Whenever we hear the term remote working, we directly attribute it to COVID-19, but that is not entirely true. Remote working was a popular concept way before COVID-19 disrupted out workplace. Many big companies such as Automatic (Parent Company of WordPress, Vault Press, amongst others) have employees working remotely across 60+ countries and are managing brilliantly.
Diane Gherson, Chief Human Resource Officer at IBM, says, “We are seeing an acceleration of the trend to democratize the workplace. During these last few months, digital technology has flattened hierarchies, with everyone connected and getting information at the same time, and so many channels for employee input and involvement in decision-making in real-time.”
So how is remote working more efficient? Let’s find out!
1. Pick the best talent.
Since there are no restrictions on location, you can now start recruiting from all over the globe. Pick the best candidate based on their talent and not the place they currently reside while also getting a decent salary. It is a win-win situation for both the parties, even the employees as they can now move back to their home town or travel the world while still working at their dream company with just the convenience of their laptop and a good WiFi connection.
David Sproul, Senior Partner & Chief Executive at Deloitte UK, talks about talent and ability regardless of working full time in the office or remote, he says, “We celebrate and promote people who work flexibly, recognizing that there is absolutely no difference between someone who is a mother working three days-a-week and a father who works term time. Promotion is about ability, not the number of hours you work.”
2. Reduces costs and carbon emissions
It reduces fixed costs concerning renting a space for an office or paying for electricity or even WiFi for that matter. The employees don’t need to spend money on commutes from work to
home and reduce their carbon footprint. They can now solely concentrate on the quality of work to deliver their best to the company without the workplace’s added stressors.
Mark W. Johnson and Josh Suskewicz, from Harvard Business Review, say “Even if remote work turns out to be less productive on some metrics than others, reducing carbon-based emissions or the improving work-life balance could make up for it.”
3. Increases diversity
We all find it challenging to incorporate diversity in our organizations since we are limited to a particular area. But with remote working, we can easily include this in our plan. With more people from different countries, we are now open to new ideas, more experiences and can craft better strategies and experiences for our customers.
Hayden Brown, CEO of Upwork said on diversity, “I can’t tell you the number of CEOs I talked to who are thinking, ‘I have to solve the diversity challenge in my business, and remote work is one of the key tools… We have to let go of this very office-centric culture and incorporate people who are in a lot of geographies.”
4. Offers flexibility
Remote working gives employees the flexibility to do their work on their terms. It gives people space, creativity and the quiet that they need to produce their best work. Offering an outstanding work-life balance to prioritize both work and our families, we don’t miss out on the crucial parts of life.
Richard Branson, Founder and Chairman of Virgin Group, gives his opinion on work from home, he said, “We like to give people the freedom to work where they want, safe in the knowledge that they have the drive and expertise to perform excellently, whether they [are] at their desk or in their kitchen. Yours truly has never worked out of an office, and never will.”
Final Thoughts
Remote working is paving the way for the future for companies worldwide. It is helping tremendously to cut costs and boost productivity in employees. Together we are working towards a new revolution of satisfying and fulfilling careers while living our best lives.
