Is Remote Working the Future of Work?
Remote working is a concept that still splits opinions. Remote working can take many forms, such as working from home and working on the go. As organisations strive to attract talent, flexibility in working becomes more prevalent, but this does not mean that all companies are open to it.
Leaders in Tech recently hosted a panel of speakers to discuss this very issue. The panel included John Riordan, Director of Support in Shopify, Eoghan Nolan, CIO at Game on Media, Suzanne Boylan, Director of Engineering at Demonware and David Bowman, Vice President of Engineering at Renaissance Re.
The effectiveness of remote working really split the room on the night.
On one hand, remote working offers:
Cost-effectiveness for employers in terms of overheads
Cost-effectiveness for employees in terms of saving on transport, work wardrobe, lunches etc
The ability to attract talent that need flexible working in order to thrive (for example, those with disabilities, working parents etc)
Greater geographical reach for serving customers
Less commuting time, which can often result in less absenteeism and can also result in a positive environmental impact
It is a huge factor in attracting talent
On the flipside, those who opposed remote working argued that:
Remote working can make it more difficult to manage a team
Communication can easily break down
Lack of relationships between employees
Not every employee is suited to this way of working
Hard to implement without the right tools in place
Increased distractions (although this can be argued for both!)
So, what’s the verdict?
We introduced flexible working options and work from home at Mason Alexander and have noticed a massive shift in the last year. We have seen a marked increase in productivity and employee satisfaction, all of which has contributed to building upon our strong corporate culture. It helps for attracting the best talent too!
It is a candidate driven market and employees are demanding and requiring more flexibility in their roles. In order for remote working to work effectively, there must be an element of trust and a company must have the right type of culture in place for it to thrive.