The workplace has seen many major evolutions in recent years.
Fast-paced computers and tablets have replaced clunky old machinery. New generations have transformed the way we think about mobile working, and recently, collaboration tools have begun to reduce the reliance on email. While all of these changes are significant, few transformations have been more attention-grabbing than the shift towards a “remote” workforce.
As tools like Unified Communications from RingCentral make it easier for companies to empower their teams from any device with an internet connection, businesses are discovering the benefits of embracing work as something you do, rather than a place you go to.
Here are just some of the things a telecommuting strategy could do for your business.
1. Deliver Greater Employee Diversity
When you limit yourself to hiring talent in your immediate geographical area, it’s much harder to access the skills you need. However, with remote working and telecommuting, businesses can find expertise anywhere in the world. There’s nothing to stop you from hiring the ideal candidate, even if they’re several hundred miles away from your office.
A national survey in the US found that 73% of remote workers had higher feelings of satisfaction for their jobs. Click To Tweet
The geographical diversity in your team doesn’t even have to be that great. The ability to hire people from opposite ends of the country could be enough to add new perspectives to your enterprise. The broader your potential hiring pool, the easier it is to innovate in today’s highly competitive world.
2. Unlock Powerful Productivity
Perhaps one of the best arguments for using remote strategies in your business is the promise of greater productivity. Many companies are beginning to discover that their remote teams not only get more done than their in-office counterparts, but they’re also willing to go above and beyond for their employer.
Telecommuting employees aren’t distracted by impromptu meetings or water-cooler chatter. They can focus exclusively on the task at hand. According to one SurePayroll study, 86% of surveyed respondents said that they could hit “maximum productivity” when working alone from home.
Read: When to use agile project management
3. Cut Costs
The Global Workplace Alliance suggests that if only half of the US workforce worked from home, half of the time, they could save the economy $700 billion a year. From an employer perspective, a remote team means less money spent on things like in-office desk tools, utilities, and real-estate overhead.
There are cost benefits from employees too. Working from home means less money spent each day on the morning commute, among other things. Inc. Magazine reports that remote workers save up to $7,000 per year on costs like food, transportation, and child-care.
4. Boost Employee Engagement (and Loyalty)
Removing your team members from the office might not seem like the best way to enhance engagement at first. However, the truth is that the Harvard Business Review found that around 87% of remote employees consider themselves to be better-connected to their teams, particularly with the help of video conferencing tools, like those provided by RingCentral.
Not only are remote workers more connected to their colleagues, but they also feel loyal to their employers too. A national survey in the US found that 73% of remote workers had higher feelings of satisfaction for their jobs.
5. Meet Demands for Work/Life Balance
Finally, as new generations enter the workforce, telecommuting practices could be the key to attracting future talent. Around 68% of job seekers in an AfterCollege study said that a telecommuting opportunity would improve their interest in working with individual employees. Today’s candidates want more freedom in their work, and that’s precisely what telecommuting can offer.
At the same time, remote working also delivers a better work/life balance, through reduced feelings of stress and overwhelm. That means that you have a team that looks forward to working each day.
Time to see the benefits of remote working for yourself? Begin your strategy with the flexible and cloud-based solutions from RingCentral today.
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Originally published Apr 11, 2019, updated Apr 10, 2023
