Companies in Sacramento and across California had to majorly change the way they work following the Coronavirus pandemic. Employees of nearly every industry are now working from laptops and workstations from their home offices, kitchens, and living rooms. At first, this abrupt shift seemed overwhelming and difficult for many companies. However, as we’ve all learned to adjust and adapt, some companies have chosen to continue working remotely permanently. Take some of the biggest organizations as an example: Twitter, Slack, Shopify, and others have all committed to making work-from-home the new normal.
Are other companies in Sacramento following suit, and should they? In this blog, we will discuss the benefits and risks of working from home so you can decide if it’s right for your business.
Benefits of Remote Work
Remote work can be extremely beneficial for companies— hence why so many industry giants are moving forward with it permanently.
Productivity
As many organizations have moved to work-from-home, some have worried about productivity. After all, there are so many possible distractions when working from home. There could be children, spouses or partners also working from home, food, and more. But it turns out, most companies have actually seen improvements in productivity.
You can also encourage certain habits that will make your employees more productive while working from home. This includes practices such as creating a consistent schedule, taking breaks, and finding a quiet, private space to work.
If you’re looking to boost productivity, a work-from-home policy is something to consider.
Reduced Office Spend
Another significant benefit of offering a permanent work-from-home option is the cost savings. Commercial real estate is expensive. By reducing the amount of office space you need, you can reduce spend. You can then put these savings to better use by investing in research and development, marketing, or another activity that will help grow your business.
Hire the Best Talent
We all want to hire the best talent we can find. However, if you are limited to hiring in your geographic area, you may be missing out on some incredible professionals. With a remote work policy, you don’t have to worry about this. Even though your business is located in Sacramento, you can hire someone in Connecticut.
Remote work opens a lot of doors for hiring practices. Geography is no longer a limiting factor, and you might find your best employee that lives halfway across the world.
Risks of Remote Work
Although the benefits we’ve listed above are significant, there are also risks to assess and mitigate before putting a work-from-home policy in place. Let’s talk a little bit more about those.
Loss of Connection
A large driver of company loyalty is culture and connection. Employees want to feel invested in the company they work for and have relationships with their coworkers. This can be more difficult to maintain with a work-from-home model. There aren’t any casual run-ins for coworkers to just chat and have casual conversations.
However, this risk can be easily alleviated by having the right technology in place. Here at Executech, we use Microsoft Teams to keep in touch with our teammates even from home. We can use this tool to message about the latest movie we’ve seen, send funny gifs and memes, and attach our favorite YouTube videos. Not only that, but we schedule video check-ins and coffee hours to play games and have “water cooler talk.” It gives employees a nice break from work-centric meetings and time to reconnect with their coworkers and teams.
These types of tools can help keep your team connected and your culture alive, even from home.
Security
Another potential risk of moving to a permanent remote work model is security. When Sacramento businesses first had to shift to work from home, some didn’t have the appropriate security measures to accommodate remote work safely. To confidently embrace remote working, you need to have your security in line first.
The great news is that with all of the technology we have access to today, there are multiple ways you can securely work from home. Whether this is through the use of the cloud, virtual desktops, or another solution, a technology partner can help you set up an appropriate remote working plan.
In Conclusion
As Sacramento businesses continue to work from home, some are wondering if they should make the change permanent. Many employees are embracing the work-from-home model, citing increased productivity, an improved work-life balance, and more job satisfaction. It turns out, employees love the flexibility. There are definitely significant benefits of remote work, but there are also risks. It’s important to understand how your business can successfully adopt a permanent work-from-home option before committing.
