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How Remote Work Benefits Employers And Employees
COVID-19 pandemic has forced remote work on almost every industry.Before coronavirus, employers and employees alike were already benefiting from remote work.
Whether you appreciate it or not, there is no denying that remote work is on the rise and here to stay.
How and why do people work remotely, and what are some common misunderstandings about remote work?
More so, how can employers or employees benefit from an offshore work arrangement?
In this article, we will answer those questions.
We will learn what remote work is.
And we and how it is benefiting companies and employees.
Let's get started.
#1. Who Is A Remote Worker?
A remote worker is also called a Telecommuter or teleworker.
A person who works with a remote device is a telecommuter, teleworker, or home sourced.
Another name used is a virtual worker or work-at-home-employee.
However, these terms are synonyms for one another.
And their use does not lose the basic definition of the terms.
A remote worker is a professional that works outside of a traditional office environment.
The logic behind remote work is that work does not necessarily need to be done in a specific location to be effective.
In other words, instead of commuting to an office every day from a designated desk, remote workers can execute their projects and surpass their goals away from the office.
The beauty of this arrangement is that employees have the flexibility to design their days so that their professional and personal lives can be experienced to their fullest potential and coexist peacefully.
Keep in mind that there are few differences in their specific meanings.
That means that if you intend to hire a remote worker, you should describe accurately the type of work environment that the person can expect.
Many companies define their remote work differently.
And the following specific definitions convey a more thorough understanding of the different types of remote work.
How Do You Understand Remote Job?
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A remote job is done away from the traditional office and in a remote location. The worker might decide to work from home, coffee shop, or any other place that the person may choose.
Depending on the kind of job, the workers might go to the office from time to time if it is geographically close to them.
A company might have a team of remote workers or a mix of office and remote workers.
Telecommuting Or Telework Job
A telecommuter has traded the traditional office commute for a home-based job.
Instead of the traditional commute, the worker gets the work done by telephone and computer.
It might interest you to know that most telecommuting jobs are from home offices.
Such jobs could be part-time or full-time, meaning that the employer may want you to be in the office for meetings or occasional face-time.
What About Virtual Jobs?
Have you heard of remote jobs called Virtual Administrative Assistant, Virtual Teacher, or Virtual Salesperson?
A virtual job is the type of telecommuting job where you most likely work 100 percent from home.
Home-Based Job
Home-based jobs are those jobs that you do from your home.
The flexibility in scheduling and also being able to work full-time or part-time makes home-based is particularly appealing.
Moreover, a job that is called home-based will be 100 percent done from your home without regular trips to the office for meetings and face-time.
What Does A Distributed Team Mean?
A distributed team means that the workers are in different geographical boundaries and time zones.
Distributed team members work from different locations and not physically together.
For the most part, distributed teams are remote workers who are together in a specific location.
Some workers might prefer being part of a distributed team since other employees are telecommuters.
And this makes communication easy and more streamlined.
#2. How Big Is Remote Work?
According to FlexJobs & Global Workplace Analytics report, there is a 159% Increase in remote work since 2005.
And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is responsible for such growth?
According to that same report quoted above, here is the reason:
“Talent shortages are fueling the growth of workplace flexibility right now.
Because not only is it one of the most sought-after benefits among job seekers today, it also expands the talent pool by allowing employers to hire the best and the brightest from around the world”.
However, with the coronavirus ravaging every part of the world with a devilish vengeance, resulting in a total shut down of cities and whole countries, many companies have been forced to go remote.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, brands have switched from traditional office environments to remote work.
So, embracing remote work is no longer an option for saving costs, retaining employees, and encouraging a healthy work-life balance, but the norm.
CNN says that the big tech companies are taking the lead in remote work.
Easily, Facebook, Google, Twitter and, Amazon have implemented remote working policies for many or all of their employees around the globe.
Others are following their lead.
However, not every job can have remote workers.
For instance, while restaurants can do their marketing remotely, they can not serve food remotely.
Why Do People Work Remotely?
Great question.
Now that you have a good understanding of what remote work is and how people make it happen every day, you may be wondering:
Why would a sane person choose to work outside of an office environment?
And, importantly, why would their boss let them?
There are many benefits to remote work for both employees and employers.
They range from increased productivity to happier, healthier workers.
Let’s break down a few of the advantages:
#3. How Remote Work Benefits Employers
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As you might have expected, there are tons of benefits inherent in hiring remote workers.
The benefits of remote employment for employers start with cost savings from the commute, less office space, and low utility bills.
Besides, depending on your corporate culture and employment policy, you can also save money on items such as health insurance, paid time off, and tech, thanks to bringing your device (BYOD).
Taking advantage of a flexible and scalable solution, you can add remote workers as needed by hiring them on a contract, per project, or permanent basis.
Moreover, the benefits of remote employment also include less quantifiable benefits such as recruiting and retention — and, yes, productivity.
Remote Work Saves Employers Money
Companies and organizations that implement a productive telecommuting or remote workforce are achieving remarkable savings in cost.
The average real estate savings with full-time teleworkers is $10,000 per employee per year. Savings come in the form of reduced super expensive office space costs, office supplies, and office equipment.
Remote Work Gives You Acess To The Best Global Talent
Remote work makes it possible for you to hire the best of the best while not limiting yourself by geographical restrictions.
That means that you can expand your talent pool to anywhere in the world.
More talented workers lead to an increase in productivity.
You get productivity increase because you now have people working in different time zones and can cover more hours in a day.
Add in the fact that more people want to work this way, and you have a powerful recruiting tool.
Remote Work Increases Global Talent Retention
The two most common challenges that most companies and organizations face are talent acquisition and retention.
