As the pandemic hit the world, all of us resorted to figuring out ways to keep the world running. Despite the usual disadvantages of working remotely, it has proved beneficial in more ways than we can count. As per one study, employees were able to put more work hours working from home than before the pandemic. It is not surprising as working remotely benefits the mental health and physical health of employees. And thereby, it provides a boost to their productivity.
With the new working structure, there has been a surge in the need for remote work management software. These tools can be very helpful for both employers and employees. Let us take a look at them:
1. Gives you space and comfort:
Gone are the days when you had to wake up early in the morning, eat half-cooked breakfast and hurry your way to the office. Well, at least temporarily. With working remotely, it has been easier to manage time and create space for your own, that you might not have been able to in the office. It saves a lot of time working remotely as you do not have to commute to and from the office. The schedule adds flexibility to your work as well. Now, you can cook a meal for yourself in case you haven’t been able to figure out something in your task. Come back rejuvenated and voila! You have cracked the task.
2. Saves more money
To put it into perspective, working from the office, both employers and employees have to spend money to keep the mechanism running. Most employees do not necessarily live close to their office, which requires them to travel to work every day. Whether you are using public transport or taking an Uber, you are spending a significant amount of your salary every month. On average, employees spend at least 20 percent of their monthly salary on travel.
Similarly, it takes resources to keep a physical office up and running. The amount of electricity required to power an office is huge. Hence, working remotely benefits both employers and employees.
3. Quality time with your loved ones
When you are hustling for better opportunities in life in terms of your career and trying to grind a certain number of hours to meet your targets & deadlines, your personal time with your loved ones often takes a backseat. On a normal day, you are away from home throughout the day in the office. By the time you are home, you are already exhausted, and all that you desire is to eat a good meal and sleep away in your cozy bed. However, working remotely gives you space to work around your loved ones. Moreover, sometimes work can get frustrating, and having your partner near you to calm your nerves can go a long way to have a healthier lifestyle. So spend time with your family and let them know that you care.
4. Behavioural Data
For business managers and team leaders, remote workforce management solutions help them organize their workflows and monitor employees to keep their progress on track. The software helps you analyze and manage activities at the click of a button. Moreover, it lets you evaluate any potential risks that might occur and provides early warning signs. The behavioral data will let you understand your team better, analyze their shortcomings and help them through it.
5. Scout and attract talent
There are a lot of missed opportunities for employers because of their location constraints. Many a time, they have to pass on a superbly talented professional because they couldn’t move to the designated office location. In other cases, companies had to lose employees because the employees were required to get back to their hometowns because of personal reasons. However, as companies around the world are taking the work from home route, they do not have to lose out on talented individuals. You can hire someone from across the seven seas, and you will still be able to build a productive relationship with remote workforce management solutions.
6. Building communities
Companies around the world have understood the power of community to sustain a business or service. This calls for a move to make workspaces more inclusive and people from diverse backgrounds working as a community. You are now able to hire someone from Canada even when your office may be located in India. Apart from being able to attract talent, this allows the exchange of work values between different professional cultures and time zones. Building a product that speaks universally, might help you to gain a unique perspective in these cases. Moreover, perhaps the most important aspect is that you are now able to provide equal opportunities to differently-abled people.
Challenges of work from home
While there are obvious benefits of working from home using, remote work management software clearly outweigh the cons of the same- it is important to acknowledge these challenges. This might help you and developers of remote work management systems to cover loopholes and ensure a bulletproof system of working remotely:
- Technical shortcomings: Working from home and being efficient at it, requires you to have a good work setup and a great internet connection. However, there are always technical issues even with good systems and internet speeds
- Lack of focus: As much as it gives you space, it also gives you opportunities to distract yourself. And at home, there are always loads of distractions.
- Lack of interaction: Working remotely reduces interaction in a team. As verbal interactions are replaced by texts, they often breed miscommunication.
- Personal vs Professional life: As much as working remotely gives you space for your personal life from your professional life, it also blurs the lines between the two. Earlier, once you enter the office, things became very mechanical and everything around you made you think about work. But now, any stress in your personal life can pass over to the other side and vice-versa.
