The benefits of working remotely
Have you ever lost valuable staff due to their illness, injury, desire to start a family or perhaps because they wanted to work fewer hours?
If you answered yes, you might like to consider offering your staff remote working options. Remote work can be established on a temporary basis for someone who has an injury, or on a permanent basis where it benefits both the employee and the business needs of the company.
Technology has come a long way, but few people are aware of exactly what’s possible, or how easy it is to set up a remote working environment. Whether you need your staff to carry out administration tasks, graphic design, software development, article writing or social media updates; these can all be done from the comfort of home, a hotel room or even an airport waiting area.
Our tips:
- Get a device that can be connected to the internet. I.e. laptop, smartphone, tablet etc.
- Obtain an internet connection
- Ensure access to cloud software, i.e. Office 365, SharePoint or an appropriate server infrastructure.
It’s no longer necessary to have a grunty machine to handle everything you wish to store or run. With the aid of Office 365, you have up to one TB of storage and 50GB mailbox for your email and calendar, all securely housed in a data centre.
Remote employees can easily receive the same level of computer support they would receive if they were in an office.
Having remote staff can benefit your business too by reducing your overall costs. Remote workers:
- Can have a smaller office (less rent and maintenance)
- Have reduced electricity costs
- Require less equipment/furniture
- Exhibit higher efficiency because they are empowered to work in a way that suits them
10 reasons to set-up a remote office:
1. Keep valued staff when their situation changes.
2. No need for training if using current staff
3. Remote offices are easy to set up.
4. You can continue operations without losing productivity.
5. You can employ staff from outside your usual geographic region.
6. Staff can return to work sooner after injury.
7. You can hire skilled team members that would struggle with travelling every day. e.g. a person with mobility difficulties.
8. There’s more time for the employee due to a reduction in travel time (and, therefore, better work-life balance.)
9. Employees can work flexible hours that suit the business as well as their personal needs, bringing a higher level of job satisfaction.
10. The employee receives a financial benefit through the reduction in travel costs, clothing and food, thereby making the job more desirable and attracting better, more suitable staff.
Remote work can be a financially rewarding choice for both employer and employee! Talk to us about setting up a remote office for your staff. Click here
