With the emergence of new technologies that allow most people to work remotely from wherever they are, more and more companies are letting their employees work from home. Similarly, many companies hire freelancers that live in different countries across the globe. Others are toying with the idea of letting a few of their employees work remotely because they know remote workers can actually boost overall productivity.
If you find yourself doubting the effectiveness of remote working, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Remote workers go the extra mile
Remote working doesn’t mean your team is at home in their pajamas, doing absolutely nothing and expecting a paycheck. Remote workers are arguably more productive than their on-site colleagues.
Why? Because most remote employees love the flexibility their job offers them. They are ready to finish their tasks in a timely manner and willing to go the extra mile because they want to prove their companies made the right decision to hire them.
Telecommuting studies suggest, “Regular work-at-home, among the non-self-employed population, has grown by 140% since 2005, nearly 10x faster than the rest of the workforce or the self-employed.”
In another survey, when asked whether they would be more productive working remotely or in a traditional office space, 66% of respondents said they’d be more productive in a home office.
Remote workers know time is money
A busy on-site employee doesn’t necessarily translate into productivity. Many business owners confuse busy employees with those that actually get work done. Remote workers don’t glorify being “busy”. They understand time is money. They are more efficient, productive, and arguably many of them work smarter. Moreover, they don’t spend time commuting, so they can use that time to focus on their work.
More work and less water cooler gossip
Remote workers are less distracted than their in-office peers. For most employees, the workplace gives them a chance to catch up with colleagues, which has its pros and cons. Water cooler conversations and back-to-back meetings can substantially impact productivity.
According to a 2016 CareerBuilder study, 39% of employees say that gossip is one of the top distractions at work. Meetings and noisy coworkers are also part of the list, 24% and 20% respectively. Remote workers, on the other hand, have to manage less distractions at home. Thanks to their schedule flexibility, they are also less stressed, and more inspired to work from wherever.
Spend less time and money on recruiting
Many startups and small businesses have a hard time finding local top talent. As a result they spend a lot of time, money, and energy on the recruiting process. But when companies are open to hiring remote employees and freelancers, they can speed up the hiring process, access top talent and make hiring more productive.
These are just a few reasons why remote workers are the right choice for many large and small businesses alike. Work flexibility can increase productivity, boost morale and decrease employee turnover. Admittedly, not all employees and roles are the right fit for remote working. However, the benefits of flexible work options are clear for both businesses and workers. And as more companies embrace these options, life gets better for everyone.
Vedat Shehu is the Marketing Manager at Solaborate, a communication platform that provides collaboration tools. Connect with @solaborate on Twitter.
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