Working from home is either thought to be the perfect or the worst solution out there. The jury is still out whether it is actually better for your business to have your staff working remotely, or if you all need to be in one place to reach the peaks of productivity.
However, as the Internet is getting faster every year, and as more and more apps and tools are being developed every day, there is no denying the fact that working remotely has never been easier. If you are a freelancer, you have the luxury of working from the comfort of your pajamas. If you are a company owner, you can save some money on utilities.
If you would prefer to be able to walk into your marketing officer’s office and discuss the latest metrics with them in person, you might find it hard to adjust to the option of online employees. However, if you believe that the latest tech can help you give your team some flexibility, then here are some of the ups and downs of having them work remotely.
Take care of the basics
The first thing to keep in mind are some of the more basic things. You will need to set up an assistant, a virtual one preferably, and someone to take care of the payroll. You will also need a reliable tax accountant to help you out in that department.
You should also make it a point to invest in a proper project management tool, and a means of keeping track of employee hours, if need be. Something to ease communications will also come in handy as well.
Make sure you do hold regular meetings – if you don’t keep in touch, not just you as the CEO, but your employees with each other, things can get a bit lonely for them. You need to remind them of the company spirit every once in a while.
Flexible enough?
This leads us to the first serious drawback or possible perk. Those who work from home are not always disciplined. There may come a time when you won’t be able to tell which of your team members are giving it more than others, and who is slacking off. If you do utilize the right tools however, and have proper managers in place, you will always be able to keep track of those who are giving more than you were expecting.
For those who have the drive and self-management, working remotely can be a blessing. They can do more, seeing as they don’t have to get ready for the office or commute, which can make them more productive, and more happy to work. All of this can only benefit you as the employer. Some studies have shown that those who work from home can be as much as 13% more productive, which can even allow you to cut working hours at some point in the future.
A delicate balance
However, if you don’t have the proper managers, and if your team can’t manage to work together, yet not together, you may face some serious problems. Your employees may start to feel trapped, as they are always at home, yet not really home, as they have to work, which can lead to burnout and less and less job satisfaction.
If you do notice the signs of this, make sure to react in time – you can either try to change things, help your employees out, or organize the work differently. Of course, you can also always change your team, but only if it’s absolutely necessary.
The money side of matters
As mentioned above, you can save a ton of money on office space and utilities, which you can invest either in your company, or in your employees. If you all view working from home as a benefit, you will all feel more motivated to give your best to the work that has to be done, leading to company growth and expansion, and further benefits and perks. Again, the importance of communication can’t be stressed enough. If you don’t find a way to solve any and all issues in a timely fashion, you will have a bunch of dissatisfied employees on your hands, which is the last things you want, especially when you can’t see it on their faces.
There are huge benefits in working from home – it’s not for everyone though. If you do manage to put together the perfect remote team, your business is in for some good times!