Breaking New Ground: How Companies Can Invest in Remote Workers
The work landscape is shifting again. It happened with the Industrial Revolution, with the tech
revolution, and its happening again with the digital one. As with the great changes that came before, it brings with it new opportunities for hiring, improving efficiency, and best of all, improving well-being and fulfillment. The key player in all of this is the remote worker.
Remote work pre-dates the Pandemic, with an estimated 3.3% of the US labor force working from home as early as 2000. Upwork predicts that this number will increase to 22% by 2025. We aren’t experiencing a fad but are standing on the edge of a new work frontier; the next evolution in our means of producing the goods and services that make society run.
This new landscape brings with it new responsibilities. No longer are companies required to invest large sums into a single building in order to house their workers, technology, and network support. Instead, a new freedom has opened up, and this requires a new mindset around what it means to “invest” in workers. The sooner you embrace this new approach, the sooner and more numerously you’ll be able to acquire the benefits of the remote-working world.
Why you should invest in you employees personal space.
A company's concerns are understandably fixated on their accounts; money coming in, going out, and what’s left after both have been settled. You’ll be reassured to learn that, even should you invest to the highest degree in remote workers—via tech, comfort, and network support—you’ll still be saving money.
The best way to appreciate the gains made by leaving office buildings behind is via real-life examples. Aetna, the prominent insurance company, saved $78 million by moving away from in-office workspaces, and another report by Flexjobs stated that, on average, employers can save $22,000 per remote worker, per year.
Alongside increasing margins, investing in remote work increases productivity. The Harvard Business Review reports that remote employees net a full-day’s worth of extra work than their in-office counterparts, and yet another Flexjobs report (they love their statistics) states that remote workers are 35-40% more productive than in-office workers.
Uncertainties are understandable, they come with the territory of change, but if you shift your focus to the opportunities—increased margins, reduced costs, increased worker retention, and the ability to find talent outside your local area—you’ll find that this new landscape is filled with gold nuggets worth digging for. All you have to do is invest in creating the optimal workspace for your remote workers.
Tech and tools
A worker is only as effective as his tools. When you think about investing in remote workers, this is likely the first place your mind goes. This opportunity doesn't end at a basic laptop, though. If you really want to get the most out of your remote workers, think outside the box.
Elevate your remote workers engagement with the digital workspace by providing headsets, tablets, monitors, and other such tools. With the reveal of Apple’s VisionPro, it isn’t hard to envision a world where VR plays a central role in remote work. Imagine meeting in an entirely virtual space—a retro 80s office space or a Roman colosseum. Keep your eyes open for new opportunities in this emerging landscape.
Physical comfort is just as important as cognitive engagement, in fact, they’re intertwined. We recommend investing in supportive seating such as ergonomic chairs or aesthetic support such as sun-lamps. Your remote employees will feel physically and mentally alert as a result; and, you’ll send the message that you care about how they feel, not just what they produce.
Don’t underestimate how far investing in your remote workers’ spaces can go. While providing technological tools makes a direct impact on their productivity, providing comfortable seating and even aesthetically-pleasing items can increase their performance and creativity.
Building a strong foundation
A weak foundation will topple the strongest building. When it comes to remote work, network support and digital security are your foundation.
The IT guys are about to become a whole lot more important! When most of your work takes place in the digital landscape, you need a strong crew of digital gardeners and weed killers. Give your remote workers the support they need by ensuring their network complications are minimal—or at the least, are easily solvable.
Remote work requires a network of trust between employees and employer, and the easiest way to ensure this is by having robust internal security. Invest in a VPN (Virtual Private Network) and give access to each member, or utilize a cloud-based data-storage system for optimal security. These are your “virtual walls” that guard your virtual workspace from unwanted visitors.
Consider offering a stipend to remote workers to cover their WiFi costs. This is a small but memorable offering which will, like the chairs and sun-lamps, telegraph to your workers that you are invested in creating the ideal environment for them—even if you’re miles away. Often it’s the small actions that make the biggest impact on how people feel about your company.
Communication and software
What you don’t want is a failure to communicate! Invest in communication technology and project management software to ensure that the daily management of tasks runs smoothly. Your employees will feel as close as if they were cubicle buddies again.
Slack is a popular communication program that allows you to create different channels per team or project. This organization radically increases efficiency in both remote and internal projects. Other options are GChat, WhatsApp for the hip and swingin’, or good Ol’ group text chats. These messaging systems come with built-in protection for improved security, too!
After network support, the next-most important layer of constructing a functional remote workspace is project management software. This is the virtual “office” where employees will meet, share ideas, upload files, make suggestions—do everything but hang at the water cooler! Monday.com is one of the most-popular softwares available, and we quite like their tagline, too: “A platform built for a new way of working.”
It’s important that your remote workers can still speak to each other—and you—face to face. Never before have we had such an easy time facilitating “face-to-face” meetings with people who are miles away. Zoom, Skype, Google Meet—pick your poison and get to talking!
If network support and security are the foundation for connection, then communication and project management software is what facilitates it. At the heart of any great team is the ability to connect over a common goal. Empower your remote workers by investing in these technologies and watch as these remote relationships grow as deep as your in-office ones.
A personal touch
Let’s end with a fun one! Even though you can still connect deeply with remote workers over a Zoom call, its important to find time to meet in person. You can do this by organizing an annual company retreat where remote and in-office workers can mix and mingle.
You can send a personal touch even from miles away. Mail physical goodie bags to your remote workers for a fun and thoughtful surprise. These can include stress balls, notepads, high-quality pens, or other items that may be helpful. Take note of their special interests—mentioned over calls or in the chat—and include an item that shows you’ve been paying attention to who they are as individuals. Nothing pays more than investing in the Human element.
One concern over remote workers is the possibility of waning motivation and work quality. Statistics have shown that the opposite is true, but one way to incentivize remote workers is with gamification. Set up work-related competitions and award the winner, or winning team, an item that will maximize their home office, such as a new desk, decor, or tool.
Their space, your goals.
The unique opportunity presented by the remote landscape is that it invites greater dialogue between employer and employee. It may be their space, but if you’re the leader then it’s your goal. It pays to help them optimize their space so they can do their best.The fastest way to do this is to ask them what they need to succeed; what environments, styles, or tools make them feel focused and inspired?
You’re not discussing interior design, you’re discussing the work process. You’re asking the better question that is “what do you need to optimize your strengths as a worker?” No matter what road this question takes with each employee, it’ll lead to the same place—improved productivity, more creative ideas, and happier employees who want to stay with you.
It isn’t just the physical landscape that’s evolving, but the Human one, too!