Some see it as a one-time thing and others refer to it as the future of work as we know it. Working from home, remote employees, freelancing, outsourcing…There are hundreds of ways to describe the era that introduces us to a new way of working. And just like that, there are people who think that these new workers just cannot do things because they don’t know the business. However, the truth is that remote work not only exists – it is exponentially increasing year by year.
According to a forecast of employment trends by the World Economic Forum, remote employees are one of the biggest drivers of transformation in the workplace. Another pollfound that even 37% of American workers have worked remotely at some point in their careers. The number of employees who worked remotely 4 to 5 days according to a Gallup survey rose from 24% in 2012 to 31% in 2016 all leading us to the fact that working remotely is not anymore a trend but a reality for both individuals and businesses.
But what are the benefits we can expect from such a reality?
1. Increased Worker Productivity
We can all agree that not every worker has the same vantage point from the prism of effectiveness and productivity. Just like that remote employees focus on getting the job done instead of procrastinating. According to a recent survey bySurePayroll 86% of the remote workers said that working alone to hit the maximum productivity is something that they prefer over an 8-hour shift.
2. Decreased Costs
If employees are working remotely employers are saving on overhead, infrastucture, equipment and labor costs. Most of these costs are substantial and the savings for companies hiring remote workers are even greater! Wondering why?
Well, it is all about real estate, electricity and salaries – which aren’t a problem as soon as remote work is considered. The remote jobs are a reality now more than ever and this article listing all the companies hiring remote workers is a solid proof for that.
3. Workers Feel More Connected
Remote jobs allow workers to be more connected and able to simultaneously finish different tasks and streamline their day-to-day work duties. Additionally, there is no need for any substantial equipment to be invested and most outsourcing vendors have all the necessary connections, robust technology and resources available to connect to their clients as if they were local in their office.
4. Avoiding The Stress Of Turnover And Training
Did you know that the average employer typically sees 35-50% annual attrition each year. That is a sunk cost that really hurts the bottom line in many ways not just financially. Keeping employees engaged and motivated to do their jobs at the local level is very difficult to do considering the constant need to get more. When you utilize an outsourcing vendor it eliminates the need to worry about such things and allowing you to focus on your core business. Tri Source InternationalCEO Matt Reeser says ” Companies today more than ever need to focus their energy on growing their business and effectively managing the core tasks that they have. The ability to pass along the entry and mid-level tasks to an outsource vendor will not only save on costs but also increase theirproductivity rates substantially.”
In the end, there are many more benefits we can add to remote work – such as reduced employee turnover, access to global talent, cost savings etc. The point here is hiring remote workers is a strategy for all businesses to better leverage time, talent, cost and production. It is no longer a secondary thought for executives but rather an ongoing trend that continues to grow year over year and those who embrace it as a core principle are seeing great results.