Thinking About Letting Your Team work From Home? Here Are The Benefits
A commonly asked question by employers is whether allowing your staff to work from home is a good idea or not. Some may argue that they fear their team will not work as well in a home environment, and some worry that staff members may take advantage of this new found freedom. However, allowing your team to work from home if they want could bring many benefits to your business, so if you are still on the fence, check them out!
A commonly asked question by employers is whether allowing your staff to work from home is a good idea or not. Some may argue that they fear their team will not work as well in a home environment, and some worry that staff members may take advantage of this new found freedom. However, allowing your team to work from home if they want could bring many benefits to your business, so if you are still on the fence, check them out!
Save money
Think about all of the money you spend on rent, office supplies, office snacks, utilities and more. With less staff (or none at all) in the office, you would make an enormous saving on all of these bills. IBM has cut around $100 million annually by saving on office snacks alone!
If you are not ready to have a completely empty office, then you could stagger rotas for your team so that they are in at least one or two days a week. This way, you will be able to check on their progress, and they will be able to ask you any questions or raise any concerns.
It is simple
When your team is not right in front of you in the office, it is easy to panic about delegating workloads. However, thanks to technology, it is now easier than ever with the use of online spaces such as Trello and Slack. You can easily create tasks, send messages, and even set deadlines for your team without having to see them face to face.
If you have provided your staff with a company laptop so they can work from home, you won’t have to worry about the struggle of file sharing either if you have installed a cloud-based system. To manage all of the devices that your employees will be working from, investigate in mobile device management with personalized service.
Increased productivity
When you are working in a space that you are comfortable in, you are naturally going to work harder and more productively, and the same concept applies to those who work from home. Studies have shown that employees that work from home are 13% more productive than those who have to work in an office, and that’s because they are happier, more relaxed, and can think clearly. Not only that, being able to bend schedules around children and other commitments slightly mean that your team will make up hours in their own time too.
Save time on commuting
We all know how annoying commuting is, and if you allow your staff to work from home, they will not begin their workday stressed out by public transport or the drive into work. Not only that, they will save money on fuel and help the environment at the same time!
Happier staff
Being given a chance to work from home shows your team that you trust them to do their jobs. Trust is a huge factor in working relationships, and once it has been given, your staff are more likely to work harder at their jobs – all while being happier at the same time! Imagine being given the freedom to work from home knowing your boss trusts you, and also knowing that you can still take care of personal errands as long as you make up your hours.
You can hire the best of the best, regardless of location
Hiring staff members can be difficult, especially if you are looking for a specific qualification. Allowing staff to work remotely means you can hire more competent members of staff regardless of their location and in turn, your business will thrive. Outsourcing is another method of hiring the best qualified for the job but on a short-term basis. So, if you are looking for short term employment, turn to websites like Fiverr and Upwork to find a freelancer to join your team temporarily!
Fewer sick days
We have all been there. Woken up and felt so exhausted and fed up that we have phoned up work and told them that we are sick. When you can work from home and do not have to face the commute or annoying team members, you are less likely to pull sick days and therefore your business will benefit from it
Increased staff loyalty
Having loyal staff is what every business owner dreams of, and letting your team have freedom in their work lives will increase their loyalty towards you and your business. So, if you need something completing urgently or you are looking for staff to do some overtime, you are more likely to have volunteers than if you didn’t allow remote working for your staff.
Positive image for your company
As a business, you are looking for ways to improve your image for your customers, potential investors, and competitors. Allowing remote working shows that you are dynamic and flexible, which are two appealing traits to everyone you want to impress. Who knows, you might find that you have got a queue of potential new members of staff to join your ranks!
No more time wasted on meetings
Finally, there always comes a time where you need to call a meeting between your staff members to raise concerns, congratulate hard workers, and motivate each other. With remote working, you do not have to waste hours each year in these meetings because you can do all of this in a remote working space such as Slack. Much like Basecamp, you can communicate quickly and clearly with your team and save time for everyone involved!
As you can see, there are many benefits to allowing your staff to work from home. So what are you waiting for? Begin saving money, welcoming higher productivity, and seeing happier staff today.