It took a global pandemic for people to figure out that some jobs are doable from a remote setting. Many people who got the taste for working from home wanted to continue to work in that setup, even as offices were calling their staff back. All businesses should hire remotely or at least consider it as it brings benefits to both the staff and the employer.
A Shift in the Workplace
The pandemic (COVID) had whoever could, working from home. For many people it was a new experience, being able to work from a space they were comfortable and without much travel time. As time passed and many places began to call their employees back to the office, many people were hesitant, having tasted what it felt like to have extra hours every day.
At the same time, an event called The Great Resignation was occurring. People began to cite the reason for this event as:
- employees looking for better work-life balance
- reassessing their priorities or any other number of reasons
Mainstream media covered the phenomenon and even more employees began to leave.
While not the original reason for the “Great Resignation,” with many employees saying they want a work-from-home setup, it puts employers in an uncomfortable position of either asking employees to come back to the office and risk attrition or allowing their employees to keep working from home (or in some cases a hybrid setup).
The most interesting result that came out of working from home was the average productive time of employees. Those who worked from the comfort of their homes were more productive than those in the office. The freedom felt by the staff changed their outlook in regards to their tasks. More people began to take charge of tasks, electing to do it themselves instead of delegating.
In an onsite setup, the average employee would spend about 8.5 hours a week commuting. Looking at this from a work from home perspective for one year, this saved time is equivalent to 17 days off, which is higher than the average 15 days of vacation leaves most people get. Companies that promote or allow WFH will be able to fill their requisitions faster than companies that aren’t as flexible.
Less Overhead
While having more time in the day to do other activities is a benefit for employees, employers also saw benefits from having remote workers. Some businesses decided to move to a completely remote working environment while others downsized their office to accommodate only those needed to work onsite. These downsizes allowed businesses to reallocate their resources to other areas.
By allowing remote work, businesses also gained the ability to recruit people they otherwise wouldn’t have access to. Professionals looking for a WFH position on the other side of the country can now be interviewed and added to the team. Job positions that are scarce in some parts of the country can be sourced at competitive rates from elsewhere.
Easier Recruitment
Businesses that are willing to have their staff work from home or operate in some hybrid capacity have the upper hand when it comes to recruiting staff. These businesses are actually onboarding professionals who are quitting jobs that are forcing them back into the office. In some cases, businesses offering WFH are even pirating professionals from other companies. Jobs that can easily be done at home are usually the easiest jobs to poach for WFH companies.
Remote Staffing
Any startup, small, or mid-sized company looking to get remote staff at a lower cost can look into partnering with an offshore BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) Center. Partnering with a BPO will allow you to fill positions for a fraction of the price without sacrificing quality. Any backend or supporting role can easily be done by remote staff. Essentially, anything that can be done on a computer is fair game. Customer service representatives and technical support can also be hired remotely.
In addition to the flexibility of partnering with a BPO to get offshore remote staff, they will also handle most aspects of recruitment, the entire administrative side of things after hiring, and any IT-related issues your staff may have. This allows you to focus on what’s truly important, getting your staff up to speed and making them as efficient as possible.
Speaking of staff, it is entirely possible to build out full teams or departments with offshore remote staff. Due to their competitive price point, building full teams or expanding an already existing team is as easy as contacting your BPO partner and starting recruitment.
The Wrap Up
Hiring remote staff brings about financial and recruiting advantages over your competition. Aside from having a wider range of candidates to pick from, which is already a game-changer, you’ll also be able to move money around so it makes a bigger impact on your business’ growth.
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