As many companies and small businesses adopted an online-first approach, the world witnessed how easily quickly they could adapt to a different, more efficient way of life.
Studies and surveys show that employees want the option to work from home. While not necessarily all the time, surveys prove that employees want the flexibility that comes from working at home for a variety of reasons: to take care of family, to work in a comfortable place that allows privacy, and to schedule appointments for things like going to the doctor at times that don’t affect their work.
It’s no surprise that even with the world returning to a relative sense of normal, many companies are choosing to keep a predominantly remote workforce.
In this article, you’ll learn about the tools you’ll need to take your business remote and the benefits of doing so.
The Tools Businesses Need to Offer Remote Work
The basic tools for working from home include hardware and software. Your workforce will need laptops, desks, chairs, reliable internet connection, video, and phone conferencing services, CRM access, data, and word processing applications, and more.
Employers should consider providing and/or supporting employees in procuring these necessary items. The most important software for working from home is the conferencing tools, as these will be the key tools for collaboration and checking in with people.
While there are many well-known options, FreeConferenceCall.com offers everything businesses need at once: videoconferencing, screen sharing, VoIP, international connections, meeting recording, and secure access to conferences. As the name suggests, many of the tools are free, saving you money. Meanwhile, its excellent customer service team saves you time with integration.
Besides these technologies, employees may need guidance on work expectations and encouragement to stay connected with their coworkers. In-person work events need to be part of every remote-working strategy.
With hybrid working models, an in-office setup will be different too. There can be fewer office spaces available, reducing the amount of space needed. Instead, more energy and time can go into community areas that support building connections.
What’s to Gain with Remote Work
The research behind remote working productivity has exploded with the experiences of 2020. Whereas employers and some workers lamented the loss of in-person connection, productivity and general happiness increased among workforces.
Take this article’s findings:
- Remote workers add three weeks of productive workdays per year
- Remote workers only lose 27 minutes to distractions vs. 37 minutes in-office
- Remote workers spend only 28 minutes on non-work conversations vs. 66 minutes
In conclusion, workers save time and money on commuting when working remotely. This practice promotes improved mental health for those who can eliminate lengthy commutes in heavy traffic.
Remote employees have time to work out and take care of their life needs, which promotes their mental health. They can cook meals at home, instead of rushing to get takeout near the office.
Prospective employees and existing workers want the freedom to manage their work-life balance. Granting that freedom will help them feel included and cared for, which boosts morale.
In this Owl Labs 2020 survey, 72 percent of respondents agreed that working from home would make them less stressed, while 77 percent said it would make their work-life balance more manageable. Also in this survey, 92 percent of respondents expected to work remotely at least once a week.
These numbers reveal that workers want to embrace work-from-home businesses, which means that traditional office employers will lose their talent if they don’t adapt. It seems plain that the benefits of offering remote work outshine the potential losses, even with the difficulties of new technologies, workflows, and culture.
Working From Home is the Future, Don’t Get Left Behind
Business owners might feel like they’re losing touch with their workers, that innovation won’t be possible, or even that they’re losing control of their workforce. These challenges are valid, but technology, training, and strategy can resolve them.
And as this Microsoft study found, a hybrid or remote work model increases your talent pool. With a work-from-home strategy, businesses can attract and retain the talent they didn’t have access to before.
All this data on remote working is compelling businesses to adopt new practices and ideas. To remain competitive in this new work model, business owners need to be flexible and willing to try new approaches for their workers. Businesses that don’t will be left without excellent talent, or face constant losses.
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