According to Global Workplace Analytics, the Fortune 1000 companies are changing the way they do business because they understand their staff can now work from anywhere thanks to the mobile internet. Studies have shown that most employees are away from their desk for around half of their working day.
Meanwhile, remote working among the employed is the fastest-growing employment sector. More companies are realizing the benefits of letting their staff work from home and recruiting from around the globe. So why are they making that choice? Here are just five of the benefits of remote working.
1. Talent
Regular recruiting relies on the fact that you can find the right person within commuting distance from your offices. Failing that, you need to choose from a pool of candidates who are willing to move for the role.
But when you hire remotely, your talent pool becomes the entire world. Whether that Rockstar employee is the other end of the country or the other side of the globe, it doesn’t matter. You can add them to your team.
2. Productivity
Study after study has shown that remote workers are more productive. There are several reasons for that, but here are just a few:
- Remote staff is happier and healthier because they have a better life-work balance.
- Because they don’t have to commute, they start their day feeling less stressed and healthier; commuting is really bad for our health.
- Telecommuters are less likely to take time off work if they’re ill. They can just work in their PJ’s and nap when they need to.
- Staff who work from home tend to be more self-reliant, so when they’re faced with a problem they find a workaround quickly.
- Remote staff can work when they’re at their best, whether that’s 6 am or 8 pm. This not only means more gets done when they’re working, but they’re also more likely to put in extra hours at weekends and during holidays.
3. Retention
Working from home is seen as a huge bonus for employees. If you have a role that lets them work from home full or part-time, then they’re less likely to look elsewhere. You’re less likely to lose a remote worker, especially if your competition doesn’t let staff work from home. And because they’re happier and healthier they’re less likely to start looking for pastures new.
4. Cost-Savings
Hiring remotely saves you money in a number of ways; the first of which is linked to the point above – you’re less likely to need to pay to replace remote staff! But when your candidate pool is the globe, you can hire from countries where the salary costs are lower.
And of course, if your staff aren’t in the office, you don’t need office space for them. No desks, no computers, no phones, no stationery, and coffee costs.
5. Diversity
When you hire remotely, you get a more diverse staff. You give yourself access to people who need to work from home due to circumstance; working mums, those with health conditions or disabilities that restrict their movements. And if you’re hiring globally, you’re hiring people who live and work under different conditions to your own.
Having a more diverse staff is good for business. When you combine people of different races, religions, cultures, and life experience you immediately add more viewpoints to any problem that you are trying to solve. That translates to more rounded solutions.
Convinced?
There are plenty of great reasons to hire remotely. But you might have concerns because of high profile failures by big companies such a Yahoo (who now lets staff work remotely again). Hiring remote staff isn’t for everyone, if you like to micromanage your staff then you won’t enjoy the experience. And certain jobs, such as creative roles, are better done in a team environment.
But for other jobs, there is a wide world of remote work out there. Maybe it’s time to join it?
