Working remotely has many obvious benefits. It allows employees to work in a different geographic location or even outside of the country. It’s usually easier to deal with childcare as well as the commute, because you don’t have to worry about these factors when you are out of the office. It can save the business money on rent and other overhead costs it may be paying for office space if not used 100% of the time.
However, some drawbacks make working remotely less than ideal. The following are some of the benefits and drawbacks of working remotely:
Benefits of remote working
Before getting into the benefits, it’s worth mentioning that any company considering remote working should look at how employees will access the company files and resources. It’s fairly common for a company to have migrated to a cloud-based provider. If your company still needs to do this, www.avepoint.com provides details on migration services.
1) Can save you money on office space
With the increase in the popularity of remote working, many companies have taken the opportunity of closing underused office space. This means the company can save money on rent and other overhead costs. This can translate into savings for the company as a whole, especially in this economy, which is why it’s a good idea for small business owners to be thinking about this.
2) Less time commuting
Commuting can be boring and distracting – it’s no wonder why people start to hate their commutes, especially during rush hour traffic! However, by working from home or even remotely, you won’t have any of those problems.
3) Your team can be based anywhere
You can now choose from a wider pool of applicants now that your business isn’t limited by your team’s geographical location.
4) Fewer office politics
Politics can be a big problem in any workplace. By working remotely, you remove this aspect of the workplace and replace it with better communication and clear expectations. This means that the employee doesn’t have to worry about drama from co-workers and managers, which is always a good thing!
Drawbacks of remote working:
1) Less face-time with potential recruits
When you’re working in an office, you’ve got the opportunity to meet potential colleagues face-to-face. No matter how good today’s video conferencing software is, face-to-face meetings are better if you need to build a rapport quickly.
2) Lack of team synergy
While working remotely does offer more flexibility, one thing it does not offer is the opportunity for closer relationships among your employees. This can lead to a lack of trust and camaraderie among the team
3) Lack of accountability
While no one has directly said it, the underlying principle is that when you are working with other people, there is an underlying expectation that you will do your job, and it soon comes to light if you are wasting time on social media or other non-work related activities. Remote workers need to have a high level of integrity to now allow distractions to stop them from working.
4) Low visibility within the organization
It’s all too easy for remote workers’ achievements to be less visible to their colleagues. As they aren’t in the office and are highly visible, managers need to be proactive in ensuring remote workers are recognized for their work or that they take early action if there is a problem with productivity.
Remote working is often a necessity within business culture, especially in today’s ever-changing and technology-driven society. The benefits outweigh the drawbacks, but small business owners should always consider the consequences to their business from remote workers when making hiring decisions.
