Today’s technological advances have had major effects on how business is done today. This is especially the case with the emergence of work which is performed remotely. While this was once largely the reserve of “freelancer” employees, many companies and organizations have recently seen fit to adopt remote work strategies so that workers can perform their duties from just about anywhere. Remote work brings many benefits, such as happier employees, increased productivity and reduced costs. Below are some reasons why HR professionals should consider introducing a remote work strategy into their organization.
More Productive, Happier Workers
Studies have shown that remote employees are happier ones, as they have more flexibility and freedom in their jobs. Having the choice between working from home or going to an office is one where workers usually choose home as this allows them to achieve a better work-life balance. In addition to this, employees who work from home are more motivated, feel more valued, are more creative and more productive.
Studies also show that remote workers tend to be healthier. By working from home employees cut down on commuting times, allowing them more time to dedicate to regular exercise routines. They have the option to eat healthier foods (rather than relying on vending machines at the office or the nearby fast food chain) and take regular breaks throughout the day to recharge. This improves employees’ physical and mental health. Working from home also prevents the stress (and lost hours) of commuting back and forth from an office, thus saving money for employees in the form of less travel expenses.
Better Recruitment and Retention
Offering remote working options are also a great way for HR to attract and retain the best talent. Moreover, a remote work strategy increases a company’s talent pool, as HR staff do not have to only rely on the talent that is in the region. Instead, talent can come from anywhere in the world, meaning that your company or organization can go global simply by offering a remote work option, potentially increasing innovation and productivity.
Better Performance in the Long-Term
Remote work strategies are considered to be a new trend, so there are many challenges businesses face in order to make them work properly. One of these challenges is to ensure that cohesive and integrated teams can accomplish company goals despite its members working together from several different places at once. To accomplish a feeling of “teamwork,” it would be best to ensure that work teams take part in exercises such as streamlined communication, retreats where employees can collaborate, as well as regular video chats and conference calls. Such methods ensure that your employees can communicate regularly and develop team working skills to accomplish organizational goals.
Remote work strategies are on the increase in today’s business world, and HR professionals should examine the benefits such strategies can bring. While such strategies will never completely make working from the office obsolete, it is nevertheless a good idea to introduce them in order to ensure better competition with other companies, as well as happier employees and a more productive and successful company.
