Working from home seemed like a distant dream just ten years ago, but today many companies use this modality. The development of information and communication technologies has boosted teleworking and the Millennial generation has been the great precursor of these changes that have brought benefits to both companies and employees.
If we take into account that by 2020 36% of the workforce in the world will be made up of Generation Z workers, it can be inferred that teleworking is here to stay. Those born between the mid-90s and around the 2000s are digital natives, live connected to the internet, demand flexibility, and also want their own workspace.
Generally, three out of four people in the world believe that working from home is the new way to work. Even business leaders indicate that the schedule from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm locked in an office is coming to an end. Instead, combinations of flexible work have become the mainstream.
A study reveals that 50% of employees worldwide work at least 2.5 days a week outside their office. Another fact shows that people want to have more control over their time: 80% of the surveyed think that if they have two job offers, they would reject the one that does not offer flexibility.
Companies and workers have already tested the sweet taste of teleworking.
Here we want to share some advantages that the option of working from home represents for the parties:
Boosts people's productivity
Employees who telework, as well as their supervisors, agree that working from home helps them improve their effectiveness. It’s been proven that two-thirds of workers are more productive when they work remotely. They point out that one of the reasons is that in the office they are subject to interruptions, both for the supervisors’ checkups and for conversations in the halls with colleagues. This implies that time is lost in between tasks. Without office distractions, the employee is more efficient.
Flexible schedule
People who can work from home manage to schedule their time effectively. On the one hand, they take advantage of their most productive lapses to fulfill their job responsibilities. On the other, they discover that they can adapt their work with other demands of their lives such as spending more time with the family or fulfilling personal goals and obligations.
Increase the time available for work
Teleworkers do not worry about going from home to the office. Beyond the time it takes for moving from one place to another, what they value is that they will not be exposed to the stress it generates, which negatively affects productivity. In this case, flexibility is not only good for taking advantage of time but also for the health of the worker.
Talent recruitment and retention
Companies have understood that being flexible helps them expand their talent group. Even a high percentage of companies in the world adapt to improve talent retention with telecommuting. Organizations that value the balance between work and the private life of their employees have a low turnover rate than those that do not have this point as a priority.
Working from home reduces expenses
Some companies have reduced overhead costs by up to 30% by requiring their services and sales staff to telework. Organizations that bet on telecommuting have managed to reduce office spaces and, consequently, rents.
All signs indicate that the tendency of working from home is on the rise. Not only is it a matter to reduce costs or to improve the quality of life of employees, or their productivity, but it is also a modality that has established itself in the new generations. Besides, it extends the life expectancy of workers who exceed 60 years of age.