10 Benefits of Remote Working for Employers and Employees

Working remotely has become a popular choice for many these days because remote workers now prefer working from their comfort space rather than going to an office daily. As traditional office walls turn into pixelated videos on screens, remote work emerges as more than a trend. It's a transformative force that has empowered both employers and employees. 
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There’s a lot of data to show how normalized remote working has become. Almost 12.7% of full-time workers work from home, while 28.2% have adapted to a hybrid model. There is more! Approximately 98% of employees desire to work remotely for the rest of their lives. 

Employees are not the only ones shifting to the dynamic trend. Of course, the pandemic transformed how companies worked when everything went online during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, employers and employees began understanding how remote work works once everyone settled in. 

About 16% of companies operate remotely, and 69.9% plan more remote work in the following years. But what is driving the surge in remote working? This article will help you learn the benefits of remote working and how to make it more effective for your business. So, read ahead!

5 Benefits of Remote Working for Employers

Here are the advantages of remote working to understand its impact on your business:

1. Broader Pool of Talent

Remote work does not confine you to your geographical boundaries. It allows you to access a diverse and wide-ranging talent pool worldwide.

You can find suitable candidates for the roles and build a competent, dedicated team that fosters innovation through different perspectives.

2. Cost-effective

Saving money is among the attractive benefits of remote working for employers. You can save around $11,000 annually for each employee who works from home sometimes.

Further, it allows you to tap into a wider talent pool without necessitating relocation packages. You can even leverage seamless HR platforms to save on recruitment and onboarding costs and manage your global team.

3. Reduced Office Politics and Bias

Discrimination and biases, unfortunately, still exist in the workplace. In fact, around 61% of employees in the U.S. experienced workplace discrimination in 2022. 

Remote working promotes a more equitable and inclusive work environment. Employees are evaluated based on their work output rather than their physical presence. It can help reduce office politics and biases in a traditional office setting.

4. Increased Productivity and Performance

Distractions in a busy office may hamper productivity. Remote working gives employees the flexibility to create their own optimal work environments where they find it easier to focus without interruptions. Consequently, it results in increased productivity and better performance.

Several studies also show remote workers work an extra day weekly and are 47% more productive. 

5. Improved Diversity and Inclusion

Companies that promote inclusion and diversity are 35% more likely to outperform their competitors. Remote working is an excellent way to form a diverse and inclusive workforce.

It enables you to benefit from the skills of individuals who face barriers to traditional office work. You can thus enhance and boost creativity and problem-solving within the company.

5 Benefits of Remote Working for Employees

Remote working has gained significant traction as a viable and adaptable mode of employment. Given below are the top benefits a remote employee enjoys

1. Flexible Work Schedule

Compressed workweeks and flexible working hours may seem a fad. But around 70% of employees find a job with flexible working more attractive. Remote working facilitates a flexible work schedule.

It allows employees to integrate their professional and personal lives. The flexibility over work hours allows them to work when they feel productive, leading to job satisfaction.

2. A Customizable Office

One of the benefits of remote working for employees is being able to create a home office. They can choose their desk setup and personalize their workspace according to their comfort and productivity.

The level of customization can help them focus better and create a more conducive work environment. And it collectively enhances the overall remote working experience where you can also travel simultaneously and get your me-time.

3. Lower Cost of Living

An average American commuter spends $5,000 yearly on their daily commute. And it is without adding the rent and other expenses! Remote work cuts the expense of moving to a different city for a high-paying job.

Now, employees can earn adequate pay without leaving their homes. It allows them to be more financially independent and save money for other purposes like retirement.

4. Time-efficient

Not only does remote working save money, but it also saves your employees valuable time and reduces stress. A study proved that remote working habits save 72 minutes daily, which equals 8 hours and 4 minutes weekly.

Your employees can put the extra time into personal activities, leisure or even focus more on work-related tasks. It ultimately leads to increased productivity.

5. Access to More Opportunities

Remote work offers employees access to a broader range of job opportunities beyond their geographical location as they do not have to travel. It allows you to work for companies that align better with your skills and preferences, regardless of where those companies are located.

The Environmental Impact of Remote Working

The benefits of remote work for employees mostly center around increased productivity and a better work-life balance. In addition to the advantages to employers and employees, it provides one more thing—a positive impact on the environment!

Saving time, money, and energy to reach the office is among the significant advantages of remote working. And say what, merely working from home reduces the carbon footprint of your employees. Here are a few ways how remote work helps you make a difference:

• Reduced urban commuting helps protect natural areas from urban sprawl and development.
• Less office use contributes to lower consumption of materials like paper, supplies, and water and saves resources.
• Remote work helps alleviate traffic congestion, leading to less time wasted in traffic and lower emissions.
• Reduced urban expansion and office development can help protect natural habitats and biodiversity in and around urban areas.
• Diminished office lighting needs and reduced street lighting during non-peak hours can contribute to less light pollution.

