7 Benefits Of Working Remotely That Can Make Everyone Happy
Updated: Oct 28, 2020
In 2015, after many years in the Corporate world, many of us started dreaming of working remotely. For me, the most difficult part of the corporate world was office politics, as well as dealing with difficult personalities, specially with senior managers who weren't ashamed of shouting to show their superiority (which wasn't). I always dreamed of finding a workplace where employees would come to work and be appreciated for the work they were delivering, for the efforts made, and the initiatives taken. Unfortunately, it's an Utopia, people use the workplace to acquire a status and a position to use power over others. For me, the goal was always to learn more, acquire knowledge and know how, not to delegate work, or having more employees under me...
This is why working remotely was the perfect solution for me, as I could just focus on my work without being affected by all the social aspects of the workplace (the jungle). But with the culture of not trusting and controlling the employees, the dream faded away. Managers preferred to have their staff under their nose even if they were not productive. Now with the pandemic paralyzing all the workplaces, I am pleased to see that this way of working is (almost) the only solution. Although managers are still afraid to lose control over employees, it seems like employees are getting their freedom again to just do their work. As the pandemic has affected all sectors and all businesses, it is quite funny to see how working from home can benefit employees and employers. I will explain below the 7 business benefits that employers can enjoy.
Working Remotely from anywhere
1- Increase Productivity
Although the common belief is that employees who work from home are less productive, a study from Stanford showed that employees work more as they are less distracted by co-workers. This makes sense as employees are not encouraged to take 5 cigarette breaks, or gossip about X or Y.
2- Cost Savings
Less office space means less rent and a savings on the utilities bills. It can even reduce expenses on coffee, drinking water, stationery, cleaning services, ink and paper... The savings can be significant and cutting staff costs wont be the first action to take if the activity doesn't peak up quickly.
3- Reduce Absence
Due to personal issues, employees have to come late to work or not come for the whole day. With this solution, employees can work from home and be sick or take care of a sick child. It is also the perfect solution to avoid commuting from a city to another, waste time on the roads and arrive at work, tired and stressed.
4- Improve retention
It can even be a non monetary benefit for the employees, to attract them and retain them. This way of working offers more flexibility, freedom and a better work life balance.
5- Longer working hours
Employees won't have to leave earlier to pick up the children from school or to avoid being stuck in traffic when commuting. This gives them more time to work.
6- Improve processes
Telecommuting has the power to show the flaws in the processes, and it will show duplication of tasks. It acts as a magnifying glass, it exposes delays, repetitions, and errors that need to be assessed, rectified and improved using business process management.
7- Boost Ideation
One of the greatest advantages of working remotely is that time is not wasted on useless meetings and communication is simplified. This allows employees to have time to think about new ideas, and can suggest them freely without being judged or feeling embarrassed.
I am sure that more and more companies will finally realize the monetary and non monetary benefits of working remotely. I agree that the shift can't be done overnight ( although we had too because of the pandemic), but mentalities and company cultures should evolve. Even if it is for few days a week or for 30% to 40% of the total workforce, this a good way to help women coming back to work after maternity leave, or to achieve a better work life balance, for example. For the ones that still have a hard time trusting their employees or require total control, it is possible to set productivity goals and conduct frequent progress check ins. Feel free to contact us if you require further clarifications or have a question.