Remote Work Is For Almost Everyone!

The numbers don’t lie. According to one of the most recent comprehensive studies on telecommuting courtesy of WorldAtWork and GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com, approximately 5 million people work from home consistently in the United States, and that number is only expected to rise. REmote work is incredibly beneficial to both employees and employers, as it allows people on both sides of that divide to enjoy cost savings, commuting flexibility, and so much more. It also allows employers the opportunity to tap into a deep talent pool that is not restricted to their specific geographic area. 

If you are an employer looking to either hire a remote employee or freelancer (or if you want to make telecommuting available to your existing employees) you are in luck - it has never been easier to manage a remote workforce than it is now.

Often the biggest hurdle is wrapping your mind around how to manage those people from a distance, but Covid has shown us that anything is possible, and countless technologies and online tools have stepped up in a big way to bridge that communication gap beautifully.  

Before we dive in, let’s explore a few of the perks that come with using remote freelancers or employees (and believe me, the perks are MANY): 

1. A part-time or remote workforce can save you money when tax season comes along. If you can delegate work to an independent contractor versus a direct employee, you can save yourself a pretty penny. Jobs that are well suited to a virtual work setup are not just restricted to things like website maintenance or marketing, as many people think. Other jobs that can be filled remotely via a freelancer or independent contractor include bookkeeping, legal aid, virtual assistance, and project management, just to name a few. Don’t pay payroll taxes if you don’t need to!
2. Housing fewer in-house employees often means you can downsize your brick-and-mortar office space, which can save a tremendous amount of overhead costs in the long run. Imagine if you managed 25 employees and freelancers. That means 25 desks, bathrooms, a break room, perhaps even multiple meeting or conference rooms, and perhaps even a lobby. Eliminating even 20 percent of the people that your office needs to house each day (say, allowing 5-6 people to work from home) means that you can downsize your space without sacrificing comfort and workspace. Less money put towards rent means even more money available to invest back into your business each month. You will also save on heating and cooling your office space, and – if you are a startup – you will save on desks and other large purchases.
3. If you want to attract the best talent, you may need to look outside your immediate area. Many highly qualified job candidates may live in other communities or even across the world; considering people outside your immediate geographic area means you can build a stellar team even if they are not able to move to where you are located. If you are a freelancer, you likely have experienced the benefits of location independence first-hand; the more you can communicate your ability to work from home while still producing quality work with companies looking to outsource projects, the higher your chances are of landing high-paying work you love on a consistent basis. 
4. Offering even part-time telecommute options to your in-house employees is considered a huge bonus. Even if you only offer 1 day a week or 1 week a year options, your employees will be grateful for the trust you give them and will appreciate the flexibility it provides them.

Are you convinced yet?

Going back to the data I mentioned at the beginning of this article, it is estimated that up to 56 percent of those surveyed had a job that could be completed (at least partially) from home. As many as 80 percent of those surveyed expressed a desire to work from home at least part-time, and more than a third mentioned a willingness to take a modest pay cut in exchange for work-from-home benefits. 

Huge companies like Oracle have harnessed the power of remote workers; currently, they have hundreds of jobs available to people located anywhere and everywhere! Likewise, small companies with only 2-10 full-time employees like Mitchell’s Garage are finding success by partnering with remote professionals nationwide to get work done for clients.  

Whether you are an employee looking for location independence, a freelancer looking to land more dependable work with a reputable company, or an employer considering allowing existing people in your workforce to begin working from home, the facts don't lie: telecommuting is both beneficial and incredibly desirable and can be a great way to find work or keep employees happy and engaged.