Since shifting to fully remote work during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago, countless companies around the world have committed to completely remote work models.
Multiple studies have shown this has benefits for employers and employees alike, and remote work still largely wins the popular vote among the UK workforce.
But, remote work is not for everyone or every business. Of course, certain jobs can only be done in-person, such as surgery, landscaping, cooking, and more. For others, though, it can be a tough decision.
If you’re wondering whether your company should make the shift to remote work, this article can help.
Should you switch to remote work?
When asking yourself whether to adopt a fully-remote working model, you may choose to start by weighing the pros and cons.
Many corporations have been able to save more by going remote, cutting out the cost of storefront rental space and the utilities that come with it.
Remote or hybrid work have many benefits for employers and employees. (Photo by Igor Vetushko on Deposit Photos)
And, with studies from job boards like Indeed showing remote jobs have the highest share of job applications, even when they have the lowest percentage of job openings, being a remote company could certainly be a good thing for your retention and recruitment efforts as well.
Global staffing firm Randstad suggested it may be more worth your while to consider going fully remote if you can than not.
“If the nature of work for your employees can be completed remotely and your company has built a strong communication platform for collaboration, this type of work model could enable your company to remain competitive and to be prepared for an uncertain post-pandemic workplace,” it noted.
Don’t ignore the hybrid option
If you’re interested in remote work, but going all in still seems to be a huge risk, you may think about trying out a hybrid run instead.
With hybrid work, employees work from home partially. The way this looks is different for every company. For some, employees are permitted to work remotely a few days per week. For others, it could be a few days per month. And there’s even more flexibility around whether you decide to allow staff to work remotely just within the area or from anywhere in the world.
But, it could be a best-of-both-worlds scenario that lets you find out whether remote work is feasible for your team — or not.
In either case, Randstad encouraged businesses to think carefully about the way forward.
“Employers must closely examine all work duties and job roles to determine which jobs can be completed remotely and which tasks they prefer workers to handle onsite,” Randstad said.
Find the latest remote jobs in the UK via RemoteWorker.co.uk.
