Retention, Happiness and Productivity: The Benefits of Remote Work Can’t Be Ignored

It’s clear by now that working remotely isn’t a temporary reaction to a global pandemic, but a permanent reality. COVID caused every company to re-examine their work from home policies, and the ones who found continued success in such an uncertain environment still allow their employees to work remotely.

I recognize that a lot of managers and business leaders receive pushback when they suggest returning to  the office every day. CBS Sunday Morning interviewed numerous leaders and workers for their story on remote work recently, and I tend to side more with Yelp’s CEO’s views than Cadre’s CEO’s views. Working remotely is just a fact of life now, and it’s futile to pretend otherwise.

Remote Work Has Its Pros and Cons

There is a lot I miss about seeing everyone in the office every day.

• I miss seeing the camaraderie amongst coworkers. They didn’t just work together, they were friends, often getting together socially outside of the office.
• Idea generation and collaboration happen more spontaneously in the office.  Someone could stop at their coworker’s desk and say, “hey can I run this by you really quick?” People could ask for help more easily face-to-face.
• Things get lost in translation. Over email or chat, you can’t see your coworker’s face and body language. A message that one person intended to be cheerful might be perceived by the other as annoying.
• What I miss most is seeing the work. Now, all I see is the final product. I miss seeing the energy of people working together and being a part of the process. Of course we can still be present for others and workshop solutions through messaging, email and video calls, but it’s harder to stay involved in the details now. It’s also harder to recognize great work when you don’t actually see the effort put forth.

Even considering all of the above, the pros of remote work are just too valuable to ignore. I was worried about how well new hires post-pandemic would be able to integrate themselves on their teams, but so far it hasn’t been an issue.

• SkillPath works on a hybrid schedule, and most employees come into the office two days a week. We also have fully remote workers located all over the country, and that’s probably the biggest contribution. Suddenly our talent pool is so much bigger because we can hire people who live anywhere.
• I’ve been so proud of our low turnover and high employee retention rate. A big reason for this is because we allow employees to work remotely.
• Quality of work and productivity has actually improved. People still work well together despite being remote, and the collaboration between different teams has really been amazing to watch.
• Employees love the work-life balance of being remote. They don’t have to commute, and they have more time with their families.

When quality of work and employee productivity stays the same, and employee retention and happiness actually improves, it’s tough to argue against that bottom line. If everyone is on board and dedicated to making it work, then a fully remote or hybrid set up can’t be argued against.

Figure Out What Works For Your Company

I don’t know if any company has found a perfect way to address remote work. As a leader, it’s tough to balance the needs of your organization with the expectations of your employees. For SkillPath, flexibility and trust has gone a long way towards maintaining a productive, valued workforce. A company that is dedicated to showing they care about their employees will show how it cares about its business by default. The opportunities of remote work have done nothing but verify that sentiment.
 

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