There have been immense changes in the business world over the last few years. The biggest of these has been the increase of remote workers. Although this was necessary in the past, is it still a benefit now? Here are some pros and cons to consider to make your company fully remote.
PRO: Cost Savings
The overhead to house your business’ employees and equipment can be a budget breaker. Sometimes, it prevents organizations from investing in new initiatives. Conversely, a large portion of this cost is removed when you switch to a fully remote setup. The best way to make this determination is to view past results through items like IT services pricing.
CON: Initial Transition Costs
There’s a large price tag at the start of the transition to a digital workplace if nothing was done ahead of time. You need to move your operations to the cloud to maximize productivity. On top of this, business-based laptops and mobile devices must be purchased to enhance security. This could hamper your organization’s growth.
PRO: Increased Productivity
The hassles of traffic, uncomfortable workspaces, and constant office gossip frustrate employees. In turn, their productivity is greatly reduced. Subtract those elements and the rate of completion and satisfaction increases significantly.
CON: Collaboration Decreases
There’s something about an impromptu meeting at someone’s physical desk that enhances collaboration. While tools like Zoom or Microsoft Teams are solid replacements they aren’t identical substitutes. Due to varying states of connectivity and time differences, collaborative ability decreases. As a result, issues aren’t resolved promptly, which converts into customer dissatisfaction.
PRO: Better Work-Life Balance
An eight-hour day at the office is actually 10 to 12 hours when you factor in preparation and commutes. This is a huge chunk of the day and leaves little time to spend with friends and family. Plus, you don’t have an opportunity for self-care.
This changes when you move to a fully remote model. The commute is negated as preparation time is minimized. On top of this, you have an opportunity to exercise or mediate during your lunch hour. This keeps your mind clear throughout the day.
CON: Lack of Accountability
Unfortunately, some individuals take advantage of remote work environments. Though their digital state may be active, they’re doing other things, including working side hustles. This lack of accountability takes a toll on a company’s overall productivity.
PRO: Increased Retention of Talented Workers
Attrition is a big issue in today’s business world. Dissatisfaction with their work environment and responsibilities causes these talented workers to leave. As a result, companies need to restart the onboarding process, which further delays projects.
On the other hand, fully remote companies have seen an increase in the retention of these workers. Thanks to flexible schedules and an atmosphere of innovation, workers remain at their jobs to help the company grow.
CON: Lack of Needed Information
In an office environment, it’s not difficult to find a subject matter expert (SME) to help resolve an issue. Most likely, they’re in the same location as you are or a few steps away. This doesn’t happen in a remote environment.
Since some of these companies have an international workforce, the needed SME may not be available during your work hours. This means delayed back-and-forth as well as unhappy customers.
PRO: Increase Communications with Management
It’s harder to interact with your manager in the office than in a remote setting. Since they have to ensure accountability, leadership must have an open-door policy in the digital workplace. This means enhanced communications through regular meetings or one-to-one interactions. This results in an organization that welcomes both new ideas and positive criticism.
CON: An Increased Feeling of Isolation
In a remote work environment, there’s no chance to talk to a coworker at lunch or over a cup of coffee. When other employees are situated across the country or globe there’s no opportunity for after-work meetups. This increases feelings of isolation that hamper productivity. It also leads to feelings of anxiety and depression that are detrimental to one’s health.
There are definite pros and cons to the creation of a fully remote business. Use the items mentioned above as a base to decide on your direction. Additionally, review other businesses within your field to see what they’re doing.
