Telecommuting Can Be a Win-Win
As an employer, you might be tempted to go the traditional route of having all your employees in the office all the time. But even though it’s tempting and understandable to want to keep an eye on the people you’re paying, businesses can benefit greatly when their workers telecommute. Here’s why.
5. Workers are More Productive
By now, everyone knows that in-office employees are just that, people who work in your office. Those who work in a cubicle are no more productive than those who work at home. But studies have shown when people are allowed to work remotely, productivity increases. Without soul-crushing commutes and the ability to design their schedules in an effort to create a better work/life balance, the workforce becomes empowered and a huge asset to the company’s bottom-line.
4. Telecommuting Broadens the Applicant Pool
When you’re searching for job seekers within a certain radius of your company’s headquarters, the pickings can be slim.
Allowing candidates from Bombay to Boise to apply for a job position, however, allows you to pick people who previously would not have been an option. A telecommuting workforce lets you pick the best of those in the field, and those who can bring their expertise to make your company stronger.
3. It’s Cost Effective
Sure, having an office with floor to ceiling windows is nifty, but the hefty lease agreement probably wasn’t. If you factor all the expenses associated with a typical office (such as office space, equipment, electricity, etc), the costs are quite high. When applied to a telecommuting workforce, those same costs become almost non-existent.
Companies looking to save money in the long run — and foster goodwill among their employees — see that work from home employees are a valuable asset in so many areas.
2. Your Employees are More Invested
Employees who have a flexible work schedule typically show more dedication to their company than their in-office colleagues.
Why? One word: gratitude.
Being able to customize their schedule to fit their lives allows workers to achieve the holy grail of work life balance that remains elusive for many traditional office workers. And that’s worth more to some people than a pay raise.
1. Employee Retention is Increased
When your employee called in sick with a cold (cough cough), chances are that worker was probably going to his/her child’s pre-K graduation instead of a primary care physician. Flexible schedules mean your employee can happily attend some of those important school events and still get work done later in the day, as opposed to calling in sick, or worse, quitting.
If it doesn’t matter when it gets done, it’s completely worth it to have a grateful, satisfied employee who has a beneficial work/life balance and above average productivity.
A Little Bit of Flexibility Goes a Long Way
Allowing your staff to telecommute is a win-win for both employer as well as the employee.
It allows employers to cut costs without cutting jobs, while promoting a company culture founded on trusting employees and showing respect for their family lives as well. By making slight adjustments to the status quo, your company evolves with the times, keeps existing employees happy, creates an attractive work environment for new employees, and will likely boost productivity and the bottom line in one fell swoop.