The pandemic forced businesses to rapidly empty their office buildings and employees converted to a virtual workforce overnight, which is no easy task. Unsurprisingly, a lot of businesses were faced with multiple challenges in adjusting, now we are coming out the other side it is time for companies to review the temporary measures put in place and create the best solutions for their remote and hybrid workers.
Working remotely was around long before the pandemic. in 2019, about 4.61 million people in the UK worked mainly from home. This is an increase of almost a million remote workers compared to 3.68 million in 2009. However, while remote work might have been a trend, it was not fully embraced by many businesses.
Many employers are now taking their businesses online and transitioning their in-office workers to remote or hybrid employees. In all, the pandemic has changed attitudes and proven that work does not need to be tied to a desk or office. Having the option and flexibility to work at home is a current reality, not just the supposed “future of work”.
The benefits of remote working
Remote work comes with its fair share of advantages, below are some of its proven business benefits. These benefits alone could inspire a restructure of your current remote work policy.
- Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is important for many employees and remote work helps them achieve this. For instance, the time spent commuting to and from work can be channelled into better use. The ability to balance these two worlds can help employees feel happier and more productive while at work.
- Remote work allows organisations to access top-quality professionals from all over the world. They are not limited to the candidate pool in their geographical area.
- Remote work lowers business-related expenses. It can help businesses cut down on costs associated with onsite business operations, including office space, equipment, and travel reimbursement.
- The remote work model encourages work flexibility and autonomy. It gives employees the freedom to work wherever they like, during hours they find most productive. This can lead to increased productivity and efficiency among workers.
- Remote working is not just beneficial to employers and employees alone, it is better for the environment as well. More people working remotely means less commuting to work and a reduced carbon footprint. This could in turn save over 50 million tons of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.
How to include remote working in your long-term plans
It is a given that remote working can provide many opportunities for companies. However, the benefits of this model of work can only be accessed if the transition is done in the right way.
First off is investing in the essential technical and IT infrastructure for a successful transition. For example, remote workers must have secure access to the services and information needed. Unfortunately, some companies fall short in this area. Implementing a remote work infrastructure, that is both reliable and secure, is paramount.
Cloud integration is particularly important. These services help to ensure a secure connection between an organisation’s public applications and private data. A solid Cloud Strategy will avoid security breaches in the company’s IT environment, which could lead to the compromise of sensitive company data.
Employers should ensure that they have an effective communication strategy in place. This involves keeping team members connected in a way that adequately replaces in-person contact. There are countless benefits to having healthy and consistent communication. Benefits such as building relationships, collaboration, welcoming new ideas, and conflict resolution.
In addition to emails and texts, technologies like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype, and other videoconferencing solutions give employees more access to each other. This keeps them engaged, with consistent information to carry out their responsibilities as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
In all, the technology that makes remote work possible is a long-term investment that must be planned and budgeted for. Leaders should therefore be thoughtful and deliberate in implementing a remote working infrastructure. Especially as it will ensure a more seamless and less pressured transition for the company, customers, and employees in the future.
While there is a lot of uncertainty concerning what the future of work will look like, one thing is certain. There will be a need for employees to continue working from home for the foreseeable future. With that in mind, it’s only wise that organisations integrate remote working strategies into their long-term plans. Not just for the current pandemic, but to future-proof their infrastructure to prevent a repeat.
At Everything Tech we go above and beyond to keep businesses running smoothly. From maintaining your IT Infrastructure to helping you transition to the Cloud, we’ve got you covered. Speak to our expert team today.