Talent acquisition and retention have become increasingly challenging as Baby Boomers retire.
Last year, Millennials surpassed Boomers as the largest generation in the US labor force.
And this trend is playing out in most countries.
This shift presents an opportunity for employers to use remote work policies to make their firms appealing to these young professionals.
Millennials can be attracted, retained, and groomed into leaders like any other generation.
But they do have distinct values and interests that remote work flexibility provides.
Remote Work Increases Worker-Productivity
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Surprisingly, one of the main misconceptions about being a remote worker is that once employees are out of sight, they will slack off—big time.
Nothing could be further from the truth, though.
Remote work skyrockets productivity for home-based businesses and workers.
In other words, employees that telecommute, do more and better work than their counterparts at the office.
Importantly, office distractions like gossip, impromptu meetings, and dealing with the loudmouth of other employees are a non-issue.
Remote Work Is Eco-Friendly
Irrespective of how you get to work, by plane, train, automobile, or motorcycle, your commute is not environmentally friendly.
When you telecommute or work remotely, you help reduce the number of carbon emissions into the air.
People are more conscious of the cost of utilities when they pay the bills than when the employer pays.
At the office, it is not a problem printing 100 one-sided-page articles.
At home, you know better.
So you save on paper, you save on trees, and the environment benefits.
#4. How Remote Work Benefits Employees
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Employees Enjoy Flexible Lifestyle
One of the most important reasons why many people are choosing to work remotely is because it offers them a more flexible lifestyle than what they get from a traditional office work arrangement.
Since a remote worker is not required to be at the office at a set time, the employee can focus on the things that matter to her outside of the office.
For instance, a remote worker who is also a parent has the flexibility to start work earlier in the day so that she can be present when her kids get home from school.
She may even choose to take time off during the day for a doctor’s appointment.
With such awesome flexibility in scheduling, if a remote worker wants to further her education in her chosen field, she could pursue her continuing education course during the day and double down on her work in the evening, or vice versa.
One of the most appreciated benefits of remote work for employees is that the flexibility allows the workers to take a vacation when they need it and work when and where they are most productive.
It provides employees with the ultimate balance between their personal and professional lives that traditional office work does not.
Workers With Physical Disabilities Can Work Remotely
Some awesome and talented people are physically disabled.
The best way to get these people with amazing talent is for them to work for you remotely.
As you can imagine, it is not easy for people with disabilities to commute, and allowing them to telecommute is the greatest perk that an employer can offer them.
It is hard to find a job in many countries and it is even harder for a worker with a disability to find a job. If one applies for a remote work position, usually the disabilities of an employee are not even considered, and it helps job seekers to start on a more even line.
After this, it all comes down to the qualifications and experience, not the disabilities of the person.
Remote Workers Are More Productive
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It should not surprise you that not everybody is most productive between the hours of 9 to 5.
Some people are more productive at night than they are during the daytime hours.
Some of your team members will be night owls, who produce their best work while the rest of the world is asleep.
Other employees may be morning larks, whose productivity comes before the sun rises.
Therefore, the success of remote work employment is the ability to hire the right people.
Benefits Of Not Commuting
Who likes to be stuck in traffic every day?
Going through airport or train checkpoints is also very stressful and counter-productive.
Besides, long commutes make people miserable.
This stress is more pronounced for people commuting in mega-cities like Lagos, Mumbai, or New Your.
In fact, according to Swedish researchers, a commute longer than 45 minutes for just one partner in a marriage makes the couple 40 percent more likely to divorce.
Further, commuting leads to weight gain increased stress, loneliness, and causes pain in the neck.
Happier employees are more productive employees.
That is why hiring remote employees can improve your bottom line.
Health Benefits
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Remote workers can stay away from junk food easier than traditional employees.
People who work from home eat less junk food than people who work at the office.
Since a telecommuter is at home, it is much easier to eat healthy while striking a manageable work-life balance.
When a person eats healthier and spends more quality time working from she experiences less stress.
And this makes for a happier productive workday.
Interestingly, a 2011 study by Staples found that employees who worked from home experienced 25 percent less stress.
They were also able to maintain a better work-life balance, as well as eat healthier.
Where To Find Remote Workers Or Where To Look For Remote Work
Are you interested in finding outsourced workers or are you looking for a job as a telecommuter?
You already know that just as there are job sites for specific industries, there are also job sites for people who specialize in working remotely.
You can also post jobs and projects directly to your target audience.
A few of the job search sites for remote work that we recommend are:
#5. Conclusion
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From this article, you've learned that remote work benefits employees by increased flexibility to work when and where they want.
On the other hand, employers enjoy increased worker productivity and savings.
But, before you jump into the remote work bandwagon, your company must take a look at your current office culture, the size of your team, and business goals.
As an employer, ask and get answers to the following questions:
- What goals have you set for your remote teams?
- Do you have workplace equipment, great internet, laptop, technology to conduct video conferences for seamless remote work?
- Have you established programs that engage remote employees in the company culture and make them feel included in the day-to-day business?
- Your consideration of those questions will determine the success of your remote workforce.
On the other hand, if you're an employee before you accept a job as a remote worker, consider your work-life boundaries.
Candidly and sincerely, 'can you make it as a remote worker? Can you plan your days and work your plan?
Is my company technologically enabled to support my working remotely?”
As an employee, think, ask questions before you make your move.
More than a mere workplace trend produced by the coronavirus, the concept of working from anywhere at any time is the state of work going forward.
Now is the time for employers and employees to embrace the new world of work and to consider and appreciate the benefits of working remotely.
Work for us as remote workers.
Or hire us as your remote copywriting agency.
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