Should You Let Your IT Employees Work from Home?
Posted July 6th, 2017
Technological advances over recent years have made it easier than ever for employees to work remotely. Telecommuting options are especially popular among IT workers, as their jobs can often be completed from nearly anywhere. But some companies wonder if allowing employees to work from home means they won’t get the same quality outputs as they would if workers were in the office. However, many businesses find that remote employees are as productive, if not more so, than workers who commute in every day.
To help you see the potential benefits, here are some reasons why letting your IT teams work from home might be the right move.
Improved Morale
Telecommuting can provide a quick morale boost to anyone who has the option of working from home. First, it eliminates the need to commute to the office, a point that is often a great stress reliever on its own. Second, it also makes maintaining a healthy work-life balance easier, as they can easily handle personal tasks without affecting their ability to get the job done.
Overall, happy workers tend to be less likely to quit, allowing you to improve retention. In fact, employees from other companies may hear about your policy and may be interested in leaving their current positions to come work for you.
Lower Costs
If even a portion of your workforce is telecommuting, your company can save quite a bit of money based on the arrangement. First, you are required to have as much office space to accommodate your workers. Second, you won’t need as many office or breakroom supplies to keep things moving. And fewer people can also result in lower utility costs.
Increased Productivity
A study from Stanford University found that home-based workers are actually 13 percent more productive than their office-based counterparts. Some attribute the difference to greater job satisfaction while others suggest that the need to prove they are contributing leads them to be more productive.
Those who telecommute are also less likely be distracted by certain workplace activities, such as repetitive meetings or interruptions from co-workers. Remote workers are also less liable to take sick days, as it is easier to work from home when you’re feeling under the weather than it is when you have to go to the office. They may also take fewer vacation days as there isn’t a lingering need to get out of the office to prompt an extra few days off.
In some cases, you can also see productivity increases since you can hire the best and brightest to fill positions no matter where they are based. You are no longer limited by geography when considering candidates, so you can hire the ideal person for the job whether they live across town or on the other side of the country.
If you are interested in finding the right IT professional to work a home-based position, the recruitment team at Bayside Solutions can connect you with the ideal candidate. Contact us today to see how our services can help.
