In the past, working from home was viewed as more of a necessity than a proper occupation. Every once in a while due to bad weather conditions or a personal engagement, a sensible manager would allow their employees to perform their duties at home. However, technological advancement has changed the work scenario completely and we are now in the midst of a completely new ‘remote work’ era. It has made it easier for staff members to be productive if they have a stable internet connection regardless of their location. More and more businesses are hiring remote workers from around the world, allowing them to work online from anywhere they want.
The covid-19 pandemic with its lockdown restrictions and social distancing measures has further emphasized the benefits of working remotely. Instead of getting an office space and filling it with local workers and putting everyone at risk of getting infected, companies have started switching to a work-from-home environment. Business owners should take advantage of the growing number of workers who are willing to work remotely than in a traditional office environment.
To find out more about the business advantages of hiring remote employees, read the article below.
Increased Productivity
When you get to choose when and where to work from, you feel in control of your life and that gives you the potential to be a lot more productive. A study conducted by Harvard Business Review suggested that allowing employees to work remotely actually boosted productivity. Although working from home poses a risk of distractions, the potential benefits outweigh these risks significantly. For example, it was observed that employees took shorter breaks, asked for fewer sick leaves, started tasks earlier, and showed more enthusiasm in doing extra work.
From the employee’s perspective, this arrangement also had many benefits: no running for errand runs during lunch breaks, more manageable schedules allowing them to carry out home tasks without compromising their job, and no stress of commuting to and from work during rush hours. In addition to this, remote workers get more work done when they get to choose their work hours. Everyone has different times of the day when they are more productive depending on their personality type, genetics, and lifestyle. Some might start their day at 6 am while others can’t bring themselves to function properly until it’s late in the evening.
Wider Talent Pool
Hiring remote workers gives you an opportunity to select from a wider talent pool. You can hire talented individuals not only from the same area as your company but also from all over the globe. Because the remote employee pool is global, you have the advantage of hiring potential candidates from diverse backgrounds. This is especially beneficial for companies that are not located in big cities and the number of available individuals that best fit your job requirement is much lower.
Remote work gives you access to the best talent across the world – especially when remote employees seek work that lets them have more control over their work schedule and hours. Having the choice to work outside of typical business hours is one of the best ways to increase productivity and employee retention.
Lower Environmental Impact
Because remote employees rarely commute between home and office, your business’s carbon footprint will be much smaller. According to global workforce analytics, global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) have been reduced to 54 million tons per year which translated to 10 million fewer cars on the road. Thus remote working has significantly contributed to an overall reduction in pollution
With the rise in global warming and increasing climate change impacts, environmental awareness is at an all-time high. From small companies to large corporations, everyone is encouraged to introduce greener strategies into their business operations. In view of this, it is important to appreciate the environmental benefits of remote work. Research suggests that if more businesses were to hire workers for remote-compatible jobs, it will be cost-effective and our atmosphere will also be spared of harmful emissions corresponding to the following figures: 20 million dollars in gas, 54 million tons of GHG emissions, 640 million barrels of oil saving 64 billion dollars and 119 billion miles of highway driving.
Conclusion
Apart from these, there are many other ways your business can benefit from hiring remote workers. However, the advantages are not only exclusive to employers – employees also get a fair end of the deal. These include reduced cost of business, more savings due to less or no commute, higher productivity, freedom to choose their workspace, increased job retention, effective time management, improved work quality, increased work-life balance, etc.
Hiring remote workers is easy but managing a remote workforce can pose many challenges. For successful remote work operation and to ensure the smooth running of your business, there needs to be mutual trust and respect between the employer and employees and among employees as well. Another thing to consider is that your business needs to have aspects that do not require manual labor. Letting go of certain managerial aspects that typically governed your business in the past is also essential to this kind of work arrangement. If you can successfully manage to apply these scenarios to your company, then hiring remote employees will most definitely be effective in the growth and success of your business.
At Worktually, we make things easier for you by providing remote work opportunities through direct contact with hiring parties. Contact us today for customized customer support.
