2020 has had a significant impact on many businesses. One of the key outcomes to come from last year was the shift towards remote working teams.
The need for remote teams came from the effort to minimise the spread of COVID-19, but it is something that many businesses are likely to continue going into 2021.
Working from home provides numerous benefits to both businesses and employees.
Save on energy & costs
For businesses, a remote team can result in potential cost savings across office real estate, commercial energy bills, office equipment, furniture and appliances, and building maintenance and cleaning costs.
Office spaces generally use a significant amount of energy, from lighting to heating and cooling and various office equipment that continually runs.
Having a remote team may be a very cost-effective solution for many businesses. Savings can be reinvested back into the business to improve business software and communication tools.
Wider talent pool
Having a remote team means you no longer need to be limited by location when it comes to hiring new employees.
Hiring only people who live within your geographical area may limit your options when it comes to finding the best person for the job. With your team working remotely, it doesn’t matter where they live, allowing you to widen the net when looking for new talent.
You also won’t need to worry about new employees relocating, or having valued team members give up their job if they decide to move away.
Another benefit is that you will not be required to move to a bigger workspace when you hire new employees, allowing you to expand your team when necessary.
Increased productivity
Technology has made it easier for remote workers to remain productive while working from home.
There are numerous tools available to enable teams to remain connected, even when working remotely. Communications programs such as Slack and Mattermost allow teams to communicate regularly, and video conferencing tools such as Zoom and Google Meet have made it easy to conduct team and client meetings.
There are several project management tools to ensure that your team are keeping up to date with projects and meeting essential deadlines.
With fewer distractions from working in a busy office, you may find that some of your employees can be much more productive. This may also be due to your employees having increased flexibility to work in a way that suits them.
Flexible working options
While there are many benefits for business owners when managing a remote team, your employees also have numerous benefits.
Working from home allows employees to save time on daily commuting and perhaps have a more flexible routine to take advantage of their most productive time of the day. For some people, this may involve starting work earlier or later in the day. This may be especially beneficial for those with families and young children.
Working from home provides a better work-life balance, which may help your employees be more satisfied with their job. This, in turn, may improve productivity.
Offering flexible working arrangements may also make your business more appealing to future employees and help you recruit the best talent for your team.
To ensure a remote team’s success and happiness, check out our blog on how employers can look after their teams’ mental health when working from home.