Working in the comfort of your home used to be a privilege. While working from home is not new, more people got to experience it last year. As we embark on this “new normal” of working remotely, the future work. One thing is sure; this trend will continue.
The COVID pandemic challenged many of us to change the way we get things done, and everyone was staying confined while trying to cooperate remotely with colleagues. The frontier between a global and local team has never been so close. Nothing is different now between a globally distributed team and a local team trying not to spread a zoonose. Welcome to the future work.
Embracing the New Way
A study predicts that by 2025, an estimated 70% of the workforce will report remotely.
The recent ETR survey expects that remote workers will double up this year.
How does this trend affect your business?
Surprisingly, productivity jumped in most businesses. A Mercer study reported that remote work was either business as usual or better than working in the office. In addition, workers have proven themselves more than capable of handling flexible work options during a crisis.
Really? How is that?
Fewer Distractions, More Productivity
Yes, there are lots of distractions that hinder productivity in the office-based setup. And it comes in many forms, such as a coffee machine chat, a jammed printer to bring the reports to the meeting room, and the colleague that wants to share her frustration about not getting promoted. Well, while this is good for your step-o-meter and our colleagues’ mental health, they can impede our own productivity.
Happy and Balanced Work Culture
In the early days in the office, our cubicle served as our second home. You brought pictures of your family and holidays, a decorated mug, a framed photo of your loved one to remind you of the good times. Now, when working remotely, you are in your own home within your familiar environment (even too much sometimes). You spend more time with your family members daily, and it’s rewarding. Many people, especially more absent fathers, have been the best time to work and watch their children more. Others found the balance from just being able to have a proper breakfast at home before work. Either way, this new setup has been found favorable to many, if not all, on that aspect.
Cost-effective and Time-efficient
A typical employee experiences traffic jams, rush hour panics, and other stressful events while going to the office or dropping the kids at school, losing a portion of energy when the work has not even started. So naturally, this impacts time and people’s attitudes when coming to work. But now, with fewer people arriving late, they are less likely to be stressed. Moreso, preserving their energy and resources from commuting allows them to work at their maximum capacity.
Enter The Remote Workforce
With things opening up, leaders consider blending in presence and remote working for their employees. And while having many people working remotely lowers the barriers with employees being very far away from our city, many companies have started hiring foreign workers. A recent study showed that 3 out of 4 companies are already adapting to this work setup.
Less Office Space For More Flexibility
One of the best features of the remote work setup is that businesses no longer need physical office space. As a result, many business owners could reduce the overhead cost of rent, securities, and other utilities. And while returning to the existing office, most think of redesigning the spaces for more welcoming meeting space and team-building activities.
Top Talents For Top Performance
Setting up a remote team allows us to remove the limitation of demographics. Hiring top talents who live outside of the original office location is more than possible. When onboarding high-caliber employees overseas, leaders simply tap on the services of Employer of Record (EOR) companies, which will serve as the remote team’s employer on paper. Hence, they’ll handle all the HR work for you to focus on growing your team and business.
Work-Life Balance For Business Owners
Let’s face it; business owners work unbelievably long hours every day for their enterprise. As we’ve mentioned, delegating some chores to a service provider will lighten the burden on your shoulders. This gives you time to focus on the core aspects of your business and frees up your time for your personal life.
Expand International Presence
There are undiscovered opportunities on the global market. However, setting up your team in another country comes with complexities. By partnering with an EOR provider, you can boost your international presence faster. It also ensures that all your staff gets the law-mandated benefits that they deserve.
When a Zoonose Spreads: Adapt or Perish
Most companies are looking for ways on how to streamline their remote work process. One effective solution is to have an EOR provider. A lot of business models will inevitably adapt to the changing times. Business owners will either go “all-in” to remote teams or test the waters first using a hybrid setup. Just like HG Wells, author of the War of the Worlds, famously said, “Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature’s inexorable imperative.”
You may consult with our experts to know more about our EOR solutions today.
Olivia Yu has decades of experience in the Human Resources industry. She’s the Regional Director for Asia Pacific of a famous international HR company. Olivia’s international experience inspires her to write articles about human resources and global staffing.
