Remote Work is Here to Stay
As day-to-day working individuals, we have been through the ringer over the past two or so years and it's impacted our work, workplace and how we conduct business. This doesn't mean it's a bad thing, instead we've found more comfortable ways to get the job done and might we add, more efficiently and effectively at that!
According to Casey Rue - a member of Forbes - recent studies show that when your teams work from home, they might actually be more productive than when they are in the office. We're sorry to be those people, but let's dive into the numbers for statistical purposes to find out exactly how working from home has affected "normal" operations (as we know, sometimes numbers do speak louder than words):
One 2015 Stanford study published in the Quarterly Journal of Economics suggests that working from home can improve performance by 13% in the first nine months away from the office.
Another study conducted by Harvard Business School in 2021 showed that "work from anywhere" arrangements that allow employees to move away from the geographical location of the office increase productivity by an additional 4.4%.
A report by Buffer and AngelList called the “2020 State of Remote Work,” showed 98% of people would like to work remotely at least some of the time and 97% of people would recommend remote work to others.
And lastly, according to the latest government data, about 7.1% of workers did their jobs remotely because of the pandemic.
These are pretty impressive outcomes, but as a business owner that might be considering moving all operations to a remote form, we know you may have some doubts. We suggest clearing your mind of all worries and try to focus on what you, your colleagues and the business want to achieve. It all comes down to DELIVERABLES from your staff. How then do you make remote working work for you and your company? It's simple really:
Remote working flourishes and works wonders when you assign work to each team member while setting reasonable expectations for delivery timelines.
It's important to keep track and make sure your team gets the work done. Whether the work happens in the middle of the night or in fits and spurts during the day doesn't necessarily matter. Trust in your employees will be tested here. As they say, "Inspect what you expect."
Communication is key and social bonds with your team cannot slip. By simply starting each day with a check-in message, making sure your team knows when you're available for a quick chat or video call, written chats, emails and checklists are great for communicating asynchronously.
With these small bits of effort everyone shares a sense that you're working together, even from afar. As we work toward the future, we know how uncertain life can be and that's why there is never a better time than the present to find out if remote working will work for you and your staff. Not only production wise but mentally, emotionally and psychologically - for your entire team.
Need support with your recruiting operations and remote work preferences - we'd be happy to connect with you. Feel free to send us a message at workwithus@iteomtalent.com.
Relevant articles: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/05/20/remote-working-the-new-normal/ https://emailanalytics.com/remote-work-statistics/#:~:text=1.%2098%20percent%20of%20people%20would%20like%20to,of%20people%20would%20recommend%20remote%20work%20to%20others https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/remote-works-new-normal-5906514/
ITEOM Digital Technology Talent Partners is a trusted partner when it comes to finding great talent. We work with hiring managers to help them identify, interview, assess and onboard great talent. Equally, we work with candidates to help them align their purpose and passion with top employers. The interview process is hugely important in making sure your candidate and employer experience is exceptional. Need recruiting support? Reach out at workwithus@iteomtalent.com.