It is becoming increasingly common for companies to employ remote workers rather than primarily office-based workers. If various members of your team are working remotely, it is important to get the best out of each member to ensure cohesiveness and to make sure that your customers' needs are met.

Five years ago, Office for National Statistics revealed that up to 4.2 million people in Britain were working from home (with 25.9 million people working outside of the home). Since then, the figures have been steadily
rising and, by 2020, it is expected that half of all UK employees will be working remotely.

In addition, a survey by PowWowNow in 2019 showed that 79% of respondents believed working flexibly would make them more productive, and a significant 81% of people believed that flexible working would make a job more attractive to them. https://www.powwownow.co.uk/smarter-working/flexible-working-in-2019/

Pros of remote working

• Remote workers are less likely to leave their current company to look for another position.
• There are lower levels of absenteeism with remote workers, probably as a result of reduced exposure to germs that are often present in the office or whilst travelling to work.
• The available talent pool for remote workers is global allowing companies to improve their diversity and build strong teams.
• Companies can save money on overheads including office space and operating expenses etc.
• Remote workers save money on commuting costs and childcare etc., are happier and have more control over their work environments.

Cons of remote working

• Companies may incur costs in setting up the processes and equipment needed for remote working.
• New management styles may need to be introduced.
• Remote workers may be distracted by things going on around them in their home environment.
• There may be communication and/or technological challenges for remote workers.
• Remote workers may feel isolated and there may be a loss of feeling of shared values and community.
• A higher level of trust is needed that remote workers will do what they are supposed to be doing, when they are supposed to be doing it.

How can you ensure remote working is effective for your
company?

It is important to create a productive, effective team and to enable collaboration across both sales and marketing functions. You should put processes in place for effective lead passing and sharing of trends and information between sales and marketing to create consistency of communication for your customers.

Technology should be fully utilised to enable team members to 'meet virtually' using business telecommunication applications. Procedures should be put into place to allow colleagues to communicate easily with each other and you should make use of document sharing technology such as Slack and Trello.

Your team must appreciate, however, that from time to time it is important that they physically attend face-to-face team meetings in the office or for social events and that there are situations where working entirely from home is not appropriate.

With remote working also comes an expectation of trust and accountability. Your teams need to know what is expected of them so that they can get the most out of the flexibility that working remotely brings. Conversely, you need to know that your teams are working to your expectations, guidelines and deadlines.

Working remotely, therefore, can be advantageous for companies but you need to understand fully the implications, benefits and disadvantages of teams that include remote workers.

For advice about remote working, or to discuss your next recruitment drive, call Neal Allen at Target Alliance on 01727 800040