The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a surge in teleworking as a way to reduce the virus spread. But telework is not a new trend, and in reality it has been used by companies for years to decrease business costs and increase access to remote talent. Despite the inherent benefits, this productivity tool has been held back by traditional attitudes towards work.
According to a 2020 report by GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com (GWA), up to 80% of employees surveyed would like their employer to provide teleworking options, and they find such companies to be more desirable as employers. With increasing interest by both employers and employees, telework is becoming more accepted and it will help to reshape corporate structures. So what are the benefits of teleworking?
Telework is good for both employee and employer
People used to think of telework as primarily an employee benefit, since it allows employees to skip the commute and arrange their work life balance. It also allows employees to stay employed when they move to a new city or town. But the benefit of telework for employers is more fundamental; it accelerates digital transformation, reduces risks to the company in times of disasters or disruptions, and prepares companies for rapid response to changes in the economy.
Employer benefits
1. Expand the talent pool
With telework, employers are no longer limited by their geographical location when looking for the right talent. They can recruit from anywhere around the world! Once only an option for large enterprises, teleworking makes remote employees available to small and medium businesses.
2. Higher productivity
Major U.S. corporations like Best Buy, Compaq, and American Express have found the productivity of teleworkers is actually 15-45% higher than in-office workers. This statistic is in contrast to traditional thinking that employees working at home may not be working when they are supposed to and are therefore less productive or reliable. In reality, employees in the office are frequently socializing or using time in unproductive ways.
Based on results, companies that have good management processes in place find teleworkers to be more organized and that they bring up the productivity of the whole team. As an example, many unnecessary and unproductive meetings are eliminated as a result of having teleworkers on the team. Agendas are better planned and attendees are more prepared, leading to better results.
3. Save resources and become a green enterprise
The GWA study shows that corporations that implemented telework saves on average $11,000 a year per employee! This shocking number is a result of eliminating the facility and operational costs needed to provide office space for employees, which includes (rapidly rising) rent and other physical facilities and equipment expenditures. This is why corporations like Microsoft are providing employees the option to telework. It is not only cost-effective, it cuts down on the use of power and utilities, helping them achieve their green initiatives.
4. Risk reduction
Teleworkers are not affected by unexpected disruptions like power outages and fires, or natural disasters like earthquakes, typhoons, or the spread of infectious disease. While the work in the office may come to a grinding halt, teleworkers can continue working during such disruptions.
Employee benefits
1. Save commute time and cost
One of the worst parts of city life is the daily commute: getting packed like sardines in the subway; tumbling down the aisle when the bus driver slams on the brake; or getting stuck in stop-and-go traffic. It ruins your mood, saps your energy, and is a waste of precious time. This is probably one of the key reasons workers choose to telework, so they can avoid the pain and cost of the daily commute. Even though some companies provide assistance with public transport, it is still a drain on time and energy. It is found to be a significant factor in employee attrition.
2. Improve employee morale
Being able to balance personal life with work is a big win, especially for parents of young children or workers caring for ill or aging family members. Telework also opens up employment opportunities to the handicapped who cannot commute to an office. It also allows employees to live where they want, perhaps far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, or even in a foreign country to be close to their loved ones.
3. Flexible work schedule
This is easily one of the most misunderstood aspects of telework by employers who don’t trust their employees. In reality, this flexibility allows employees to work in a way they find most productive. Teleworkers are able to organize their work time and personal time to complete their assignments. They feel more empowered and they gain greater satisfaction in their work.
Having the right tools
To achieve the best results from telework, you need the right tools. This includes the right management culture/process and the right business tools. Some popular tools used for telework are Office 365, Google Doc, Zoom, MS Teams, Slack, Google Calendar, Team Viewer, and EVOX Cloud PBX. All of these tools have four common characteristics:
1. 100% cloud based
Whether it is video conferencing, online assistance, or Cloud PBX, the cloud makes these tools accessible anytime and anywhere. It allows you to collaborate with your team and contact your partners and customers when and where you need to.
2. Easily integrates with the existing workflow
Not only do you want to be able to sign up to these tools quickly, they must seamlessly integrate with your company’s current workflow and, even better, improve productivity.
3. Remote management
When a business launches a teleworking team or process, there will be a learning period. It may need to apply lessons learned from other companies, and management will need to keep a close watch on the progress. This requires these tools to include remote monitoring and management functions.
4. Easy to learn
Complexity and poor user experience will slow down or even discourage users. The tools must have good user experience design and easy onboarding processes so teleworkers can gain high productivity quickly.
The promise and hazards of telework
Telework is not just a work style, it is also a transformation of corporate culture and a milestone in digital transformation. The traditional in-office corporate structure emphasizes hierarchy, and relies on a command and control system of management. This kind of structure leads to distrust between employers and employees with supervisors feeling the need to watch over subordinates to ensure work is completed. The modern corporation in the digital economy requires something quite different. It can only thrive with an open and interactive organization, and a flexible work style.Creativity and self motivation is unleashed, leading to higher levels of innovation and productivity.
In addition to the adoption of new cloud tools to increase productivity, corporations must also evolve towards the proper culture and operating procedure to meet the challenge of the new economy. Team members must share clear objectives, and workflow must be highly interactive and dynamic. This culture empowers employees to reach their full potential, leading to win-win results for employers and employees.
