Work Remotely<br />

Businesses should embrace the benefits of remote work in 2023 as it is growing in popularity

If the job market continues to deteriorate next year, businesses will be emboldened and may reconsider allowing employees to work remotely. Executives generally fall into two camps when it comes to working from home, which became popular during the pandemic as workers gained leverage in a tight labor market. Some believe it has benefits, such as happier employees, while others argue that company culture is built in the office. The following are the top reasons why experts believe remote work will continue in 2023:

1. Retention

Allowing remote work is critical for employee retention. Hybrid work increased employee satisfaction and productivity while decreasing attrition by 35%. Employees experienced new levels of fulfillment while working from home, and it's been difficult for companies to justify reversing that. Meanwhile, as quit rates remain above pre-pandemic levels, turnover has become an expensive problem. Many businesses can't afford to lose talent in this tight labor market.

2. Recruitment

Remote work broadens the geographic scope of recruiting and expands the talent pool. This is a significant advantage, particularly for specialized roles where qualified candidates are difficult to find. It also gives employers, a better chance of attracting talent from West Coast tech hubs. Work flexibility can also help a company's diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. This is especially true for groups like disabled workers, who are frequently excluded from the labor market. Working parents and people of color have also reported significant advantages to remote work.

3. Recession cost cuts

Rather than reversing the trend of remote work, a recession may accelerate it because it reduces the need for office space and helps companies cut costs. Employees who can work from home are willing to accept a pay cut in exchange for more flexibility and lower commuting costs. Work-from-anywhere policies also enable employers to reduce labor costs by hiring in states with a lower cost of living.

4. Reversal risks

When a company reverses course, executives risk tarnishing their reputation. Take a look at Twitter. Elon Musk, the company's new CEO, ended the company's remote work model last month to shake things up. But so many employees chose severance instead that he had to soften his stance to entice some back.  Maximizing leverage in this manner is not a good long-term strategy. Future candidates can see the comments from departing employees.

5. The power is in your hands

We know that Macs, iPhones, and iPads are increasingly being used in the enterprise.

We also know that businesses that embrace Apple equipment see lower overall costs of ownership and lower tech support costs. Employees who value the improved work/life balance they gain by eliminating hours of commuting. They spend this time socializing with their pets, friends, and families, which makes them more motivated (and emotionally prepared) to focus at work.

6. A new growth paradigm

Consider the concept of growth. Finding the right office facilities for employees is always a challenge for a company looking to expand its workforce. Not only that, but once office space is selected, it is almost certain that some existing employees will find it difficult or impossible to attend, increasing staff turnover and discontent. Recruiting new employees to replace those who leave typically exposes a company to additional costs in addition to the cost of office facilities.

7. Embrace the management challenge

We've learned over the last few years that managing remote teams necessitates some forethought. Bringing employees together to foster collective responsibility is beneficial, but there are better ways to accomplish this than forcing them to sit at desks in the same room all day. Some businesses provide an "office as a service" arrangement, in which employees can work there all day if they want or visit to access key resources like dedicated meeting rooms and a better printer. Other companies send employees on field trips to strengthen team cohesion.

8. The eternal security challenge

There is always a fight to ensure enterprise security. The difficulty in dealing with remote employees is that attacks occur outside of traditional security perimeters. We also know that managed devices already provide a high level of security. However, when even small businesses can sign up for a device management service for free or at a low cost to secure their devices, the security argument for keeping data within four walls is fading.

9. Peace

Another advantage of working remotely for employees is the ability to work from any location. People are not forced to live in a city that does not meet their standards or preferences, which reduces unnecessary travel. Working remotely means that it makes no difference whether you live on top of a mountain or near the sea. You can work from anywhere in the world as long as you have a good internet connection.

10. Health and happiness

Working in an office and commuting every day is not the healthiest way to spend your time. Remote workers benefit from not coming into contact with other people (especially in light of Covid-19) and catching unwanted germs from coughs and colds. Remote working can also improve mental health because there is less stress and working in your environment can be relaxing. And happy employees are more productive and motivated, resulting in higher-quality work.