Laura Miller: 7 Reasons Working From Home Might Be Here to Stay
As most of the business world scrambled to be productive in a remote existence, established work-from-home companies were left unscathed.
Broadband Breakfast
Long before the pandemic forcibly introduced the “work from home” concept nationwide, companies like TempDev were doing work-from-home right. As a computer engineer, I have operated a fully remote healthcare information technology consulting and firm focused on next generation healthcare software for 14 years.
Recently, as the business world scrambled to implement, support, learn and be productive in a remote existence, established work-from-home companies were left unscathed. Here are seven reasons why I think working from home might be here to stay.
1. Vast employee pool /job opportunities
Sometimes a company’s needs don’t match the talent available. When a company does not rely on a physical space to house employees, these employees can come from anywhere in the world. This selection allows businesses to choose the perfect match for their needs. It also provides job seekers a wider variety of positions to choose from, making the possibility of finding their ideal career much greater.
2. Flexibility
“Building, growing and caretaking for a family should be seen as a positive thing. Getting sick should not mean losing your job and health insurance. We have to remember where our priorities and values are,” says Miller. Employers who run remote businesses like Miller know most families don’t fit the confines of a 9 to 5 job schedule. Remote working allows employees and employers to work any time during the day. With no clocking in and no calling in sick, the work gets done with less fuss and stress. Additionally, the flexibility of working-from-home makes scheduling appointments, school transports and school visits easier with no lost work time.
3. Childcare
Working from home still requires some undivided attention, but those who work this way have found that their childcare issues are much easier to deal with. There’s no rushing to drop off and running late when ‘meltdowns” occur. Some remote workers still take children to daycare, but the trip is more leisurely when rushing to work afterward is taken out of the equation.
4. Eliminating the commute
For some people, the commute to work takes hours out of their day. Eliminating this factor is beneficial on several levels, not just putting quality time back into your day. No commute saves money on fuel and saves wear and tear on your vehicle. For employers, the hassle of people being late, missing punches or being upset after a miserable commute is eliminated.
5. Diversity and inclusion
Having the capability to hire from anywhere allows much greater diversity. In this case, diversity refers to race and culture and includes factors such as experience, education and perspective. A diverse workforce can approach a concept or problem from all angles and arrive at the best solution. Additionally, employees who might be introverts or suffer from social anxiety have the opportunity to be part of a team and utilize their expertise without the stress of being in a physical workspace.
6. Casual atmosphere
People might joke around about staying in their sweat pants all day and not taking a shower, but you must admit that this situation is a very welcome option some days. Not having to worry about a dress code or uniforms saves everyone money and time. The casual atmosphere seems to appeal to many people who love the option to be relaxed and comfortable while they work.
7. No brick and mortar expenses
Some work-from-home businesses have a home-based office space that they use only for special projects or occasional meetings. With this type of limited use, companies can save significantly. However, with modern technology, having this space is not necessary for most remote companies. Employers with a 100 percent remote workforce get an even bigger break because they have zero office space expenses. There are no rent or mortgage payments. No electric or water bills. No office furniture — none of the regular costs a brick and mortar office space entails. These savings increase profitability and allow the company to pay employees competitive salaries and provide attractive benefits. These savings also re-route funding to allow for the best and most current software and other technology expenses.
While everyone is glad to see most pandemic-created effects disappear forever, one might be here to stay. Remote work — a troubling wrench in daily operations for many companies a year ago — has most likely become standard operations for many.
For companies like TempDev, work during the pandemic was unscathed because we had already embraced the advantages of remote operations. And now that the rough patches are a distant memory for the others, more companies can continue working remotely well into the future.
Laura Miller is the Founder and CEO of TempDev, a company of healthcare information technology consultants nationwide who specialize in NextGen EPM and EHR and development. She combines a technical background and business savvy to create holistic and sustainable solutions positive financial and operational impacts.
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