Reasons why remote work should stick around [Opinion]

The notion of remote work has become increasingly ingrained in the business landscape over the last few years.

As new generations of workers reject the insensible demands rife in traditional businesses, and awareness around disadvantaged individuals grows, establishing a distributed workforce is no longer a luxury but a necessity.

But many business owners are still reluctant to entertain the idea of moving on from yesteryear’s brick and mortar office setups. Truthfully, the list of remote work benefits far outweighs its disadvantages.

Let us explore some of the key advantages of adopting a remote-work culture.

Increased critical & creative thinking

Remote working provides employees with the opportunity to work in a relaxed and familiar space.

It instills them with a sense of freedom, cultivating a more laid-back working atmosphere. This leads to greater initiative and innovative thinking, as there are fewer uncontrollable distractions and more mental space can be dedicated to work objectives.

Significantly reduced expenditure

Adopting a remote-work culture will considerably reduce your expenditure on things like renting office spaces, utility bills, and office amenities, such coffee, tea, sugar, etc. This works in the favour of both employees and employers.

Business owners save on the above costs, while the workforce already covers its own living costs. Additionally, freelance contractors are also able to deduct “office space” expenditure from tax.

Welcome to the global talent pool

Finding the right talent to fit your brand and business is one of the greatest challenges business owners face. By adopting a remote working culture, you gain access to a worldwide pool of talent.

By tapping into a significantly larger pool of prospective employees, you increase your chances of identifying the perfect candidates.

Another important fact to note is that other countries might be used to much lower living wages due to factors such as the exchange rate.

This means you might very well be able to onboard prospects that are willing to work for a lot less than their local counterparts.

Less burnout. More productivity.

Office spaces have never been a great place to hyper-focus. From employees getting sidetracked by office chats, to frustrated creatives battling the general sensory overload of a busy office space, the office space is actually not very conducive to work productivity.

The amount of mental energy it takes, which is considerable for some individuals, to block out these distractions will come to the detriment of your business’ success.

By adopting a remote-work model, your employees aren’t getting distracted by the bustle of an office and can dedicate their undivided attention to the objectives at hand. This will lead to both higher productivity and higher quality output.

Remote work gives increased flexibility

The traditional office space is not a place where you can easily hold meetings with partners or customers, especially when your team is based overseas.

In contrast, a virtual office is much more flexible and will allow you to have face-to-face meetings with partners and clients, no matter where they are located.

Boosts employee motivation

Motivation is arguably one of the most critical aspects of your business. It has been proven time and time again that employee satisfaction is closely tied to productivity.

By helping your workforce to work remotely, you are allowing them to operate from the comfort of their own homes which has a direct impact on their quality of life.

This, in turn, has a direct positive impact on employee satisfaction and ultimately motivates them to do more and be more productive for your business.

Remote work gives increased access for the disabled or chronically ill

It’s undeniable that most of the world is built around the default, “textbook” human. This archaic notion discounts a colossal portion of the human race. How many buildings still lack wheelchair access? How many offices are equipped to cater to the deaf or blind?

In the middle of a pandemic, how many office spaces still neglect to strictly adhere to policies that protect those with immune disorders? This barely scratches the surface of ignorance prevalent in the world of work.

Understandably, it can be difficult for a business owner to cater to every single one of these needs. Fortunately, through a remote-work model, employees are able to work in a space that they have selected and arranged to fit their specific needs.

Read more: South Africans show a high preference for fully remote work – study

Read more: City of Cape Town hopes to introduce Remote Working Visa

Feature image: XPS/Unsplash