The remote work setting is a two-way road, benefiting both businesses and employees. But somehow the perks of remote work for employees have gotten more attention, sidelining business privileges.
Facilitating remote work is equally beneficial for companies as well, if not more so to employees. An entirely different approach to work has developed and conformed to a new order, particularly due to the Pandemic, that has seen work more done from a distance.
The option to work remotely is equally appealing to the business and the people they employ. Due to a prominent shift in working culture after 2020, work from home is now held in high regard. This shift is largely facilitated due to the emergence of technology and changing managerial concepts in modern organizations.
The evolution of technology as well as the preferences of employees has greatly contributed to the acceptance of remote working in companies and organizations across the globe to an extent that goes beyond the solution being considered a short term approach. There are numerous potential benefits for businesses in offering remote work and enabling them to navigate various issues. There is much research that validates the claim that remote work increases the attendance and productivity of employees. Moreover, employers are also able to cut costs on various other things, resulting in the hiring of more potentially talented people.
As the idea of remote work is gaining popularity, there are increased chances that many young professionals would apply to remote opportunities rather than office-based roles, as remote work offers many privileges to employees. In other words, companies and organizations would feel the challenge of finding the best top talent in the industry. Thus, it is now high time that organizations and firms adapt, and transform their working environment from a physical setting to a remote set-up and hire skilled people globally.
If you’re curious about different ways in which businesses are benefiting from remote work then keep reading this blog. This blog will introduce you to 8 ways in which businesses are benefitting from online work settings.
Benefits of offering remote work for businesses:
- Able to attract a wider talent pool
When it comes to contract and permanent recruitment, companies, and organizations are able to target a greater pool of talent and skilled people. Offering remote work opportunities across the UAE and globally would attract many skilled and experienced professionals, making permanent staff recruitment and retention relatively easy. By overcoming the geographic restrictions, businesses and organizations in Dubai or anywhere in the world can hire the best talent.
By opting for remote work, companies and organizations essentially remove their limitations to talent acquisition. Employers can seek out the best candidate for the job role from a wider talent pool. This grants many benefits to organizations as they can recruit innovative, creative, and talented individuals residing outside of the regions they would otherwise be limited to.
Moreover, remote work constitutes a diverse workforce that fosters an inclusive and rich work environment, driving better problem-solving techniques and innovation.
2. Enhance productivity and job fulfillment
Research and opinion polls have shown that employees working remotely report higher job satisfaction and overall productivity at work. This is because working remotely enables them to build their ideal workspace and achieve results within the time frame they wish to. That is, online work allows autonomy and self-rule, driving productivity. There are fewer distractions, no office politics to deal with, and no travel time. All these factors enable employees to focus better on the work and deliver the best results. Additionally, with such conveniences at work, employees feel satisfied with their jobs, enhancing the employee retention rate during the permanent staff Recruitment Process.
Moreover, in a remote work setting there are fewer reports of sick days leave, and absenteeism. Additionally, the employees feel less pressure and anxiety as compared to the normal office setup, thereby augmenting their concentration and output.
Absenteeism is a common problem that causes employers to seek measures to reduce its occurrence. Typically, in case a person is absent and his or her work still has to be done, some either do it, piling work on the others, or it stays undone. In both cases, the company is at a loss. Switching to remote work, however, is much easier for the workers as all they have to do is to switch on their laptops while in the comfort of their houses instead of wearing suits and dresses and going in traffic all the way to their offices.
In addition, online working helps to ensure the well-being of workers both in terms of mental health and physical health. A healthier workforce means that they can deliver high-quality results, driving the business’s growth. For instance, there is no office stress, and they can eat healthy food at home rather than relying on fast food which is easy and quick to get. Moreover, by conserving the commutation time, employees can get more quality sleep, preventing them from burnout. A healthier employee is much easier to work with and retain during the contract and permanent recruitment process than an anxious and unsatisfied one.
3. Remote work is cost-efficient
Remote work is highly cost-efficient for businesses and organizations, as it significantly helps them save overhead costs. Companies and organizations based in the UAE can save on expensive office rental costs and utilities. In addition, they can save costs on furniture and office maintenance. Moreover, both employers and employees get to save fuel money spent daily on office commutation. This cost-efficiency benefits both businesses and employees in the fast-paced dynamic market of Dubai, making contract and permanent recruitment more affordable and easy.
With rising energy costs and emerging needs for talented people, remote work is becoming an important factor in businesses. With all the employees working from home, the company only needs to pay for meeting spaces and salaries of employees, saving both its money and resources.
In the post-pandemic world, the market trends and industry requirements have revolutionized. Where on the one hand employees prefer remote work permanently, and the market demands an experienced and skilled labor force. Companies that are offering remote work have a competitive advantage in permanent staff recruitment.
Now in this regard, it is important for companies based in the UAE and around the world, to meet the expectations of employees and enhance their employer brand.
