Remote Working: A Growth Catalyst for Businesses & Individuals

Introduction

The recent wave of digital businesses going remote shows no sign of slowing down. The COVID-19 pandemic has made organizations rethink their approach to fit the idea of the remote. While most of us are leveraging the manifold advantages it has brought along, we continue to debate its long-term credibility.

Can remote working trends become revolutionary?

For Skuad, remote working is like Nutella ~ making everyone happy. And this is why we've decided to go 100% remote.

Remote working has brought along countless benefits for Skuad employees. It's a more sustainable way of working with a better work-life balance which helps retain employees. It keeps the overall culture very positive.  

We will give you enough reasons to make you a fan of the remote culture.

1. Say Goodbye To Office Noises

As compared to an office setting, distractions in the case of remote work are controllable. Studies show that 22% of millennials and "Gen Z" feel that the office setting is more distracting. Endless chats with co-workers, noisy vending machines, etc., are a few reasons why they prefer remote setup.

Work from the office might prevent employees from Imposter Syndrome, but it creates its own set of challenges. It can be a challenging environment for the employees who focus better in silence.

Working in a setting that you can control allows your productivity to soar by at least 20-25%! Working remotely, particularly from home, promotes creative thinking and greater productivity. Whether there’s a great view from the window or a brick wall – silence can be golden. It’s a win-win situation as employees can deliver projects on time and employers get quality work.

2. Skyrocket-ing Performance Numbers

No remote worker will say that they are less productive than an office-goer. It’s a myth that remote workers spend hours binge-watching. They are just better at time management!

Researchers have proven that telecommuters are more productive than office employees. It all boils down to motivation and efficiency. The flexibility of time and space helps telecommuters make efficient time schedules according to their body clock and other commitments.

Telecommuters are much more inclined towards going the extra mile because of the privilege of working from wherever they wish. After all, they understand the flexibility and convenience that comes from remote jobs. Recent studies show 53% of remote employees are willing to put in extra time at night or on weekends. In comparison, only 28% of on-site employees show the same willingness.

As an employer, you might doubt the levels of productivity in the absence of supervision. But, you will be surprised how your employees can function more effectively when given a choice to work remotely. Many employees become cautious when working under constant watch. Empowering people to create their work environment that compliments their lifestyle acts as a performance booster.

We all know productivity is essential to the growth of an organization. So why not go the remote way like Skuad?

3. Say No To Commuting & Yes To Telecommuting

Let’s face it, commuting to work has physical, mental, and financial impacts on the employees. Not only are long commutes physically and mentally draining, but they are expensive as well. Whether one takes public transport or drives his vehicle, it does take a toll. The commuters spend a considerable part of their salary on public transport fares or fuel for cars and parking bills. And not to forget the munchies and snacks they buy to make the commute bearable.

The list of added expenses traveling brings along for an employee is endless. By giving employees the leverage to work remotely, you've helped them save a large chunk of their income. It means more disposable income for all their other needs and personal goals!

Telecommuting, therefore, is good for the employees' pockets and facilitates a healthy mind and body. Remote working provides employees an escape from traffic jams and long drives that otherwise bring a fair amount of stress, weight gain and quite literally cause pain in the neck.

4. Flexible Working Space > Office Benefits

Did you know that a traditional office setting decreases employee satisfaction levels? Remote organizations don’t have to face this problem!

Happy employees are productive employees. So if you are an organisation that offers remote working, more than half of your battle is already won.

Remote work can be a deal-breaker because of lesser perks like wellness initiatives, insurance, etc. But remote employees manage to make savings, which they would have otherwise spent on commute-related expenses. Also, the convenience of having healthy, fresh, and home-cooked meals each time of the day is an invisible perk.

If you still feel that, as an employer, you need to level up your perk game, don't worry! You can compensate for some of the traditional office benefits with remote-friendly benefits. Some of them could be "Are you Okay" programs, shorter work weeks if they are compliant with their deadlines. You could even open libraries and knowledge banks or provide a general perk stipend. The stipend could cover up for different needs and save you from picking between people's preferences for perks.

