06 Sep 2019
It’s no secret that more and more people are now applying for jobs with flexible or remote working options, primarily so they can achieve a better work / life balance.
Working 9-5 isn’t practical for many parents. School times aren’t flexible: dropping off and picking up your children from school can sometime be impossible if you’re working a typical full time working day on an employer site, so flexible working is a great solution for working parents.
What may surprise many is that flexible working doesn’t just benefit employees, but it also substantially benefits businesses as well. In studies related to remote working, it was found that the majority of companies already embrace hiring remote and flexible workers. It’s estimated that nearly 63 percent of companies have full-time employees who work outside the office either on a full-time or part-time basis.
So how does it benefit employers?
Many business leaders and owners don’t realise that office environments are actually incredibly distracting places. People who work from home have actually been found to be on average 13% more productive, and in some cases, up to 30% more than their in-office counterparts. This is an important aspect when it comes to driving businesses forward. Better performance and productivity means a better quality of work.
Flexible working doesn’t mean you have to only hire remote workers, it can mean that you give employees the option to work from a remote environment maybe once or twice a week. This will give them greater job satisfaction, reduce absences and create a better environment overall.
One survey from Lenovo found that more than three quarters (76%) of those that have no commute, by working from home, are overall satisfied with their job, and a third (37%) of those surveyed admit to choosing their current role based on its close proximity to their home.
If you were looking to hire remote workers rather than flexible workers, you would also expand the talent in your business. Employers that only hire office based workers are actually limiting talent and innovation within the company. When you hire someone for a role, you will often only receive applications from people within proximity to your business; this limits the talent in your business.
By employing people on flexible working options, you will also be heading in the right direction to make your own business ‘greener’ as you’ll be reducing the business’s carbon footprint.
While there are some overhead costs to take into account, many businesses save quite a bit of money by implementing flexible working options. The cost of basic business items like office supplies, furniture, cleaning services, and electricity are all reduced. If you find yourself hiring more flexible workers or remote workers, there’s a chance you may not need an office at all, further reducing the cost. You’ll also not have to worry about needing to expand or upgrade the office space as your business grows and this can be a huge money saver.
For recruiters, think about suggesting flexible working or remote working options with your employer clients! It’s a great benefit to add to a job description: not only will it attract more candidates from a wider location and larger talent pool, and it will greatly benefit the company in the long-run.
Looking for remote workers or flexible workers? List a job with Our Bob today!
