The Value of a Remote Team

The Value of a Remote Team

In this article, discover the value of a remote team with increased productivity, efficient meetings, no commutes, skillful networking, access to the best candidates, and enhanced longevity. Uncover the business benefits for employers, employees, and clients. Explore nearshore outsourcing for skilled remote IT talent.

Last Updated: March 27, 20245.6 min readCategories: Business & IT Leadership
Jump to Section:
Share Post

The Value of a Remote Team

With remote work being more prevalent today, businesses are evaluating if they should return to office settings or continue with remote work. Over the past five years, the number of remote workers has increased by 44 percent and 91 percent in the last ten years. Some common concerns that keep employers skeptical about remote work are ensuring everyone is working during work hours, setting a precedent with in-office employees, or disrupting the company culture. While these are legitimate concerns, studies have shown that the benefits outweigh the cons. Businesses implementing remote work policies have enjoyed increased productivity, efficiency, and morale. So, how does continuing to allow remote work bring value to a company? Here are six business benefits of having a remote team and how these benefits affect everyone within the production chain, including employers, employees, clients, or customers.

Remote Workers Have Increased Productivity

Many studies have revealed that working from home can increase productivity despite many employers’ concerns that it can be a distraction. According to a study conducted by the Harvard Business Review, remote team members can complete an extra day’s worth of work every week compared to in-office colleagues. This extra work can be attributed to various reasons: being removed from a distracting work environment, no commute, more space to focus on projects or essential tasks, planning work around their most productive hours in the day, or working in an inspiring environment. These factors lead to a personalized environment where individuals can give their full attention to their work in an ideal workspace conducive to their work style. This flexibility increases the ability to concentrate, think logically, and stay motivated.

Remote Meetings are More Efficient

While meetings are essential for business’ success, remote meetings take place on conference call software. Therefore, they must be scheduled at specific times and set to a certain time limit, enabling attendees to return to work on projects or productive tasks after essential topics have been discussed. Remote work also eliminates impromptu meetings and quick pop-ins from colleagues that turn into hour-long conversations. This includes discussions on issues that could be resolved through an email exchange or a brief message. Employers benefit from this because everyone spends more time completing work and less on polite conversations that distract them from daily tasks.

No Commute

With commuter times increasing, it is no wonder the effects are making their way into the business world. Commuting to and from the office every day can impact workers on every level. Suppose a staff member has a stressful commute or a commute that is longer than 20 minutes. It can result in absenteeism, missed deadlines, poor performance, and specific health issues such as headaches, high blood pressure, and sleep deprivation. The longer a person has to commute to and from work, the less time they have available for family or self-care, increasing stress levels and decreasing quality of life. Left unaddressed, they may quit for matters of convenience and overall well-being. Hence, this is why working remotely can help improve the happiness and productivity of team members. Without a long commute, they can spend more time focused on their work and have a better attitude during work hours. In addition to increasing staff morale, remote or flexible work helps the environment by reducing traffic congestion, air pollution, and wear and tear on automobiles and roads.

Allows Staff to Network and Grow the Company

Allowing remote work from various locations will enable staff to build on specific leadership and self-sufficiency skills, which will help the organization excel. It will also increase their responsibility to complete their work to retain their flexible schedule. When team members are given a chance to manage their time during their most productive work hours, it gives them the ability to work independently without micromanagement, produce higher-quality work, achieve company set goals, and even bring in new original ideas. These things deliver significant benefits to the company without it spending more money on consultants or additional staff. Not only will remote workers build their skillsets, but it will also help the business network outside of their home base. With remote team members completing tasks during their most productive hours, it frees up time to continue professional development by attending networking events or classes locally or virtually. As these staff meet other professionals, it will reflect well on the business because they will build its reputation while supporting their development.

Access to the Best Candidates

Allowing team members to work remotely opens the opportunity to hire individuals outside of a single geographic location, thus increasing the talent pool. Managers can choose the most qualified person to fill a specific position, even if they are based in another country. It can also help ensure that prospective team members will be a good fit for the company and meet the organization’s and the client’s needs. Hiring people from different regions, backgrounds, and educational experiences increases the company’s diversity and its ability to solve complex problems, providing increased value to clients.

Nearshore outsourcing provides an easy way to find people with the skills and experience needed to meet your remote IT talent needs. You can access individual performers or teams from locations that are compatible with local time zones, speak English, and share cultural similarities. Brazil and Costa Rica are top locations for enterprise companies looking to supplement their remote software development staff with dedicated, reliable team members.

Remote Workers Have Longevity

One of the most significant benefits of remote work is that workers are more likely to be happy at their jobs, which leads to increased loyalty and, therefore, less turnover. Companies that allow complete or partial remote work options have staff that are 24 percent more likely to be happy and productive during work hours and enjoy a 25 percent lower turnover rate than companies that do not. This is most likely a result of workers feeling cared for and trusted by their employers to complete work at a high level and timely fashion. Team member fulfillment and loyalty to their position are vital to showing a business’s human side and retaining talent. The company also benefits from keeping its most talented workers and reducing the costs of onboarding a new team member.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Remote work has many potential benefits that can help both the company and team members be more productive, efficient, independent, and motivated to produce high-quality work. Allowing workers to continue working remotely part of the time or indefinitely will push them to grow professionally and prosper, causing the business to flourish.

Learn more about supplementing your remote team with nearshore outsourcing by QAT Global. Nearshore outsourcing provides access to people with in-demand software development skillsets and expertise at high-ROI rates.

Stay in the loop

Subscribe to Our Newsletter and Get the Latest From the QAT Global