During his 2017 TEDx Stanford talk, Nicholas Bloom, a professor in the Department of Economics at Stanford University, said, “Working from home is a future-looking technology.” Back then, most of us probably did not fully appreciate, much less embrace, the concept of working from home (WFH) or even understand how useful of a tool it could in the future. In 2021, however, due to COVID-19’s unexpected shift in our collective perspective, not only do many employees have experience WFH, but that “future” is yesterday.
Thanks to current technology and through platforms like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Slack, and the Google office suite, many of us can work remotely individually and collaboratively and remain highly productive. In fact, according to a Stanford University publication regarding the viability of WFH, “Home working led to a 13% performance increase, of which about 9% was from working more minutes per shift (fewer breaks and sick-days) and 4% from more calls per minute (attributed to a quieter working environment).”
WFH leads to more productivity. Why? WFH offers employees an opportunity to maintain a healthier work-home balance. With this “new normal” environment, many employees feel more in control of their time and have the flexibility of managing their schedules. Of course, this increased work output benefits the employers, too, and creates several additional advantages as well.
Happier Employees Yields Happier Employers
Despite the cloud of stress caused by the pandemic, for those employees who have been able to work from home successfully, many have found some unplanned upsides. Hour-long driving commutes into the office have been traded for thirty-second walks towards home work spaces. Eating on-the-go has been replaced by sit-down meals at the table. Casual Fridays have morphed into Casual Blursdays—removing the need for more traditional work attire almost altogether. And the sense of being beholden to office constraints has transformed into a greater sense of autonomy in managing time, scheduling activities, and balancing life. It is not surprising that in that same Stanford University publication, employees WFH reported not only improved work satisfaction while employers experienced a decreased turnover rate by over 50%.
The assumption that employers have to oversee employees working at their desks to manage them is as flawed as the assumption that only by working at their desks are employees truly productive. Through current real-time platforms utilized by millions of businesses, managers and colleagues can easily see who is working on a project or how much work has been completed. Even meetings that occurred simply over the telephone are now occurring over the computer with the video option “on” for a more interactive and open session—and with more accountability.
Once employers ensure that employees have the resources for productive spaces in their homes, they, too, can gain tremendous cost-savings that WFH yields. From expensive overhead due to high rent and utilities to general office maintenance and cleaning, employers have been able to reduce expenses significantly while also personally benefitting from the advantages their employees experience as well.
WFH Benefits the Environment
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the number one source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States is transportation, which includes vehicles used for commuting to and from work. With employees WFH, millions of people are reducing traffic congestion and air pollution. Coupling those reductions with decreased gasoline usage drastically reduces the impact on the carbon imprint.
But the environmental impact is not just caused by outside factors. Indoors, during a typical workday at the office, employees use a huge number of physical resources. By WFH, employees become accustomed to relying more on digital tools, including emails and collaborative platforms, and become less dependent on traditional consumable office supplies.
Working Remotely Allows Access to New Talent Pool
Whether down the hall, on another floor, or even in another building, today’s technology has proven that teams can work securely, seamlessly, and successfully, without disruption. Geography is no longer a limitation. With that in mind, managers should consider looking in other regions to expand their talent pool instantly.
Today, companies not only have the opportunity to save money by reducing office-related expenses, but also to collaborate with an outsourcing partner that can provide top-notch, bilingual accomplished engineers for a lower cost. All that is required is robust communication and a shared time zone to prevent outsourcing fatigue.
