There has been a massive boost in remote working in recent years. As a result, many companies have had to rethink the traditional office-based work environment. While we’re all familiar with the work-life balance benefits of remote working for employees, there are also huge benefits of remote working or flexible working for employers. Read on to explore some of the key advantages of remote work for employers.
9 Advantages of Remote Work for Employers
If you’re an employer considering providing remote work for your employees, we’ve compiled a list of 9 business benefits. Offering employees remote work is one of the best ways to make your business more attractive to candidates, in particular, career changers. Here’s a closer look.
1. Increased Productivity
One of the major causes for concern among employers is whether their employees will be as productive when working remotely. Employers worry that they won’t be able to supervise their employees in the same way, guaranteeing that they meet their targets.
The good news is that studies show that, for the most part, remote working actually yields greater productivity levels from employees.
These studies show that employees spend more time working and have fewer distractions when working remotely. They take fewer coffee breaks and spend less time socialising with their colleagues. All in all, they are more productive and spend more time on the work at hand.
2. Improved Performance
Not only are employees more productive with their work, but they also produce better work when working from home.
One study shows that employees had 40% fewer quality defects in their work when working remotely. For employers, this means that they can spend more time generating vital revenue for the business and less time correcting errors.
3. Employee Retention
With employee turnover at an all-time high over recent years, employee retention has become a vital cog in the business wheel. Growing a business takes a massive hit when time needs to be spent training up new employees. With 54% of employees saying they’d switch jobs if they were offered the choice to work remotely, providing this option is a sure-fire way to improve employee retention.
There are many reasons why employees change jobs, such as relocation, financial issues and family responsibilities. Providing employees with the option of remote working gives them the flexibility to deal with life changes without having to change jobs. It also shows that, as an employer, you value employees’ work-life balance.
4. Employee Happiness
It’s no secret that employees do their best work when they’re happy. It’s the same for everyone. If you’re unhappy in your job, you’ll inevitably perform at a lower level. And studies show that employees are happier when they work from home.
According to Owl Labs report on remote working, when asked whether they were happy in their jobs, 77% of people who were working remotely said they were happy versus only 55% of those working in traditional offices.
Employees who are offered remote working opportunities are happier for many reasons. They have increased job flexibility and they don’t have to commute to and from work on a daily basis. This means that they get to spend more time with their loved ones and on their hobbies. They also have greater savings at the end of the month. All-in-all, happy employees are better employees.
5. Healthier Employees
Having healthier employees is a win-win. Being healthy means that you can live a longer, happier life. When your employees are healthy, they take fewer sick days.
A reduction in stress and increased job flexibility has a dramatic effect on employees’ health. Thanks to this flexibility, employees are able to better look after themselves. They can attend medical appointments, replace commuting time with exercise, and also take care of their mental health.
Less absenteeism and fewer sick days lead to increased revenue for the business.
6. Decreased Operating Costs
Productivity and cost are two things that affect the bottom line for employers. So, how can providing remote working help save money?
Well, the most important factor is the reduction of office space. With fewer employees working in the office, employers no longer need to rent large office spaces. This leads to savings on energy bills, leasing costs, and office furniture and supplies. Cutting back on these overheads allows for money to be invested in other, more growth-centred areas of the business.
7. Larger Talent Pool
By offering opportunities for remote working, employers are also opening up their recruitment search to a much wider group of people. This means they are able to access candidates who may be interested in working for them but do not necessarily live within commuting distance of the business.
This is especially helpful for somebody wanting to change their career or leave a job they’re unhappy in. Remote working means they are not restricted to searching for a job in their local area. This increases their chances of finding the best job for them.
8. Less Impact on the Environment
The traditional office-based work environment is more damaging to the environment. Employees must commute to the office on a daily basis which increases fossil fuel consumption. Office equipment such as printers and paper usage also has a negative impact on the environment. On top of that, energy consumption in office spaces is much higher, with air-conditioning units being a significant contributor to global warming.
When employees are offered remote working flexibility, employers can dramatically reduce their negative environmental impact.
9. Technology Benefits
Over recent times, the digitalisation of companies has increased considerably. In fact, a recent study by McKinsey shows that digitalisation has been accelerated by an astonishing seven years. When employers provide remote working opportunities, they’re forced into adapting to this rapid change.
Remote workers are tech-savvy and are capable of finding more intelligent and efficient solutions out of sheer necessity. Countless remote working collaborative tools have been created. These make it possible to work with people from all over the world in real time on the same project.
This technological change allows companies to continue to grow and to reach people they would never have been able to reach before.
Key Takeaways
In summary, providing remote work to employees has a long list of advantages. Of course, some aspects like cybersecurity and employee onboarding may become slightly more complicated, but the advantages of remote work for employers definitely outweigh the disadvantages.
Interested in finding out more? Our website has a wealth of resources for employers. Be sure to also check out our services page for information on advertising on our specialist jobs board, creating a company profile, and more.
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