It is safe to say that 2020 has provided a big learning opportunity for most of us. But as the great resignation continues is working in pajamas the new standard? 18% of all employees already work remotely, and it seems that the number will only go up.
While some companies cannot wait to bring employees back to their office desks, others are open for remote office jobs to stay. If you are excited to see your headquarters crowded again, you might want to reconsider. According to recent surveys, 58% of workers say they will look for a new job if they are not allowed to work remotely after the pandemic. And 99% of workers want to work remotely at least for some time during their careers.
Many big companies are already fully remote. Automattic, the company behind WordPress, is one of many remote first tech companies employing over 1400 people and allowing them to work from anywhere. Other companies are taking advantage of the hybrid approach, allowing more and more employees to work remotely while still keeping some office hubs in big cities.
Many major players are counting on such an increasingly remote workplace, notably Amazon, Spotify, or Toptal. And if Amazon thinks it is a good idea, there might be something to it.
Remote work is not only a bullet point in your list of employee benefits, it can also help your company be more competitive and improve your bottom line.
Yes, you can actually save money; just consider all the office-related expenses. To have the luxury of having an office space, you need to pay rent, utilities, and sponsor your employees’ caffeine addiction with a ton of free coffee.
Despite common worries, you can also improve productivity, By saving your employees all the unnecessary commute time and letting them sleep in a little longer, you can give them a measurable productivity boost. A recent study by the University of Chicago found that remote work can improve productivity by 5%. And do not forget that skipping that daily commute will help the environment as well!
In some cities, finding a talented software developer can prove to be a nearly impossible task. By offering work from home tech jobs and remote opportunities to all your employees, candidates from all over the world can discover your company. This way you can hire the best talents from all over the world and attract employees that will perfectly match your needs. You might even realize your “unicorn” has been out there the whole time, just in a different time zone.
Beyond the recruitment process, remote work will help you with employee retention as well. Those working remotely are 87% more likely to enjoy their jobs and therefore more likely to stay. The success of any company depends on its employees, so it is crucial to find the best team possible.
Maybe you are already considering giving remote work a try, but you are doubting whether it is the right step for you.
If it is possible for so many companies out there, why not give it a try? If you are feeling overwhelmed, research beforehand, start slow, and give it time. You can always hire one remote employee or a small team to get started. This way, you can experiment with remote working before you get the whole company excited about Monday meetings from bed.
When you are ready to take the first step, there are some things you should keep in mind. Remote work will differ from your usual office days, but having the right tools and mindset will keep you on the right track.
Remote work can be for everyone, but every company is still different. Determine the positions that can be remote (think most remote computer jobs) and identify the goals you want to achieve by implementing remote work. Are there positions that require showing up in the office? Think about how you can offer a more flexible schedule, perhaps in the form of one day of home office per week.
There are countless products that can help you manage your team. Make sure to use tools such as Zoom, Slack, or Discord, for efficient communication. Project management software like Asana, Hive, or Trello can be the key to managing work tasks and keeping everyone on the same page. Consider also teaching your employees how to adapt to remote work; you can provide courses or other materials such as remote work policy checklist to ensure everyone is working as efficiently as possible. Further, it's important stay up to date on virtual workplace trends to ensure the best experience for your employees. Implement a home office technology strategy so employees can stay in the loop regarding tools and upgrades needed for them to remain successful.
Instead of scheduling every single step for your employees, let them manage their own responsibilities. You should be able to trust that your team will get the work done to the best of their ability. When it comes to tech, Scrum has already shown us that small, self-managing teams are quick and efficient at completing tasks.
A lack of communication can be a true struggle for remote teams. Make sure to use recurring meetings to check the status of all projects and ensure that nobody has run into any trouble. Focus on clearly defining tasks, expectations, and deadlines.
Working from home might get lonely at times and your employees could miss some office gossip and get-togethers for lunch every now and then. Don’t forget about including some fun activities with your team, maybe a weekly quiz or a virtual after-work beer.
Take time to adapt. Working remotely is new for most of us and not always easy, so make sure to take some time to adapt to this new virtual workplace. While challenging, remote work can be the key to finding the best employees and reaching your company’s goals, so don’t miss out!
Here at Cerecaptio we are believers in the benefits of remote work. Our company is fully remote and we are pros at recruiting the best remote talents for your business. We partner with international brands helping them to scale by offering our complete RPO solutions around talent acquisition. With the quick, flexible connect and scale methodology, we enable our customers to grow at a fast pace by connecting our dedicated talent partners as a part of their teams for the time needed. We exist to make recruitment easy. Click here to learn more about our services.