Whilst the appeal of working from home is beginning to wear off for many people, for some it might be the way of the future. And that’s not to mention the companies that are downsizing offices or getting rid of them entirely in response to the pandemic. After a 2020 survey revealed the number one cause of stress* in the workplace is due to office politics, remote working could soon be the norm for many companies.

That very same survey revealed working from home policies and flexible work hours would help respondents bust any feelings of stress. Business coach Jamie Goral supports many business owners across London with the most common questions recently being asked about how to run a great business with staff working from home.

“Agile working seems to be the future,” said Jamie. “Whilst companies are recognising the potential benefits of adopting this, including less expenditure on office space and furniture, they are also asking how to still maintain that work culture and atmosphere which helps everyone to operate at their very best. It’s important to consider each side of the argument and figure out what’s best for your team.”

Here, Jamie shares a handful of the benefits of a remote workplace, supporting those who have opted for it, and helping those sitting on the fence to ultimately make a decision.

1. Unlimited pool of talent. If you’re only ever recruiting from the pool of workers who live within commutable distance of the office, then you could be missing out on the best person for the job. With remote working, you can tap into a global pool of talent, giving you unlimited potential for employing the best of the best.
2. Productivity. It’s an obstacle that many business owners had to face during the last year – how to keep the team productive whilst working from home. The truth of the matter is, for the most part, companies have continued to be just as productive, if not more, during this time. Employees are not required to take half an hour out for a proposed 10-minute meeting that ends up running over its time. Instead, they can attend virtually and get on with things as soon as it’s wrapped up.
3. Loyalty. With the added trust from employers in their teams, workers will feel more secure in their jobs, meaning employee retention will be directly affected. This builds a relationship that includes mutual respect between the two parties, leading to loyalty for the company. I could write a book about the cost of new hires and training to a business! So, building loyalty and retaining staff is a great long-term strategy to save costs.
4. Focus on communication. At the beginning of the pandemic, the shift to communicating virtually felt very strange. But a year later and many of us, I’m sure, couldn’t imagine anything different. In fact, this transition has been influential in many ways, including a reduction of time-wasting with office politics (remember, this was the main reason people got stressed at work) and implementing software that has helped make the discourse as streamlined as possible. It also encourages better communication as people learn to talk to who they need to, when they need to.

Jamie added, “Implementing permanent flexi or home working for your business can create both an enviable and profitable work environment when done right. My advice is to engage your whole team in discussions at the earliest opportunity – it’s always better to take your team on the journey with you, even when it starts from home.”

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News source: https://londonlovesbusiness.com