5. Through Thick And Thin!

Not everyone switches jobs out of salary concerns. Employees quit jobs due to marriage, city-hopping, transfer, or further studies. While these are exit reasons for office-goers, they are no obstacles when it comes to remote working.

People always on the move is one of the biggest reasons why employers lose on their MVPs. With remote working, location isn’t an issue. Your champion employee might decide he or she wants to travel the world for a year, and as long as there is wi-fi, he or she can do that and continue to work for you.

Today, it's no secret that millennials form a large chunk of the workforce. They are always looking out for better opportunities and are attracted to the flexibility that remote work provides.

Globally, women are the primary caregivers in most households. Shouldering multiple responsibilities, women often find it hard to create a work-life balance. With remote work set up, female employees find it easier to create that balance. They can manage their home, families and still be accomplished professionals. When an employer provides flexibility, employee loyalty becomes organic.

In many studies, we have seen that remote workers are more inclined to stay with their current organization despite their constraints. Hence, the churn of employees is low in companies that support remote work. By making this small change, employers can save big bucks that can be utilized in training and educating new employees.

6. Remote Set Up = More Savings For Employers

Remote culture is like a trade-off. On the one hand, employees receive the flexibility to work anywhere, and on the other hand, employers save on operational costs.

The Global Workplace Analytics report shows that businesses save $11,000 every year on each person who works remotely!

Hiring remote talent saves organizations the cost of maintaining a large premise, rent, and other utilities. Some employee-centric organizations even provide lunches and additional cafeteria services to their employees. Add janitorial services, fancy stationery supplies, office equipment, furniture, transit subsidies, and the taxes the companies have to pay for these services to the list, and your running costs go through the roof. Having a remote setup helps the employers as well.

7. Time Off? Not Really!

How many times have you got a last-minute notification from a colleague saying s/he won't be able to turn up because of difficult personal circumstances? Take your time to count, but we know the answer. It’s less!

Remote working gives your employees the leverage to structure their day around their work commitments and personal obligations. So while they are meeting the deadline, they can babysit their niece or take their pet to the vet! From taking care of sick parents to picking up kids from school, a remote worker can manage it all in a day! From being a better coworker to a better parent and, of course, a friend in need – they are acing it all like a pro.

Besides committing well in every sphere of life, remote working employees seldom call in sick. Even if they feel a little under the weather, they're more likely to keep working if they work from home. Mostly, when people call in sick, they are not ill enough to work but to commute. That is why employees who commute longer distances are more likely to call in sick than those who have to walk from one room to another.

While the pandemic aggravated 2020's ever-increasing list of ailments, it has also highlighted the perks of remote working. Studies prove that remote employees have been healthier as compared to office employees. Remote working culture results in 41% lower absenteeism! Astonishing, isn't it?

8. Greenery Begins At Home

With industrialization came the office culture. As humans, we were happy about the jobs it brought along. The same cannot be said about our planet.

Statistics have validated how business upgradation and environment degradation are positively correlated. Tracey Holloway, an Air Quality Scientist at NASA, said, "Working from home takes cars off the road, which reduces air emissions impacting both public health and climate." Our every commute releases volatile organic compounds in the environment. Thus, contributing to air pollution, global warming, and ozone layer depletion.

Thankfully 2020 pitched in as the green era and allowed us to undo our wrongdoings. Pat your back! While you were busy telecommuting, you’ve reduced your carbon footprint on the earth.

On your office days, sipping Starbucks and munching plastic-packaged food must have been an everyday affair. But when you work remotely, your stomach solutions get greener. Not only this, all the components you used in the office, from chairs to paper to throwaway cups, none were environmentally friendly. Now that you are at home, you can make a conscious effort and use recycled paper, a sustainable wooden chair, etc.

Lastly

For Skuad, the benefits of remote working have always outweighed its challenges. Remote as a new business route has helped us build world-class tech teams for promising companies globally. Skuad as an Employer of Record (EOR) helps organizations connect with global remote talent quickly and compliantly.

So go global, go remote, and you will appreciate the impact it will have on your business, individual lives, and our environment!