Many business owners ponder upon hiring remote staff. While some leaders want to hold managerial oversight as a reason not to hire remote workers, it is smart to consider the benefits.
How Does Remote Staffing Compare to in-House?
Hiring remote staff will not work well for every business, but regardless, employers must trust their employees and let go of constant managerial oversight. Hiring staff outside of the office can easily be done with the help of a staffing agency and doing so can give businesses a strong competitive advantage.
Connected with Technology
Most employees take communication at home for granted. In the current age, all that’s needed to communicate with the office team members is a simple device or two and a Wi-Fi connection. This instantly gives the remote worker all of the communication amenities of a standard office.
Remote workers tend to feel a greater sense of connection with their coworkers, particularly when their remote work practices were supported by unified communications. Technology allows us to easily communicate across various devices, operating systems, and applications.
Productivity Levels
Remote workers actually tend to be more productive than their in-office counterparts. Individuals are even more likely to work overtime when they can enjoy their autonomy. While working from home, individuals are insulated from the daily distractions that often take place in an office and they aren’t bombarded with last-minute meeting requests or small talk from colleagues.
Also, each individual is different when it comes to the time of day they are most productive. Some team members will be night owls, doing their best work after the sun goes down; while other workers’ prime productivity level comes before or with the sunrise. The best remote jobs are ones that offer flexible hours. Remote work normally comes with job flexibility which can make a significant difference in the output.
Cost-Effective
Real estate is the largest area in which a company will save. By switching to remote staff, a business could save quite a hefty amount per employee per year in real estate costs.
There are other overhead costs associated with having employees on-site, such as a greater cost in items like office supplies and furniture, janitorial services, and electricity. Allowing employees to work from home also reduces the amount and frequency of workers who call in “sick”. Unscheduled absences can really cost a business.
Commute Fatigue Prevention
Some on-location workers become depressed by their commute and spend so much money in gas, while remote workers can save a significant amount of money and are less likely to automatically be in a bad mood when they begin their workday.
It has been found that a commute longer than 45 minutes for just one partner in a marriage makes the couple 40% more likely to divorce, and commuting has also been linked to weight gain, increased stress, loneliness, and is literally and figuratively a pain in the neck.
Happier employees are more productive, which is why hiring remote employees can greatly improve the bottom line.
Talent Access and Retention
Hiring only commuters prevents a company from accessing a full talent pool and restricts its reach to a smaller geographical area. There is plenty of top-notch talent beyond a commuting radius.
Also, if a company wants high-quality talent but can’t afford to break the bank, businesses might be able to hire a great full-time employee on the other side of the world willing to work for a fraction of the cost.
Most employers will also agree that telework has a high impact on employee retention. Companies are using remote work as a means to retain their top talent.
About World Wide Specialty Programs
For the last 50 years, World Wide Specialty Programs has dedicated itself to providing the optimal products and solutions for the staffing industry. As the only insurance firm to be an ASA commercial liability partner, we are committed to that partnership and committed to using our knowledge of the industry to provide staffing firms with the best possible coverage. For more information about Staffing Professional Liability Insurance or any other coverage, we have available to protect your staffing business, give us a call at (877) 256-0468 to speak with one of our representatives.