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Remote work flexibility key for employee retention
Offering flexible work options is one important key to fighting employee turnover. Learn why remote and hybrid work are not passing trends and why saying 'no' will cost.
If you want your customers to have a good experience, you need to focus on giving your employees a good experience. These days that means giving employees choice and flexibility about where and when they work.
By some estimates, 70% of the workforce worldwide will be working remotely at least five days a month by 2025. Yet, many business leaders are reluctant to offer remote or hybrid work options due to a fear that employees will be distracted and unproductive working from home. If you're in that category, you may want to rethink your position.
Remote and hybrid work drivers
Employees want more choice and flexibility than they had pre-pandemic, and many want to continue working remotely. There are a number of reasons for this, including the following:
- Employees who don't have to commute may have more time for other activities such as spending time with family and focusing on their well-being.
- Many employees can get more work done by starting their day earlier, avoiding traffic or simply controlling their working environment with fewer coworker distractions or interruptions that come with typical offices.
- The hours employees do spend on work can be more productive.
Cost of saying no to remote work flexibility
Companies that deny workplace flexibility will likely pay the price.
For instance, Apple has recently come under fire from employees for trying to mandate a return to the office, as opposed to Twitter and Google, which are supporting longer-term remote work changes.
That clear vote for flexible work is in keeping with a May poll from Morning Consult and Bloomberg News. Nearly 40% of U.S. adults would contemplate quitting if their employers weren't flexible about remote work.
More than a workplace perk, the concept of working from anywhere at any time is a key driver of future work policies. To attract and retain top talent, you must give your team a sense of trust and value to drive further efficiency and success within your organization. Remote work policies can really make a difference in a candidate's career path.
As technology advances, more tools are available to help teams stay connected and to collaborate virtually, leaving the traditional business model behind and almost obsolete.
About the author
Murali Nethi is CEO of Hana Florist POS, a web-based florist point-of-sale retail system, and SnapBlooms, an e-commerce platform. He has over 24 years of experience within enterprise IT programs, including architecting, designing and deploying IT software in a number of sectors.
