According to Upwork, about 63 per cent of companies today have remote workers and we are only going to see this number increase. Why? Simple. The benefits are endless for not only for remote workers but also for employers.
Offices can consider going virtual, or at least cut down the need for a large office space, which leads to thousands of dollars in savings. The benefits to the environment are even greater, as fewer employees need to commute to work every day.
“Companies that refuse to support a remote workforce risk losing their best people and turning away tomorrow’s top talent,” says Stephanie Kasriel, CEO of Upwork, and I couldn’t agree more. Why restrict your talent pool to strictly those who are in commuting distance from your organization? We live in a global world, after all.
Thanks to new and improved video conferencing solutions out there, employees can connect from all over the country or the world and still feel like they are in the same room as one another. Collaboration and productivity are made possible no matter where you are.
Research shows video calls lead to higher retention, better knowledge transfer and better collaboration. According to Human Productivity Lab, we remember only 20 per cent of what we hear from an audio call but combined with video conferencing, knowledge transfer rates jump up to 70 per cent. According to Dr. Albert Mehrabian, author of Silent Messages, 93 per cent of communication is nonverbal, which consists of body language and tone of voice. From my experience using video conferencing, it really does create an authentic and transparent emotional connection between you and the person you’re talking to—even if you’ve never met before.
The only drawback to remote work…productivity!
How can you get your work done when there is always a list of housework accumulating around you? It’s important to have time management skills and to give yourself regular breaks to maintain productivity.
If you are someone who needs to feel pressured to get things done, try going to a local coffee shop to get your work done. Perhaps the busyness of that environment may motivate you to be more productive.
Try getting dressed in the morning as if you are going to an office and sit in your designated home office space. It’s important to have a workspace so you know you need to be in “work mode” when you are sitting there.
Or, try working out in the middle of the day, whether it’s a run or a yoga class. This is a great way to increase your productivity, especially if the majority of your work involves staring at a computer screen.
Final thoughts:
Working remotely has heaps of benefits over drawbacks. There are so many products out there to make you feel like you are in the same room as another person.
Of course, remote work is not plausible for all industries; take the retail or service industry as an example. Typically, if you spend the majority of your time on your computer or in meetings, your job can be done remotely.
Productivity is critical to doing your job well, so experiment with a few tips and choose whichever method helps you to become the most productive.
Now, more than ever is a great time to get acquainted with this reality, because remote work is only just beginning to become the new normal!