Why Remote Work Is Good for Business

But the driving forces behind this new world of work go beyond just the pandemic. They include technological advances, the changing demographic of the workforce, and the rise of the gig economy. Typical personalization options include setting up a standing desk, working in complete silence, or playing music while you work. Recently, there has been an increasing focus on corporate social responsibility. And rightly so, as businesses have a responsibility to act in a way that is ethical and sustainable.

Instead of being forced to how companies benefit when employees work remotely within a reasonable distance of the office, employees can travel or move whenever and wherever they want. Remote work continues to solidify its presence in the business world. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, only 6% of US workers were fully remote, but that percentage quadrupled by 2021. COVID-19 may have accelerated the rise of remote work, but it’s clear now that remote work is here to stay. Receive the lastest news about hybrid and distributed teams, international hiring, compliance and payroll. Remote working also offers a competitive advantage for employers.

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Matt Mullenweg, the founder of Automattic , another all-remote company, told me that its policy is to pay the same wages for the same roles, regardless of location. But GitLab and other companies do have different pay for different geographies, taking into account the experience of the worker, the contract type, and the task being performed. Although research is needed on which approach is optimal, it’s possible that companies that tie wages to location will lose high-quality WFA workers to rivals that don’t. In my research I’ve seen a range of policies that seek to address these concerns and create opportunities for socialization and the spreading of company norms. Many WFA organizations rely on technology to help facilitate virtual watercoolers and “planned randomized interactions,” whereby someone in the company schedules groups of employees to chat online. Some use AI and virtual reality tools to pair up remote colleagues for weekly chats.

2020 remote work researchrevealed that working from home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has had only a 1% reduction in work productivity. Removing geographic obstacles separating employers from the best applicants for their vacancies, telework eliminates hiring borders and leads to more diverse workplaces. From posting job openings to receiving job applications and conducting interviews, hiring managers can select, screen and evaluate candidates in an entirely virtual environment. This recruiting approach prioritizes aptitude, widens the hiring net and allows employers to mitigate skills gaps, like multi-language fluency, that may be present in their immediate area. Since workers are not together in the office, there will be a need for more meetings and communications.

Better for the environment

Remote work has a number of benefits for employees and employers including increased productivity, access to better jobs and talent, and lower costs. With today’s technology, there’s no excuse for employers not to reap the benefits of a remote workforce. Internet connection and a good digital workplace platform means employees have access to all the apps they need to do their work. Collaboration suites messaging apps, task management tools, your intranet platform and many other digital collaboration tools are all here to improve the work of any remote worker.

Supporting remote work can also make it easier to attract talent. Many employees got a taste of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the majority want to continue to work remotely. The best person for the job probably doesn’t live within commuting distance of your office and might not want to move. Hiring remote talent means you can find the most uniquely suited person for the position.

Remote working advantages and disadvantages from an employee’s point of view

The program transitioned patent examiners to a work-from-anywhere policy over 24 months, shifting new examiners each month based on union-negotiated quotas. This implementation process enabled Choudhury and his co-authors to avoid what is known as the selection problem in social science research. While remote working typically has a reputation for being unsocial, virtual connections can be made with people all over the world. ? How can you detect if your workforce is suffering from work-related stress? Learn more about employee burnout, the symptoms, and the prevention practices to focus on. Kathryn Mayer is HRE’s former benefits editor and chair of the Health & Benefits Leadership Conference. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Denver.

In terms of recruitment, a flexible model provides greater opportunity for diversity and inclusion. With remote work, Human Resources departments can hire international staff and people with disabilities, for whom going to an office may be difficult.

Remote work makes your organization more attractive to job seekers, as it represents an organizational commitment to a people-first culture and better work-life balance. And you can offer highly competitive salaries in less expensive markets, attracting top talent to your roles. The more candidates you can consider, the more selective your managers can be in making sure they choose the right person for the job.