Higher productivity

Employees who work from home encounter fewer social distractions from coworkers, which can lead to improved productivity in the workplace. Employees also have the opportunity to take brief breaks as they need them, which can help them return to their work feeling more energized and motivated. By giving employees space to fully focus on their work and follow their own schedules, employers may see productivity increase when switching over to remote work.

Improved work-life balance

Working from home can make it easier for employees to create a better work-life balance. This is beneficial for employers because a good work-life balance among staff can lead to less burnout and more productivity. Since remote work tends to be more flexible, employees can better manage their personal time. Getting to appointments and taking care of family matters is much more realistic which a flexible schedule and no commute.

Lower turnover rates

Employers may experience lower turnover rates when offering remote work. One reason this can happen is that employees have fewer reasons to look for a new role. For instance, with an in-person job, an employee may need to resign if they need to relocate for their spouse's job. With remote work, this same employee can keep their job since they can work from anywhere. Companies may also experience lower turnover rates due to having flexible schedules and high job satisfaction among employees.

Increased job satisfaction

Remote work often comes with more flexibility and freedom for employees. Those who can adjust to this work environment may feel happier in their roles. Increased job satisfaction among employees can lead to all sorts of beneficial things for employers. Higher staff loyalty, more productivity, happier employees and a better reputation are just a few.

More time saved

Both employers and their employees can save quite a bit of time working from home. Getting ready for work each morning can take a couple of hours. Along with this, driving to and from work takes up a good portion of the day. With all this extra time, companies can be more productive and meet important deadlines. Employees may feel happier about all the extra time they have for their personal lives too.

Reduced overhead costs

While remote employers may reimburse employees for their at-home work setup, there are significantly fewer costs associated with starting a remote company. With a non-remote company, employers need to pay for building rent, utilities, office supplies, kitchen snacks and coffee supplies. This can lead to a lot of savings for companies. Employees may also feel happy about the money they save not paying for gas money, frequent oil changes, parking fees, business attire and team lunches.

Better brand reputation

Companies that offer work-from-home options may improve their public relations. When people know that the employees at a company are happy, they may feel more inclined to support it. Likewise, those who are looking to apply for jobs may be more excited to apply for a company that offers more flexibility.

Global insights

Having employees who work all over the country—and possibly the world—can be quite beneficial for employers. That's because by hiring people from different areas, companies can gain unique perspectives and ways of thinking. Employers may also be able to learn more about different markets by having employees working in these locations.

Improved inclusivity

Traveling to work can be challenging for some employees. By giving people the option to work from home, employers can improve inclusivity. Along with accounting for those who have mobility barriers, remote work can open up more opportunities for those from various cultural, geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Fewer sick days

When employees work from home, they may less likely to be exposed to germs that make them sick. That's because they aren't interacting with colleagues who feel like they need to come to work even if they are feeling ill. This can lead to fewer sick days among team members, which is a good thing for productivity. Employees may also be able to work through a slight cold without the risk of getting their coworkers sick.

More sustainability

Remote work can help employers lower their environmental impact quite a bit. By cutting back on energy usage and gas emissions, remote companies can be much more sustainable. Having people work from home ensures they are using less gas and oil that can majorly impact the environment. Likewise, employees may be more inclined to use their own dishes and cups rather than using disposable ones in the office.

Comfortable employees

Having an ergonomic setup is an important part of being healthy and happy at work. When employees can customize their own workspace, they may feel much more comfortable throughout the workday. This can help employers build a healthier workforce and may even save them money on health insurance. Likewise, employees who are more comfortable may take fewer sick days due to neck and back problems.

More freedom

Employers and employees can both have more freedom with a remote job. As long as you have a reliable internet connection, it's easy for you to travel for extended periods of time. This makes it easier for employers and employees to plan long getaways. One thing to be mindful of with this freedom is that it's important for both employers and employees to take time off for themselves and turn off their work. It can be very easy to check in on work even if you're on a tropical getaway.