4. Increased work-life balance
It is rather easier for companies to retain satisfied employees having a balanced life than an unsatisfied employee with zero work-life balance. For companies with a focus on contract and permanent recruitment, offering remote work to promote work-life balance can be the greatest selling point of your company. Employees can plan their whole day as per their will and needs. This flexibility allows individuals to meet with their friends and family without sacrificing their professional responsibilities.
5. Environmental benefits
Remote work setups reduce transport leading to a decrease in carbon emissions from vehicles. By providing online work opportunities, businesses are actually taking a step towards accepting their social responsibility. This will also benefit companies in attracting eco-friendly clients and investors. Concerning the new vision of Dubai’s leaders where sustainability is a key factor, companies in Dubai can highlight their commitment to a sustainable environment which will significantly help them in enhancing their brand image in the country.
On the other hand, there is an increasing number of buyers or customers who prefer purchasing greener products. They are even willing to pay more for sustainable products than spending less on ecologically harmful ones. By outlining their remote teams, and their commitment to environmental sustainability companies can also reach out to these customers.
6. Allows for flexibility in operations scaling
By allowing employees to work from home, companies have the added benefit of scaling up or down without worrying about resources. For instance, if a company wants to expand its team and scale its business, say a software company wants to hire more people, then a remote setting would suit the company best as it would not have to worry about renting an office and buying the necessary furniture.
Similarly, when companies are suffering losses in businesses they scale down, and try to cut off unnecessary costs. In an online set-up, businesses don’t have to worry about that. This flexibility allows businesses to scale or down as per their needs, allowing them to quick adjustments in contract and permanent recruitment without having to incur additional costs on infrastructure.
7. Make businesses resilient against crises
Having remote working businesses set up makes companies and organizations resilient against global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters like earthquakes or floods, or local events that could hinder commuting like protests or strike calls. For businesses based in Dubai, remote work ensures continuity of work provided that adaptive measures are taken to manage office operations online.
8. Employee turnover is less in online work setting
Reduced employee turnover is another great benefit that businesses leverage from remote work. This is an important factor that must be accounted for as finding a replacement for an outgoing team member is no easy task. Companies have to invest time and resources in finding the next best candidate for the role. Moreover, providing training to new hires contains various uncertainties and is expensive.
On the other hand, hiring employees remotely eliminates most of the reasons why employees leave their physical office jobs in the first place including the commutation costs, and mental health problems. Many of them enjoy the flexibility and liberty they have at work remotely and feel more productive and satisfied with their jobs.
Challenges of remote work for employers
A careful evaluation is needed when companies are considering making remote work a permanent viable solution. Employers need to be cognizant of challenges associated with remote employees and take proactive measures to overcome these hurdles. A few of these challenges are listed below.
- Maintaining effective communication and collaboration with team members and across different teams becomes difficult in remote working setups. This is because all the employees are essentially working from different time zones. That is, if one employee is joining work at night the other is working in the day or evening. Thus, in such an environment maintaining effective communication and collaboration requires immense skills and experience. Therefore, companies operating in remote settings hire managers with proven skills and experience in cross-cultural leadership and effective communication.
- Maintaining organizational culture is another challenge faced by companies and organizations that are very peculiar about maintaining office ethics and the decorum of the workplace. There are examples of employers who want their workers to join work at fixed hours, and keep them engaged in back-to-back online meetings just to ensure that employees don’t slack off and work during office hours.
To overcome this challenge companies need to understand the underlying idea of remote work, which is, to give employees the flexibility to work and a degree of autonomy to carry out the task and deliver expected results in the given time. If you keep employees busy in meetings just for the sake of assurance that they are not slacking, then it kills the very purpose of online work.
People who join remote work are aware of their office responsibilities and have the potential to deliver results on time. So, instead of prioritizing maintaining company culture and office ethics, you should focus on getting the desired results and increasing the productivity of your employees by keeping them from burnout and work stress.
- Technical issues are another source of irritation for employers as employees rely on technology for working remotely. For instance, internet disruptions or software glitches can affect the productivity of employees and become a cause of frustration for employers if persist. Addressing this issue requires getting a stable internet from a trustworthy service provider.
Role of recruitment agencies in Dubai’s shift to remote work
With changing market dynamics, companies and businesses across the UAE are taking measures to offer remote work and attract global talent and skilled pool. In this transformation, recruitment agencies in Dubai have become vital recruiting partners with companies. Recruitment agencies, such as RFS HR Consultancy, have experience in streamlining the hiring process for both contract and permanent recruitment. They can also source vacancies better, and find the best suitable candidate for the role.
RFS HR Consultancy has proficient industry expert recruiters who are not only skilled in identifying the perfect remote employee for your business but also have a keen eye for essential qualities like time management, punctuality, responsibility, and leadership skills.
It is always the best idea to partner with a recruiting firm when hiring for different roles to save time and resources. Recruiting firms not only speed up the hiring process and find the best suitable match but also improve your brand image, contributing to enhancing your business and productivity.
As a well-established recruiting agency based in Dubai, RFS HR Consultancy has been providing a range of services to its client companies and organizations. If you’re a business operating in the UAE and feeling the need to shift to remote work, then get in contact with us. We will sort out the easiest pathway for you!