The Global Workplace Analytics report reveals working from home half the week can decrease emissions by 54 million tons yearly! Remote employees do not commute and thus have a lower environmental impact than in-office peers.

But, it is not the case. In fact, remote working is not a clear win for the environment when you consider multiple environmental net impacts. Factors like technology and energy usage also contribute to it. Some downsides to remote working include:

• Home offices lead to higher household energy consumption for heating, cooling, and electronics.
• Remote work can contribute to higher internet usage and e-waste from increased electronic device usage.
• Reduced in-person interactions can hinder community-based environmental initiatives and awareness.

The positives of remote working easily outweigh the negatives and contribute to creating a safer environment. Further, you can incentivize eco-friendly practices, invest in a robust digital infrastructure, and incorporate sustainable measures to minimize the listed drawbacks.

Tips for Effective Remote Working

You know how remote work is good for you and your employees. Here is a bitter truth. Hiring and overseeing global remote workers is also very challenging as the blurred line between home and work can result in an unproductive culture.

A survey found 87% of employees feel they are as efficient remotely as in the office. Surprisingly, about 85% of business leaders disagree and suspect their workers are not productive enough.

Implementing effective measures and practices can help you nurture a healthy and productive remote work culture from the start.

Here are some tips you can consider.

1. Communication is the Key

Everyone knows communication is integral. However, developing and maintaining effective communication takes time and effort. On top of that, remote work does not make it any easier. Instead, proper and timely communication is among the biggest challenges of having remote working teams. But distance should not form disconnection among your team.

Decide and clarify beforehand how your team will communicate and engage. Select suitable platforms for discussing work and topics, like performance reviews and project updates.

2. Foster Rapport with Continuous Feedback 

Establishing schedules and meetings across a remote team is tricky, primarily if employees work in varied time zones. That is why you must have a consistent feedback culture. This way, employees can put forward their queries and challenges they encounter when working.

Further, it will allow you to understand their needs, foster motivation, and identify areas of friction or conflict. Addressing all these concerns will ultimately build trusted relationships and drive performance.

3. Keep Leadership Adaptive and Agile

How your employees work has drastically evolved; hence, adjusting your leadership tactics to fit the new normal only makes sense. Refrain from micromanaging your employees. Instead, put your efforts into understanding their work.

Embrace change and technological advancements to create an environment where remote teams can thrive through innovation and continuous improvement. Maintain open communication channels to ensure team cohesion and empower employees to make informed decisions.

4. Maximize Productivity Through Flexible Work Hours

Nowadays, a conventional nine-to-five structure cannot guarantee productivity. One of the notable benefits of remote working is the flexibility of choosing your work hours, making you more motivated and productive. 

Focus on outcomes rather than managing time or measuring the log-in times of your employees. Employ a toolset to maintain and evaluate performance and how well it contributes to your business objectives.

Manage Your Global Team With Skuad

Creating a global and remote workplace is more than just hiring workers online. 

You must adhere to proper work culture, hire only deserving candidates, and monitor their work and performance, along with ensuring you follow all local employment laws. 

With Skuad’s unified platform, you can seamlessly expand across borders by hiring, onboarding, and paying employees in over 160 countries. We ensure that you stay 100% compliant with taxes and local employment laws in the region you hire in. Book a demo today!

FAQs

Q1. Why is the Remote Better Than the Office?

Remote work increases flexibility. Employees can live farther than the workplace, build their work schedules around their passion, and save the expenses and time consumed in their daily commute. In addition, it enables employers to spend less money on building infrastructure and in-office catering. 

Q2. Are People Happier Working Remotely?

One of the many benefits of remote working is it leads to satisfied and happier employees. It allows them to cut transportation costs, decreases their work-related stress, increases focus and productivity, and promotes better work-life integration.

Q3. Is Remote Work Mentally Healthy?

Remote working gives employees more time to perform activities. Mental health and work are intertwined. Flexible work hours have more to offer in supporting health in life and at work. Employees can trade commuting time for physical and mental health.

Q4. Why is Remote Work the Future?

Remote working does not demand employees to be present physically in the workspace. They can work from anywhere as long as they have the Internet. It enables them to work during their productive hours and deliver optimal results to your business.

Q5. How can I Hire a Remote Team?

Remote hiring should be as efficient as in-person hiring to make the experience positive for all parties. The simple recruitment process to successfully hire remote teams includes five steps:

1. Identify and understand your hiring needs.
2. Post a detailed and precise job advertisement.
3. Employ recruitment software for managing candidate relationships, testing skills, reporting, and analysis.
4. Shortlist candidates by merits and skillset.
5. Schedule online skill assessments and interview potential hires.