Longer business days

Having employees in different time zones allows companies to extend their business days. Since employees are starting and ending their workdays at different times, this makes it easier for employers to ensure someone is working most hours of the day. This can be quite helpful for things like customer support and other 24/7 services.

                                       Diversity

Diversity is the spice of life, but a staff comprised of a wide variety of people doesn’t mean much if your workplace doesn’t also practice inclusivity. The terms “diversity” and “inclusivity” are often used interchangeably, but they aren’t actually the same thing.  A diverse staff — one that includes people representing a variety of genders, cultures, religions, ethnicities, and ableness — delivers a rich history and skill set to a company, but all of these people need to be valued, leveraged, and welcomed into the team as well.

Unfortunately, a lot of companies have policies to hire a diverse staff, and then they stop there. It is one thing to have a lot of diversity in a workplace, but it is entirely another to actually activate the beauty and power of differences to create better decisions and solutions.

Inclusion doesn’t happen simply because a diverse staff is present, but making the effort to create an inclusive workplace has a number of benefits. Diverse and inclusive companies are more adaptable, promote creative and innovative thinking, and attract additional talent interested in working in such an environment.

Appropriately Connect with Employees

As the famous saying goes, lead by example. In order for employees to feel comfortable being themselves, leadership should feel comfortable connecting on an appropriate personal level. Ultimately, every person at work wants to be fully seen in order to do their best work. Being seen means being seen for the ways we are different and the ways we are the same. 

Company leaders — and all employees — should show an interest in and respect for differences. Use terminology such as “spouses” or “partners” instead of making assumptions about employees’ sexual orientation. Hold office functions in locations where people of all physical abilities feel welcome. Be sensitive to religious dietary restrictions when ordering in food for a working lunch. The best way to combat prejudice is to address it, so make it clear that discrimination is not tolerated and employees should feel comfortable speaking up if they are victims of intolerance.

Interact with Different People

Employees often work within silos, whether they mean to or not. Sales and marketing folks hold meetings together, operational teams discuss shared challenges, tour guides solve common problems, and the C-Suite oversees it all. As a company leader, encourage individual employees to bounce ideas off of those with whom they don’t normally interact, and hold brainstorming sessions with unusual combinations of staff members. In an office setting, ensure that all areas are accessible for people with disabilities so everyone can participate in this co-mingling.

Create Employee Resource Groups

Make metaphorical and physical space for individuals with similar backgrounds (such as working mothers, LGBTQ employees, and staff of shared nationalities) to meet, discuss challenges, and share ideas. Take this a step further and create interest-based groups focused on particular topics such as community service and wellness.

Once like-minded individuals have been able to meet with each other, encourage human resources representatives to support these groups. For example, new mothers may need access to breastfeeding rooms, religious followers may need time off on certain days of the year, and those passionate about volunteerism could possibly use support in helping represent the company at local events. Ask for help and input from employee groups rather than simply mandating changes from the top.

Hold Better Meetings

Establish meeting norms that allow everyone to participate freely and consider creating guidelines for all to use and follow. Don’t allow people to interrupt when someone else is speaking — and that includes leaders who may be tempted to speak over other employees. It is important for everyone to recognize their own privileges and listen to those who have different perspectives and challenges. Amplify communication from women and minorities, and give credit to idea originators. Providing an agenda in advance can give those who speak a non-dominant language or are more timid an opportunity to prepare thoughts and questions.

Speaking of agendas, instead of having the same stale meeting every week, rotate who runs them. Give meeting facilitators freedom to be creative while still aligning with the meeting goals

Invest in Diversity Training

Whether we realize it or not, everyone carries subconscious biases. Investing in diversity training addressing topics such as overcoming stereotypes and culture barriers, respecting differences, and understanding personal lenses not only allows employees to develop important skill sets, but it also demonstrates your company’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity.