“Remote working is becoming an industry standard, especially among digital workers. However, many organisations are afraid of this departure from traditional working practices and are unsure how to manage it effectively.”

 –Paul Boag

Are you wondering whether or not working remotely is the best way to go for your business?

Although working from home is now becoming a norm in the industry, there are still many who are skeptical about it.

I can’t blame them. Working remotely is not everyone’s cup of tea especially to those who prefer working in an office and everyday commuting.

Also, depending on the industry you’re serving, working remotely can either make or break your business.

Nevertheless, studies have shown that the number of people working from home is on the rise in many countries across the globe.

Working remotely is not everyone’s cup of tea

So what makes remote working very appealing? And why do some large companies like Yahoo decided to do away with it?

We’ll talk about the answers in a jiffy. In the mean time, let’s define remote working first.

What is Remote Working?

Also known as telecommuting, remote working is the practice of completing your normal daily work away from the office.

Typically, a task is done using a computer and an internet connection which allow you to connect to key systems that are hosted in the office or in the cloud via remote access software.

Unlike office work, remote working is not limited by location as the job can be done anywhere, anytime.

Top 10 Benefits of Working Remotely

“You can do your job wherever and whenever you want…you can even sit in a beach chair with a cocktail in hand for all I care…as long as you get our desired results.” –Kevin Kruse

1. Working Remotely Creates Less Stress

What’s not to hate in working on your bed and in your pajamas? According to Daryl Wilkinson of Nationwide Building Society,

“There’s less stress in the office and the workplace —people feel empowered to work in a way that suits them and suits the business.”

2. People Working from Home are Well Connected

Thanks to the internet, the prevalence of social media. smartphones and cloud-based computing is doing wonders at work. Even though some remote workers are timezones away from each other, video conferencing, online project management and remote access software are extending the effectiveness of working remotely. 

3. Low Overhead Costs

Office space costs a fortune. Not to mention electricity, water and office supplies. I love what Alex Turnbull said about this,

“The costs of running a virtual team are minimal in comparison. Our ‘office’ expenses are subscriptions for the SaaS tools we use to function. Every dollar we save on rent is a dollar we can reinvest in the growth of the business and our employees.”

4. Remote Working Makes Absenteeism Good

Obviously, we are talking about the AWOL type of absenteeism here. What I’m referring to is “remote from the office” absenteeism. According to Jonathan Swan of Working Families,

“The ability to work remotely eliminates the necessity for ‘presenteeism’ — being in the office as much as possible.

5. Remote Employees are Happier

Happy employees work harder and are more productive. Studies show that people working from home are happier compared to their cubicle-trapped counterparts. Why? The fact that you get to work the way you want without squeezing a de-stressing lunchtime doze into your office schedule basically sums it all up.

6. Working Remotely is More Engaging

In a remote working environment, employees connect with their colleagues regardless of time. According to Daryl Wilkinson,

“When you’re tweeting with people in your team close to midnight, it brings home that people are experiencing something beyond doing work. They are engaged in a different way.”

7. Get to Work Wherever You Want

Do you know that J.K Rowling wrote a lot of Harry Potter in a coffee bar? Even Alex Turnbull leads his company while surfing under the mid-day sun! With remote working, you can work anywhere you want.

8. Telecommuting is Healthier than Commuting To and From Work

Telecommuting is good for your health. According to UK Office of National Statistics, “Commuters have lower life satisfaction, a lower sense that their daily activities are worthwhile, lower levels of happiness and higher anxiety on average than non-commuters.” Here’s another bonus: less commuting means lesser carbon footprint! Talk about saving Mother Earth!

9. No office Politics

Do you still remember the saying, “You can’t choose your family”? Well, that applies to your co-workers as well. Although working remotely keeps you from being best friends with everyone, it has a huge benefit. Remote working makes gossiping and posturing that happens in traditional workplaces almost impossible. 

10. You Learn More and You Become More Independent

Not having colleagues just a few feet away will help you develop new skills as you look for answers. You also become more proactive in finding what you need in your own. Although it’s not wrong to ask for help if you need to, most remote workers that I know simply go to Google or the company’s wiki to find answers quickly. Learning new things never hurts.

5 Good Reasons Why Working Remotely Is Not For You

Like anything else in this world, working remotely also has its own share of disadvantages.

Here are five of them:

1. Isolation

The office is a great place to form friendships and post-work social groups. Remote workers often work in isolation and are often views as “outsiders” — not part of the company structure. While most remote workers that I know are happy working on their own,  we can’t deny the fact that there is still a good number of people who aren’t.

2. Monitoring

Trust is crucial in a remote working environment. Nevertheless, monitoring using webcams or other software are not unheard of. And some people feel uncomfortable with this. Yes, it is necessary to have at least some proof that the claimed hours are worked. However, managers and CEOs need to be very careful as there is a very fine line separating monitoring from invasion of employee privacy.

3. Motivation

Do you know how difficult it is to keep everybody in the office motivated and engaged? With remote working, it’s even trickier. One of the best advice I received is don’t just hire top talent. Hire a talent with remote working experience as they exactly know how to cut through it. 

4. Company Culture Issues

Company culture is key to a business’ success. And it’s not just about having an office. At the end of the day, culture is all about shared goals and values. With all employees working remotely, building a well-knit company culture can be challenging.

5. Transitioning to An Office is Not an Option

Everybody who’s into remote working knows that transitioning into an office-based team is not  an option. Why? Because you either have to move everyone in one place (and that includes talking them our of remote working) or laying off the team and starting over again from scratch.

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There you have it! I hope you find this post helpful. If you’re new to managing remote teams and wondering how to make remote working “work” in your favor, check this article.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Checkout CakeHR Software and see how this one small step can bring your business to great lengths.

Lenmark.