Remote work is no longer seen as “foreign” or “special”, more employees than ever before are now working remotely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But as more offices begin to reopen, many companies are unsure about extending remote work opportunities. While it’s easy to understand why more employees want to work remotely from now on, many businesses still aren’t convinced.
Here are four tested and trusted reasons why you should consider hiring remote workers –
Cuts operational costs – Remote hiring leads to a significant reduction in expenses related to a fully equipped and staffed office. You scale back the office costs of real estate, furniture, fuel, bills, cleaners and office supplies. There are still operational costs to consider, and you might want to introduce remote work stipends to ensure you don’t unintentionally transfer these to your employees. It’s also important to remember that small perks can make a big difference. You’re also being health-conscious, Covid-19 is still very much real; reduce contact and reduce the risks – after all your business won’t function properly with sick employees.
Productivity level is at an all-time high – Let’s take Jobberman Nigeria as an example here. Since the advent of the pandemic, remote work has been the new normal – this didn’t cause a breakdown or slowdown in our ecosystem, instead, we rose up to the challenge and achieved more milestones than ever before. Job listings tripled, we launched a FREE soft skills training program with over 80,000 people currently trained and even acquired one of Nigeria’s top recruitment agencies, NGcareers. If that doesn’t speak productivity then I don’t know what to tell you.
Increases employee retention – Remote working jobs are a highly preferred work prospect for employees because they don’t have to commute, they start their day feeling less stressed, healthier and pumped! Staff who work from home tend to be more self-reliant, so when they’re faced with a problem they find a workaround quickly. Companies that offer flexible work options enjoy higher employee retention since it is a simple yet effective work model.
You access a wider talent pool – When you need to hire employees from a set location, you limit your talent pool. In contrast, remote work lets you access the very best talent across the country. You have unlimited access to top talents especially if you are in the IT or creative industries where the best talents prefer gig work to full-time jobs.
Flexibility in the workplace is one of the most important factors for millennials, and in order to attract young, highly skilled talent, working remotely is a major bonus.
Convinced?
There are plenty of great reasons to hire remotely but hiring remote staff isn’t for everyone, if you like to micromanage your staff then you won’t enjoy the experience.
