Life After COVID-19: 5 Reasons Why Working Remotely Is Here to Stay
Ann Zaslow-Rethaber
President - ISC Jobs | WBE Certified Executive Search for SALES, Financial Services, & HOSPITALITY! 🌎 iscjobs.com
Within a very short time frame, the world has experienced dramatic shifts in how we communicate, how we socialize, & how we conduct business.
One of the biggest tangential changes that we have experienced in the corporate world is the rapid acceptance and reliance on video conferencing platforms to replace live meetings.
It’s astonishing to see how quickly businesses have embraced remote working—and it’s been a surprising success for most.
Companies across the board are quickly adapting to working remotely and have become at ease in attending meetings via digital platforms.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey recently announced that his employees will be working from home ‘forever’.
Although Dorsey is keeping the option open for those who prefer to work from the office, he’s also said that whenever the office does open, it won’t be the same. He said the reopening of the office will be “careful, intentional, office by office and gradual.”
Zoom is officially a household name now, along with Slack, Skype for Business, and other technologies businesses are using to connect employees and manage work. Even though homeschooling is an inconvenience, parents at least don’t have to find babysitters to look after their kids since they work from home themselves.
Any one of the following 5 factors would make a strong argument against companies returning to requiring all workers to report in-office for work.
Combined, these 5 elements ensure that working virtually is here to stay:
Better Work and Life Balance
Even though the blurred lines between work and life are troubling for some people, the vast majority of people seem to be content with remote working.
According to studies, not only are remote workers more productive, but they also enjoy greater work and life balance.
Being able to throw something in the crockpot at lunch and do a load of laundry between calls ultimately results in having more time at the end of the day to truly relax.
Workers Don’t Have to Deal with Commuting
There is no question that simply removing commuting time results in more time to pursue other areas of interest. Families are reporting feeling closer, and workers are reporting greater overall satisfaction within their roles.
Post Covid-19, the biggest change in candidate behavior will predictably be based around evaluating job opportunities against quality of life. People are going to pay more attention to how they spend their valuable time, and if they have already learned that they can successfully get their job done virtually, it will be a hard sale on the hiring manager side to convince them that they need to add a few hours to their day in order to dress professionally and commute.
Even before Covid, top talent was becoming accustomed to negotiating offers that included flexible work locations whenever plausible. Post Covid, those expectations will be increased.
Environmental Benefits!
There is no question that the current crisis has had some fantastic benefits to the planet as a whole. The canals in Venice are running crystal clear, dolphins are breaching, and the birds are singing,
Combine that with the undisputed fact that working from home is simply easier in the majority of cases. Yes, there are certainly scenarios where someone works better in an office setting and those individuals should absolutely continue to work in-office. We need those people and they are just as valued as those that are choosing to embrace the flexibility and benefits that working from home offers.
Substantial Savings for Companies
With more of their employees working from home, corporations will no longer be required to lease out a large office. Rather than offering a massive office to a high performing employee, perhaps that incentive will be converted to something else, such as stock options, days off, etc.
The savings in terms of costs per employee will decrease, contributing to a larger ROI.
There is no question that it is still extremely valuable for companies to have a physical presence where employees can go and consider themselves at headquarters. The point is the size of the space no longer needs to be able to accommodate all employees for full time shifts.
Chief financial officers are already seeing the savings from reduced energy bills and travel costs. There will be many more ways that companies will save money by embracing this change.
Increased Productivity
A 2-year long Stanford study showed that virtual employees are:
More productive when working from home. From the lack of commute, the flexibility of work timings, reduced office politics, to less office chatter, multiple factors that make remote working a more productive, pleasant option for companies.
When employees are working from home, they complete a full-shift more often than when they have to commute to work and when they wrap up early because they want to get home.
Sick-days typically drop when moving to a remote environment because stress and anxiety levels are lower. People tend to start and finish work earlier too, when working from home.
There is no question that working remotely is here to stay. Companies that embrace that option quickly and as enthusiastically as possible, will reap the rewards.
International Search Consultants has been a leader in executive recruiting since 1999. Reach out to us today, if you want to strategize on your ideal candidate profiles.
Ann Zaslow-Rethaber is President of ISC and can be reached directly at 888-866-7276 or via e-mail at AnnR@ISCJOBS.COM
Kim Garrison is ISC’s Team Lead for Texas Banking Recruiters, and can be reached via direct dial at 800-270-3974 or email at KimG@ISCJOBS.COM