The 2020 pandemic caused a paradigm shift in the world’s labor force: remote work is more desirable and accessible. Employees want the option to be flexible, and in today’s competitive labor market, it’s more critical than ever to give the people what they want.

There are many remote working benefits, the most critical of which we will discuss here.

Benefit 1: Saved Time

Remote working benefits include saving your employees time. The average one-way commute in the US is 27.1 minutes; the average commuter spends 100 hours going to and from work each year, of which 41 hours are spent stuck in traffic.

Cutting out the commute saves your employees time and helps them focus on their productivity at work.

It’s also worth noting that commuting for even 10 miles per day is associated with adverse health outcomes such as elevated blood sugar, boosted cholesterol, and a higher risk for depression. Saving employees time by giving them that commute back also positively impacts their health, a factor that impacts job performance.

Benefit 2: Improved Productivity & Performance

When the 2020 pandemic shut offices down and forced people to work remotely, it surprised many that performance at work actually increased. 32.2% of managers agree that productivity went up after the 2020 remote work shift; 94% of employees feel their productivity is the same or higher than before working remotely.

Suffice it to say, the benefits of remote working include better performance on the job.

Benefit 3: Better Work-Life Balance

Increased work-life balance is one of many notable remote working benefits. 75% of employees believe they have a better work-life balance when remote. With flexible work options, people can better budget their time and work when they are most productive.

As long as your employees are completing tasks and performing well, consider going remote to help them improve their work-life balance. Considering 72% of people find work-life balance an “important factor” when looking for a job, with 57% saying poor work-life balance is a dealbreaker, improving this metric is in your best interest.

Benefit 4: Reduced Absenteeism

Perhaps unsurprisingly, 78% of people calling in sick are, in fact, not sick. Several genuine reasons for absenteeism include poor weather, illness, emergencies, and appointments.

However, one of many remote working benefits is that employees have fewer reasons to stay offline when in their own homes. Research indicates that absenteeism is reduced by 63% when people work from home.

There are many valid reasons to work from home; thankfully, these rarely result in absenteeism.

Benefit 5: Saves You Money

One of the most essential remote working benefits is saving your business a considerable sum each year. According to Indeed, implementing remote work can save companies up to 50% on operational expenses.

Dell is one example of cost savings associated with remote work. The company found that it could save $12 million per year in real estate expenses by going remote.

If you’re looking for a way to save on costs while maintaining productivity, look no further than the benefits of remote working.

Benefit 6: Fewer Distractions

77% of workers are more productive when not at the office, and 75% prefer remote work because it’s easier to avoid distractions.

Fewer distractions lead to increased productivity and engagement. 62% of workers feel remote work positively impacts their work engagement.

Remote working benefits include allowing employees to better focus on the tasks at hand without being distracted by coworkers and occurrences at the office.

Benefit 7: Better Diversity & Inclusion

When all employees are forced to come to an office location, your candidate pool shrinks drastically. Remote working benefits include better diversity in the workplace because you can source from a wider talent pool.

When employees are able to log on remotely, you can hire people based anywhere. You can also better hire people with children or other responsibilities that make commuting a challenge.

Considering diverse companies tend to see 2.3 times higher cash flow per worker, being an inclusive company is in your best interest. What’s more, diversity in the workplace has been shown to positively impact:

• Engagement
• Creativity
• Decision-making
• Turnover (by reducing it)

Benefit 8: Makes You More Competitive

America is experiencing an unprecedented labor shortage. 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs in November of 2021, the highest since 2000. As such, you as a company need to do everything you can to stay competitive; this is an employee’s market.

People want remote work. 66% of US workers work remotely at least partially, with 68% preferring to be entirely remote. However, only 16% of companies are fully remote. If you offer remote work, you’ll stand out from the crowd. That should give your company an advantage when it comes to recruiting in this challenging market.

Benefit 9: Better Collaboration

While there are advantages to working in an office when it comes to collaboration, working remotely can positively impact this, too. Remote working benefits include allowing a wider group of people to attend meetings and giving employees access to tools such as virtual whiteboards. Employees can also experiment with new meeting formats to increase collaboration.

It’s also easy for people to hop on quick calls with their coworkers before or after a meeting to further discuss points that were made. Being virtual makes immediate communication that much easier.

Need Help Recruiting for Remote Work Positions?

Remote working benefits aren’t in short supply! Perhaps after reading this article, you’re considering work from home. If your company doesn’t want to go fully remote, consider offering hybrid work or making select positions virtual. The future of remote work is promising.

If you’re looking to recruit for remote (or in-person) positions, Quest Financial would love to help. We specialize in quickly placing top-quality candidates into administrative and financial positions. We’ll change the hiring game at your company! Learn more today.

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