Why Businesses Choose Remote Work Post-COVID

With the global health pandemic behind us, it is surprising that many businesses continue to work remotely or at least have a hybrid model. Four years ago, when we changed our lives because of remote jobs, many people suspected that “work from home” would merely be a transitionary fad. Yet, remote working benefits far outweigh our initial skepticism towards it.

However, remote work has persisted and accelerated in many industries.

So, what is driving a push towards a more flexible, people-centric work environment? After all, aren’t we supposed to believe that a traditional office setting is the only way to get things done?

One of the best measures of any organizational strategy is its relative popularity and acceptance among one’s workforce. In this regard, the best way to move forward is to analyze which work styles and settings suit employees the best.

In research regarding stress and productivity, most of employees 26-35 years old reported high stress levels, with some contributing factors being “no part in decision making” and “no control over the work environment.” And that was before the pandemic! We can agree that most, if not all, of us have had stress levels increase in the past four years or so.

So why not take a simple step to ensure you make the right decision for your business and help your employees lower their stress levels? It’s a win-win!

At this point, you probably think that remote work and a proclivity towards a better work-life balance are exclusive to staff-level workers. You might be surprised to know that this preference is shared across all levels of an organization. The benefits for remote employees can also be seen in terms of the business bottom-line.

Even executive-level employees perform better and report greater productivity and lower stress levels when allowed to work flexibly.

Through that lens, we gathered input from business leaders in industries ranging from marketing solutions and PPE to superfood-powered skincare. These business leaders have considered their options, including returning to the office, hybrid strategies, and committing to remaining fully remote – all came to the same conclusion. While the reasoning may vary from one business to the next, common themes have emerged for why a work-from-home strategy is their preference.

Fewer Safety Concerns and Access to More Workers

Implementing a fully remote strategy is our favorite remote-first model. There are many benefits to the employer and the employees, and some for the environment. 

As we are sure many people have, you may have heard of cases where an employee has shown up to work not feeling well. With remote work, such employees can work from their homes and recover, preventing further health risks to themselves and their colleagues. It is also a financial and business risk just for the sake of being in control of people’s location. 

In addition, removing location-based barriers for your HR team means a broader, more diverse – and possibly untapped – talent pool is now available. One that values flexibility and may not have been available without that flexibility. Adding to that, study after study has found that women have been disproportionately laid off during the pandemic. Recent data released by McKinsey and Oxford Economics estimate that employment for women may not recover to pre-pandemic levels until this year, which is two full years after the same level of recovery for men. (Fortune). It is something to keep in mind as you craft your recruitment strategy.

Remote staffing can help you access a much greater talent pool. In our case, we have seen numerous job postings on LinkedIn looking for candidates to work from home, and each one had hundreds of applicants.

We can all agree that it is a good problem for your HR team. If you’re looking to hire talent from all over the world, we can even help you out with a remote Recruiting Assistant.

“All of my employees went fully remote last March (2020). I closed the physical offices permanently. I’m hiring new people across the country and finding better applicants. A lot of the people I have hired came from a job where they didn’t feel safe anymore… I’m also getting a lot of stay-at-home moms who love the flexibility as well. WorkBeast is going to have record earnings this year mostly because of this switch in strategy.” – Tom Ryan, CEO of WorkBeast

Freedom for Employees to Live Where They Want

Take the previous example: the employer expressed finding value in an expanded, global talent pool and flipped it around. There is also value in your existing employees being able to pick up and move to where they want to live. In the past, many people would have to move near the jobs and employers they wanted. Not only has that placed the financial burden on the employee, but it is now evident that it is passé. Any organization that imposes in-office presence on employees with roles quickly done while working from home will have to face the growing number of businesses competing for their talent as innovative business leaders continue to break down barriers instead of reinforcing them.

“Not only do all our employees now work fully remote, but many also moved out of state, something that wasn’t an option before. One of our location’s leases expires at the end of the year, and we’ve already informed our landlord that we will not be renewing our lease. We surveyed our entire staff, prior to making the decision, and not one person wanted to return to the office. The employees that do are allowed to flex/work at our primary location any date/time they want – but so far, no takers!” – Bret Bonnet, Co-Founder/President of Quality Logo Products, Inc.

Remote Working Can Transform City and Career Accessibility

A pronounced expense reduction is lowering or eliminating rent. The transition to remote work trend has helped slow down or reverse urban sprawl. Perhaps instead of office after office filled with cubicles of employees who have roles that do not interface with the local community, other businesses that provide goods and services to the community can occupy those spaces and make the area even more accessible to live in. 

Improvements in accessibility can also be seen with individuals who are disabled and need remote work now having the work-from-home options they have long been pushing for. With about a sixth of the global population having a disability that impacts their ability to work in a traditional office setting, “greater accessibility has the potential to improve millions of lives.

In 2023, a study was conducted in Italy, measuring the impact of remote work on carbon emissions, urban mobility stress, and overall environmental impact. The results suggested a significant reduction in hazardous emissions, improved environmental health, and lower stress on city infrastructure due to reduced traffic. The environmental and overall societal benefits were also significant when we changed our lives due to remote jobs.

Cost Savings for the Employer and Employees

While there is so much focus on the financial benefits of a remote-first workforce strategy for the business owner, how about the employees? 

Beyond the health scare of the past four years, there are many acceptable reasons to continue working from home. Instead of spending money on gas and lunches five days a week, they can now use that money for other things that they want to spend on. And, hey, with even more cars off the road, we are all helping the environment in our little way. Going fully remote is a great way to launch or commit to your company’s green initiatives.

“By having everyone stay at home, you can rent a smaller office space in which you can save money while also helping your employees save money on gas and other expenses that come along with working in an office.” – Carrie Derocher, CMO of TextSanity

Focus on Metrics that Matter

One mistake many business leaders make is assuming that because they see their employees at their desks, they must be 100% productive. As covered in a previous article, Tracking and Monitoring Remote Workers, this fallacy is uncovered using an example we all know and many of us love – The Office. 

A better frame of mind is to focus on metrics that matter. “Time spent in office” is not one of them.

“At Gleamin, we’ve decided to embrace remote work and aren’t looking back. 100% of my staff is remote and will continue to be remote past the pandemic. To maintain productivity, efficiency, and a flow of communication we use Saas applications to assist in our remote work. For example – ClickUp. This has been a dream in ensuring our projects are organized. Slack has been awesome in developing our remote communication culture. Overall, the recent COVID-19 events have only reinforced what Gleamin had already set up prior to the pandemic. Additionally, I have focused on creating a freeing company culture, and tracking results rather than hours.” – Jordan Smyth, Founder of Gleamin

If you’re interested in transitioning to remote work but don’t know where to start, then worry not.

We have got you covered!

If you want to learn more about our services and what we can do to help your business go remote-first while saving you time and money, connect with us for a free consultation.