Working Remotely: Benefits for Businesses and Employees

There is no doubt that there has been a huge shift in mindset for both employers and employees in the last 10 years.  More and more employees are requesting, if not demanding, that they be able to work remotely, usually from home. While employers initially balked at the idea for various reasons, they are now seeing this shift in a more positive light.

Employers were afraid that allowing staff to work remotely would:

• Create inefficiencies due to the lack of face-to-face communication and meetings
• Create a demotivated work force given that team-building opportunities and general social interaction among staff would no longer exist
• Complicate turn-around times due to time zone differences

While remote work may have its challenges, technological advances has gone a long way to diminish if not eliminate these perceived drawbacks. Forty-seven percent of Canadian employees work remotely according to a survey published in Benefits Canada  and according to Flexjobs, there are approximately 170 companies in the United States that operate exclusively virtually. Clearly, there has been an upsurge in organizations seeking help remotely.  As an employer, there are several benefits in searching globally for employees.

• Employers can now scope the globe in search of just the right candidate without being boxed in by geography
• Many workers hired remotely are independent contractors which saves the employer money in paid benefits, taxes, equipment, bricks and mortar buildings, etc.

What makes a business employing remote workers successful?

Here at Kary Tech Solutions we feel communication is key.  There are several tools and apps created such as Zoom, Slack or Skype which allows for ‘face-to-face’ interactions between employer and contractor. Messaging can occur in real time and meetings booked just as they would if everyone worked under the same roof.  Time zone differences become almost moot.

Project and time management tools also keep everyone’s schedule on track and projects moving forward. Toggl is a good time management tool and Asana is becoming a popular project management app. Some of these tools help a team become more cohesive as little emojis and stickers can be given to colleagues for a job well done. Sounds simple but even these small gestures can mean a lot to a contractor working remotely who occasionally needs the encouragement.

In this day and age where employees or contractors are wanting job flexibility, working remotely is an ideal situation. In many cases, productivity actually increases because the worker has fewer distractions to contend with from idle chit-chatter around them. Workers tend to be more productive and generally more content. Who can argue with that?

At Kary Tech Solutions, we remain connected with our clients as well as our outsourced contractors to ensure both are happy with their match.  We get to know our clients well and work with them to find the perfect candidate that will help the company grow.  We remain in touch with both parties on a weekly basis to gauge how projects are evolving.  For those contractors that have been hired full-time we still have occasional follow-ups with both parties to ensure complete satisfaction.

Are you a North American company looking for software customization, app or software development?  We want to hear from you.