workers with children or family members who require constant care. Unsurprisingly, attempting to juggle childcare and other family-related responsibilities with a traditional work schedule can prove enormously stressful for employees and their loved ones. On the flip side, working remotely provides them with a considerable amount of flexibility on the family front. With so many employers regarding workers’ families as unimportant, it is incumbent upon you to rise above this and show your employees that you respect them as people.
Increased Employee Retention
Employee satisfaction and employee retention often go hand-in-hand. After all, the happier your workers are, the more apt they are to stick around. For example, if one of your most valued team members receives an offer from another employer, they’re liable to turn it down if remote work isn’t part of the deal – even if a considerable pay increase is on the table. So, if you’re looking for effective ways to recruit and retain top talent, embracing remote work is certainly something to consider.
Increased Productivity
In years past, many employers refused to allow remote work on the grounds that it would result in decreased productivity. As far as said employers were concerned, employees couldn’t be trusted to meet deadlines and manage their usual workloads in an environment that lacked the structure of a formal workplace. And while this may be true for some members of the workforce, remote work has generally been found to result in an overall increase in productivity.
So, in addition to providing your employees with the flexibility they desire, remote work can be a boon to your business’s bottom line. And since happy workers tend to be productive workers, this should hardly come as a shock.
Reduced Operating Expenses
As any seasoned business owner can attest, a modern workplace is not inexpensive to maintain. The more employees you have in the office on a daily basis, the higher your utility costs are likely to be. Furthermore, if you provide employees with food and beverages, this is liable to eat up a sizable chunk of money each month – especially if you have a larger workforce. By allowing team members to work remotely, you can reduce your operating costs by a considerable amount, thus freeing up funds to improve other areas of your business.
Additionally, if you’re currently renting a large workspace, embracing remote work will enable you to seek out a smaller, more affordable base of operations. Arizona-based small business owners on the hunt for office space for lease in Tempe are likely to find a plethora of attractive options.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers openly disparaged remote work, deeming it unnecessary and inefficient. However, as much of the workforce has come to discover, working remotely carries a wide range of advantages – both for employers and employees. As such, small business owners who have yet to embrace remote work can benefit from taking some time to reevaluate their stance on the matter. Anyone unclear on how remote work can prove advantageous to their small business should think about the perks outlined above.