In a world where free fruit is expected, gym memberships come as standard and GDPR is said more often than “Good Morning”; organisations are focusing more and more on remote working, but is working from home a good idea?
2018 saw a rise in the number of staff members that switched from office-based to home-based working by 42% and even more choosing flexible working.
Now, companies are advertising roles specifically targeting those that would be happy to work completely remotely.
Adam Rowe, hiring manager for Alan Rowe Signs in Newcastle said: “Companies are finding that having a staff member work from home can cut the cost of hiring by half. The more staff you hire (for office based) the greater the need for a larger office is, more facilities and more back office staff to accommodate their needs.
By recruiting remote workers from the get-go, you can use the money saved to increase salary, introduce car allowance or buy them a company laptop/phone.”
As a recruitment agency, Mortimer Bell International has found that they’re recruiting for more and more home-based working roles and it means the search for the right candidate isn’t limited to one area.
Eleanor Wolfe, Recruitment Resourcer, said: “When we get a role in and it’s complete remote working, it allows me to search across the whole country and perhaps even internationally for the candidate that matches the job description.
It means we can be more rigid with what the client wants and ensure every box is ticked. The client may be in London but the candidate they’re looking for may live in Glasgow and it’s my job to put them together.”
However, a light has been shone on loneliness in remote workers in recent months with a rise of employees saying they feel like they miss the face to face socialising and relationship building experience they have when working in the office.
Tom Brown, a remote worker, said: “It can get lonely, you’re either on the road or in your home office alone. Sometimes you need that five-minute coffee break with a co-worker to vent or discuss topics other than work whereas when you’re completely home-based, you can’t switch off.
It’s not really something I have a choice with though, the office moved from 20 minutes away from where I live to a five hour round trip so I’m lucky that they gave me this option. You just have to make sure you take steps to prevent loneliness like meeting up with colleagues when you can and taking several short breaks throughout the day.”
The rise in remote working will continue to reach new levels as technologies become more specific and candidates choose to live where they want rather than where the work is. Luckily, businesses and recruitment agencies are adapting to the change and flourishing in doing so.
