According to recent research performed by Buffer, 99% of respondents would prefer to work remotely for the remainder of their lives at least part of the time. The ability to work from home, have a flexible schedule, and spend time with family are the key motivators for this advantage.
We'll go through the main benefits and drawbacks of onsite and remote employment in this blog.
Is working from home still a viable option?
Despite the fact that lockdowns and limitations have been lifted, working from home remains an appealing working style that many people and businesses still choose for a variety of reasons.
We'll go over some of the major benefits of working from home, as well as some of the drawbacks of this work arrangement.
Better candidates
When you allow workers to work from home, your pool of prospects grows dramatically. This implies you're no longer limited to a smaller pool of candidates that live close to your business.
Offsite working means that instead of hiring the typical applicant with average skills who lives nearby, your business can now recruit a better candidate who lives across the country.
Easy access
Offsite employment allows a person to work from any location. As previously said, the development of project management software and other cutting-edge digital technologies means that individuals are no longer bound to their desks.
They may work from anywhere they choose and utilise technology to effortlessly interact and cooperate with other members of the team.
Growing digital landscape
More and more technological gadgets and software are becoming commonplace. This implies that technology can now readily govern and empower different elements of our lives.
It is now possible to measure productivity and manage personnel who are not on-site thanks to technology improvements. There is a plethora of management tools that companies can utilise to easily train, manage, and communicate with their personnel.
Time efficient
According to Gallup, 30% of employees claimed telecommuting helped them to do more in less time, while 24% said it allowed them to accomplish more in the same amount of time.
This is backed up by the fact that more than 60% of office managers believe that workers who work remotely are more productive.
Keep in mind that, while working from home has a lot of advantages, it also has certain drawbacks that you should be aware of. Here are a few problems you could run into:
No sense of urgency
Working from home means that there is a level of relaxation that isn't usually found working on-site, which means we tend to not feel any sense of urgency.
Remote working, for example, eliminates the need for urgent meetings. Online meetings may always be used to conduct team interactions and meetings, but the availability of employees will always fluctuate.
This may be harmful to your business and negatively affect the level of productivity you want to achieve because individuals aren't working on the same schedule, and it's more difficult to manage your employees as a result.
Risks are more likely to occur
When you or your employee work remotely, there's a good possibility that there will be mistakes. Without a face-to-face encounter to discuss these difficulties, it may be more difficult to resolve them. There may be small details that are neglected, which could potentially cause further problems for your business.
As a result, no matter how strong your communication channel is or how solid your dialogue is, remote working will always be a riskier method as opposed to working onsite.
For more information, head to our blog, “Working from Home: Best Tips to maximise Productivity during a Pandemic,” where we present some of the best tips on how you can work more effectively within the comfort of your own home.
Is it better to work onsite?
Now that we've gone over the benefits and drawbacks of remote working, you can decide if working onsite is still the best option or whether it's a less appealing alternative.
In light of this, we've compiled a summary of the primary advantages and disadvantages of working onsite.
Better teamwork and synergy
When working onsite, the team members have better synergy when working together collectively. Cooperation is more intense when everyone is spending time together to work on the same project, and aiming for the same objective.
Furthermore, when individuals work together, they form relationships and friendships. There is also a sense of competition. As a result, both of these factors work together to create a healthy and productive work environment. Working from home can seriously affect this as people are segregated by their location.
More control
Direct control is instant when working onsite. Managing problems rather than trying to fix them remotely can be a lot easier.
Additionally, if major choices must be taken, you may simply meet the necessary team members in person to discuss the matter.
Working onsite allows you to have a deeper understanding of various circumstances and to quickly resolve any issues if needed.
Confidentiality
There will be duties that need the utmost confidentiality and secrecy at times. Pitch meetings, proposals, and customer presentations all require the immediate team to be present and discuss pertinent topics in private.
Onsite work ensures that suitable corporate software is installed for your staff and this ensures confidentiality and prevents particular documents or information from being downloaded or duplicated. When working remotely, it might be more difficult to protect confidentiality since these documents may be leaked to unauthorised parties.
Fewer disruptions
It's difficult to keep track of what your workers are doing when they work from home. Although there are digital technologies accessible to monitor your employees' activity, you cannot always do so. They may have signed in to work, but they might just as well be spending their time doing anything unrelated to work.
Personal obligations and other digital disturbances can be considerably avoided by working onsite.
Even while there are several advantages to working on-site, there are some drawbacks. Here are a few you could come across:
Expenses and Utilities
Having your own fully equipped physical place where your entire team can gather together to work might be advantageous, but it isn't inexpensive. There would be a significant cost in just running the workplace, from power bills to other basic expenses like stationery, workstations, and so on.
Aside from the office expenditures, personnel and assistance workers also cost a lot of money and effort. These expenditures are something that people on a restricted budget should really consider.
Having a remote team allows you to eliminate all of these costs, resulting in improved cash flow for your business.
Rigid work culture
When someone spends a large portion of their day on site, it's impossible for them to attend to pressing business demands when they get home.
As a result, this is one of the most significant setbacks for any firm that may want assistance from employees at odd hours or throughout the day.
At Persona Finance, we are committed to enhancing the value of your business. We endeavour to manage your tax requirements with the best efficiency and precision, from bookkeeping services to check your business’ annual accounts. Please contact us right away for more information on our services and how we can assist your business.