As the world slowly begins to move back towards a new normal following the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the face of business has changed. Millions of workers were forced to adapt their jobs to a work-from-home routine. Companies rushed to try to accommodate workers through the help of online technologies like video conferencing, collaboration programs, and electronic mail.
While the conversion to working at home may have been a bit bumpy, the results have surprised many business owners and employees. Many found that productivity and communication were improved when employees worked from home. Many businesses were happy to see that their staff took up the challenge and excelled in their home office environments.
Employees may have been reluctant to convert to working from home, but again, many of them expressed their surprise at how much they enjoyed the change. For many families, working from home meant they cut childcare costs and could spend more time with their families.
To avoid the effects of the Great Resignation, where thousands of employees have chosen to go out on their own rather than continue working for an employer, many companies have opened up their remote working policies. Many new entrepreneurs are taking advantage of small business loans for underserved workers as they take on an enterprise of their own. To help entice more people to stay on, many companies are rethinking their office structure and procedures to accommodate those that would prefer to remain working from home. Let’s take a look at a few of the reasons that remote working has become the new normal.
Business Continuity
One of the most important lessons that the pandemic taught us, is that we are not prepared for the big emergencies that can happen at any time. Businesses recovering from the pandemic’s effects are giving more thought to possible scenarios that could affect their business continuity. Opening up the workplace definition can help companies ensure their business will run without interruption during a future crisis.
Companies that struggled during the pandemic are eager to find ways to reduce their overhead and secure their overhead spending. With a remote workforce, there is little need to hold on to expensive office real estate and support staff.
Productivity
Many business owners have quickly discovered that employees working from home can be as productive as when in an office setting. With the time saved by not having to commute or deal with office relations, many employees work longer hours from home and accomplish more during the day. While some homes may have more distractions, the overall productivity numbers are surprisingly high.
Employee Retention
The business world is facing the consequences of the Great Resignation. Millions of workers have handed in their notice since the pandemic and are focused on finding employment that helps them focus on their work-life balance. After getting a taste of the freedom of working from home during the pandemic, it’s now expected that more than one in five workers plan to quit in 2022.
Businesses need to expand their definitions of the workplace and put employee satisfaction at the top of their onboarding strategies. More people are willing to provide their services and skills to employers as long as they are adequately compensated and offer a flexible work format.
As we slowly recover from the devastating effects of the pandemic, businesses can benefit from embracing their employees that choose to work from home.