With the CoVD-19 pandemic, the definition of ‘work’ and ‘workplace’ has been redefined, as remote working has transformed from an exception to a norm. According to Global Workplace Analytics, by 2023, approximately one fifth of the US workforce is projected to work remotely.
While remote working certainly has its benefits, it’s important to consider the potential downsides of having a dispersed workforce. What motivated the choice to establish a remote business?
Hiring remote employees could be a productive and budget-friendly option for small companies. It’s necessary to weigh the pros and cons of recruiting talent from remote locations.
Pros:
Bigger Talent Pool
By broadening the talent pool on a worldwide scale, you have access to diverse skill sets not restricted to a specific region. When determining what to offer remote team members, it’s crucial to provide essential requirements and not just rely on pre-existing conveniences.
If you limit your hunt for a sales director to your local area, you may miss out on top-notch candidates. Expanding your search globally is a wise decision.
Economic Advantages
Businesses of all sizes can enjoy substantial advantages by employing remote workers. It can be a pragmatic way to keep operations efficient and save money in the following areas:
The furnishings in the office, including desks, chairs, and equipment, are not for sale. Providing meals or beverages is not allowed. As employees are based in various countries, it’s not feasible to exchange financial benefits for access to the same social system. Travel expenses for staff are not provided for by the company.
Accumulated Productivity Over Time
Many managers mistakenly believe that remote employees are unproductive, spending their time watching Netflix and playing video games. However, this type of behavior has also been observed in workers who operate from traditional office spaces. Surprisingly, employees who didn’t physically report to an office – comprising 95% of the workforce – were actually more productive than their office-based colleagues.
Enhanced Work-Life Balance
Studies have demonstrated that remote work enhances job satisfaction and happiness among employees, owing to the greater independence and flexibility it offers. Since commuting is no longer mandatory, individuals have more time to allocate to their personal and familial responsibilities. As a result, they can better organize their time and leisure activities according to their own preferences, resulting in decreased stress and increased contentment.
When employees feel valued, their morale, loyalty, and job satisfaction can all be enhanced. This can result in a substantial decrease in attrition rates, enabling businesses to retain talented staff on a part-time basis, even if they are remote. According to market research, companies that allow remote work have 25% lower employee turnover rates than those that don’t.
The emphasis of corporate rhetoric has evolved from minimizing expenses to expanding and refining operations. This has fostered a climate conducive to implementing a hybrid working model, facilitating the coexistence of both in-person and remote work.
Yet, both the organization and the employee will encounter certain obstacles. Remote work can be advantageous to both sides if they approach the situation with conscientiousness and regard.
Cons:
Distractions
Contemplate the number of potential distractions that occur when you’re physically situated in a workplace, compared to when you’re working remotely.
A Loud Work Environment
- Unplanned Breaks with Colleagues
- Unwarranted Meetings
Even tech giants such as Facebook and Google agree – a crowded open office with amenities such as ping pong tables, pool tables, video games, and nap-inducing couches does not foster the required concentration and productivity. Remote employees can design a work environment that caters to their individual requirements, enabling them to work with ease and concentrate more effectively on their responsibilities.
Challenges in Articulating Thoughts
While frequent coworker interruptions at one’s workstation can be disruptive, in-person discussions about work-related topics are generally considered essential. Both parties may believe that face-to-face interaction is vital for establishing a rapport. Understanding nonverbal cues and body language nuances is crucial. Modern collaboration tools like Zoom, Skype, and Slack can usually overcome any issues. Nonetheless, it’s crucial for remote workers to possess exceptional written and verbal communication abilities.
Managing a dispersed workforce can be challenging due to time zone differences. As colleagues may be situated in different time zones, one worker may have just begun their day when another is about to end theirs. Nevertheless, efficient communication among team members can help to surmount these hurdles, enabling successful meeting scheduling and project completion that works for everyone.
Dependence on Steady Power Supply and Internet
When hiring remote workers, it isn’t imperative that they reside in secluded areas with restricted access to essential amenities. Depending on the city’s size they live in, they may reside in a residential area. Nevertheless, remote workers must have dependable internet connectivity to accomplish their daily tasks and collaborate with coworkers, regardless of their location. This is a fact of remote work.
In the event of unforeseen network disruptions, it’s recommended for remote workers to carry a mobile broadband USB stick to remain connected. As an alternative, the team can move to a coworking space that provides wireless internet access. However, nothing much can be done in such cases, so patience is key. Usually, power outages are brief, and the delay is worthwhile in terms of the team’s productivity and efficiency.
Advantages Outweigh the Disadvantages
Organizations should not overlook the abundant potential advantages of hiring remote staff. Remote recruitment can aid businesses in finding the most suitable candidates, lowering costs, and increasing efficiency, while also boosting employee morale. Ultimately, it is up to the employer to determine whether remote work is a workable option for their company.
When supervisors only spend minimal time working physically with their employees, there is a possibility that workers may misconstrue instructions or lack full understanding of the project goals. Rather than just seeing their supervisor in passing or when they visit, employees are recommended to communicate with their supervisor via telephone to ensure clarity.
With internal operations and maintenance tasks growing progressively crucial and intricate, it is essential to improve documentation and quality control skills over time to manage and govern them effectively.
To prevent communication from impeding business productivity, employers should adjust their communication strategies to suit employees from various countries. Companies can prevent potential issues from arising by investing in a fast and reliable messaging tool for their employees and ensuring that managers remain in regular contact with their team during the day. Additionally, managers should leverage face-to-face interactions like video conferencing to obtain the most out of their staff.
In the current pandemic scenario, many industries that continue operations rely significantly on existing data. By keeping accurate documentation of all equipment and other pertinent information, organizations can provide remote access and critical support, enabling a more proactive response even with limited external resources. Thus, maintaining a high level of service helps minimize the risk of unexpected downtime.
The Main Point
Human Resources is presently experiencing a transition period that might appear unsettling to some organizations. Nonetheless, the benefits of remote work should not be ignored – there are several convincing reasons why businesses should consider adopting the modern workplace and expanding their talent pool beyond their local region.
It is predicted that by 2023, 45% of the labor force will work remotely, with the potential for this number to reach 100% by 2025. This increase is attributed to the development of cloud services, mobile platforms, and video conferencing, which have enabled and made remote work acceptable to both employers and employees alike.
Many industries are generating it best-known that they’re amiable to employment together with IT, HR, Recruiting, Education, Accounting, Health, Law, Marketing, Non-profit, News, Media, Sports, and Travel.
