The Makings of a Hybrid Workplace
If you are like tens of thousands of individuals in 2020, then you may have had to switch to some type of remote work. Though working from home was an unexpected and difficult reality to switch to, many businesses actually saw an increase in productivity after the switch. Now, working from home has become the new normal, and there are plenty of reasons why savvy employers are deciding to maintain this type of work environment for their employees. There are various reasons why remote working is beneficial for both employees and employers.
Less Commute Time
Employees can greatly benefit from the time that they can save when they work from home. This means that employees who work remotely are able to work earlier or later at times. It also means that they are able to work with more comfort and less stress. Long commutes to work are highly stressful for employees. When they arrive to work, they are stressed and agitated and the same thing occurs when they have to drive back home. Apart from that, when your employees are able to work remotely, they are doing something good for the environment. They are not adding to the pollution in the air, and they are also not using gas. There is a huge cost saving as well; your employees will save big on gas and tolls, and there will also be less wear and tear on their vehicles.
Not only is the daily commute time for your employees reduced to almost nothing, but with remote workers, you have much greater access to the national and even international workforce. This will allow you to access qualified employees. They can be sourced all across the country and be recruited to work for your company. This capability not only allows you as an employer to access higher quality employees, but it offers these employees the opportunity to get a great job without having to relocate for it.
Retention of Great Employees
When seasoned employees make a physical move to a new location, this generally means that they are going to have to find a new job. All of this changes when they are working in a hybrid workplace. These same employees are able to communicate and connect with their colleagues and clients digitally. This is a huge benefit for employees and employers. It can be a challenge to find and retain great employees, so if you already have a great team, you do not want to lose any of them. This same line of reasoning is true for employees who decide to start a family. Instead of quitting a job, a new mom or dad may be willing to work from home with a different schedule.
Digital Efficiency
The more digital infrastructure you have to support a successful work from home team, the more success that team will have. That’s why it’s important to keep up-to-date meeting and organizational software on everyone’s computers. Great employees need efficient and effective management structures, don’t make the mistake of thinking your business can just switch to Google Docs one day and call yourselves a remote business. You need integrated systems that can allow the entire team to quickly communicate with each other, and you need to establish an online community amongst your employees. Traditional business considerations such as company culture, are not lost when it comes to remote working. Employees still want to know they are a part of a company that is good and they enjoy being a part of.
Flexible Schedules
More and more employees are demanding more flexibility in their schedules. This is because they want to be able to spend more time with their families, and outside of work. There are employees who may not want to work a standard 9 to 5 job five days a week. When you offer your employees remote work, they can have a schedule that is more flexible. This may mean that you give them a certain amount of work that they have to be responsible for, and they are able to finish the work by your deadline in their own time. This is a great way to make employees happy, and it also gives them more freedom when it comes to their work assignments. When your employees have more flexibility in their schedule, they are more willing to stay at their current position instead of seeking out new opportunities.
Performance On Productivity
Remote working often allowed employees and employers the opportunity to offer more flexible schedules to their employees as well. What businesses are really seeing is a move away from success and performance based on hours worked. Instead, an employee’s performance is based on the quality of the work done and their level of productivity. All this means is that now there is more trust between employers and employees with the move to remote work. There is more trust and less pressure on the employee to actively perform in a workspace. Instead, they are motivated by their work ethic to get the job done at home. The results of this trust experiment? Positive! Employees are much more productive from their own homes. Flexible schedules will show your employees that you trust them to get their work done. It will also show you value their work-life balance. Now that the pandemic makes life more and more unpredictable, employees need their leaders to show them that they understand their situations. Flexible schedules are a great opportunity for employees to reach that balance.
Less Expense for Employers
Maintaining a brick-and-mortar location for employees to work can be extremely expensive. Apart from that, as an employer, you have to pay for all of the equipment that you allow your employees to use on a daily basis. When employees are offered remote options, they are responsible for their own equipment. Also, of course, there is no overhead for the employer when it comes to office space. This is a huge benefit for any employer, and employees get the benefit of being at home as well; they can create their own office space according to their own preference. And, they can still use a digital interface to connect with colleagues.
No More Corporate Offices
If you’re a part of a business that needs brick-and-mortar locations, there are still opportunities to save on this overhead. You can switch all of your corporate and e-commerce teams to remote work positions. Only keep the retail space workers as in-person employees. There will always be positions that cannot be remote. By implementing strong safety regulations for those that have to remain in the store, you can benefit from remote working. Getting rid of those office spaces that are just used to house corporate pencil pushers or sales teams. Anyone who has to work at a computer can most likely be relocated to remote work.
Remote Working is Here to Stay
The year 2020 has changed the world when it comes to the way that we work and live. There have been obvious huge benefits that have become evident when it comes to a more remote working environment. Since it is clear that remote working can be beneficial for employers and employees, there is no doubt that this trend is here to stay.
