BY Tunga · 4 MIN READ
Remote work is on the rise: people aren’t just searching more of remote work, they actually prefer it. We would take a bet that 8 out of 10 folks will choose to work from home or wherever else they want.
Check out the google search volume for “Remote Work” in the past decade.
When most people think of the benefits of remote work, they tend to equate them with the employees, not the employers. And while there are certainly numerous advantages of telecommuting for your staff, as it turns out, having a remote workforce will greatly benefit you as the employer, too. At Tunga we’ve experienced first-hand that remote workers are actually more productive than their counterparts.
And this is supported by the numbers. Hubstaff’s Dave Nevogt writes on his blog: “More companies are choosing remote work than ever before. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2015, 23 percent of workers reported doing at least some of their work remotely. And the New York Times reports that telecommuting increased 79 percent between 2005 and 2012.”
If you are skeptical or simply wondering why all the fuss around remote work, here are some of the reasons why remote work should be on your list of to-do for this year.
Flexibility: People thrive in environments where they are in charge of their own situation other than working on a fixed schedule. A parent who has children thrives best in this setting because he can run through tasks swiftly.
Remote workers are well connected: The prevalence of smartphones and social media mean you don’t have to be next to someone to communicate effectively. Tools like Trello, Slack and GitHub effectively aid in telecommunicating as many choose to call it.
Saving costs: Encouraging different ways of working allows companies to reduce their rent and property costs. No office premises, no commuting, no furniture.
New skills learned: Commuting can trap you in a cycle of boredom. It is the same drive, every single day. Is there a skill or hobby you have always wanted to master? Maybe you have put it off because you get home too late or feel too tired. Without the commute, there are no more excuses. You get time to learn something new.
Though there are disadvantages, remote working is generally considered an opportunity for businesses to improve productivity, attract the right skills and decrease costs. However, businesses who wish to implement remote working should be aware that it requires work in and of itself, and some time investment in setup, systems and procedures. There’s plenty of resources for this available on the internet: tools like Slack, Trello and Github are all invaluable resources for remote teams. And Tunga itself of course is a platform that helps you build your own remote and flexible team of software developers. Try it out!
