Do you wish to work from home? Big companies now prefer remote workers.
Working from home is fast becoming the norm as more brands embrace the remote working model.
Did you know that;
- The average American worker uses 27 minutes on a one-way commute daily according to the United States Census Bureau 2018 report.
- In 2017, over 8 million or 5% of American employees worked entirely from home.
- Google is saving over 1 billion dollars annually by working from home
If you fancy working from home, there is some awesome news for you. This trend of working remotely is fast becoming a reality as more international brands embrace this revolutionary business model.
What exactly is flexible working? And why is it a game-changer in the global economic dynamics of the 21st century?
Flexible working means different things to different companies. Usually, it refers to any or all of the following;
- Telecommuting. Whether full or part-time. Companies are harnessing the power of technology.
- Flexible working hours, e.g. 9 am to 5 pm as opposed to 7 am to 3 pm as per the employee’s preferences.
- Remote working. Companies with employees in different geographical locations widely use it.
- Hot desking. An office without permanent workstations where employees can pop in, do their job, and leave.
- Job sharing. Two or more employees tackling the same task
- Result Only Work Environment where their Productivity and nothing more measure employees
- Alternate shift system. Whether it's day or night, vacation, or holiday packages.
Flexible working is catching up fast because of the numerous advantages it has over conventional work programs.
What is all the fuss about flexible working, and does it work?
Increased Productivity is one of the main reasons why industry leaders have embraced the flexible working model.
Employees who work outside the confines of strict office protocols are more productive compared to workers in regular work schedules.
An HSBC report found that 89% of employees were more productive due to flexible working programs rather than financial incentives.
Other benefits include;
- Reduced cases of absenteeism. Work-life balance in a flexible working environment is quite improved. Workers meet their domestic obligations easily.
- Increased creativity. Imagine a job where you aren’t chained to your desk from 9 to 5, where you can work on the beach, pool, or in bed. This setting allows creative juices to flow.
- Reduced costs. Especially on commuting expenses. The average American worker spends from $2000 to $5000 annually on travel.
- Higher morale. More rest, comfortable setting, and no harsh boss. All of this will improve employee morale tenfold.
Big firms like Google, Apple, UnitedHealth, and Microsoft are trendsetters and have adopted this system of flexible working.
Companies, mainly in technology, health, human resource, and I.T are reaping huge rewards from this arrangement.
Dell, the I.T giant, has reported savings of over $12million annually since implementing the flexible working program. Over 60% of Dell employees use a flexible working program. Dell is reaping the fruits of its foresight.
Xerox has over 8000 employees working remotely. The company has reported significant improvement in productivity and creativity from its virtual workforce.
Humana, a Health Insurance company, was ranked among the best companies offering flexible work programs in the U.S in 2020. The over 14000 workers have the option of either regular working hours or choosing an appropriate flex pack.
Google with over 140000 employees plans to have a fifth of its workforce working from home permanently, a further 20% to relocate to different Google offices, while 60% to work in their offices a few times a week.
Companies benefit greatly from offering their employees an alternative to fixed work schedules. Some of the benefits companies get are;
- Companies make significant savings on office space and utilities. Fewer workers using a physical location translates to lower overhead costs. Annually employers can save up to $12000 for every employee who works from home.
- Staff retention is crucial in a company. More employees, especially millennials, are now ranking job flexibility as the main reason to work in a particular company.
- Attract top talent. With the stiff competition between rival firms for highly skilled staff, the flexible work program is a significant incentive.
- Employees working in a relaxed environment are more productive compared to regular hour workers. Reduced stress levels and better work-family balances positively affect staff performance.
Undoubtedly, working from home or flexible work schedules has its disadvantages. For companies they include,
- Company culture or tradition is non-existant. Since most employees don’t actively interact face to face, a company will struggle to get an Identity.
- Poor accountability from employees. With all the freedom, it’s easy for employees to lose their way and go rogue.
- Difficulty in monitoring progress. It’s much harder for managers to follow a team’s development which may affect overall performance.
- Unlike in a conventional office setting brainstorming without the physical presence of colleagues is difficult.
For employees, the challenges are even higher. Some of the biggest concerns for Work At Home staff Include,
- Distractions are plenty, especially if you are strictly working offsite. With proper planning, though, it’s achievable.
- Boredom is a primary concern for employees. Out of the office confines, minds switch off, and work becomes tedious and uninspiring.
- Motivation may dip when working from home. It’s just psychological.
There are two sides to a coin, and definitely, there are advantages and disadvantages of flexible work schedules. Judging from how fast the uptake of the model is, it seems the benefits outweigh the cons.
Most companies are still tweaking and experimenting with different models and configurations, but it’s safe to assume that flexible working schedules are here to stay.
