Employers and employees alike are continuing to move to a remote workforce around the world. Although various technological advancements and the expansion of broadband access have made this increasingly possible and easier over the last decade, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend to epic proportions during the widespread lockdowns. Today, many companies are revisiting the question of whether a remote workforce is a viable and advantageous long-term mode of operation for their organizations. Although it’s true that not every company can operate 100 percent remotely, many are discovering multiple benefits of doing so.
Accessing a Broader Talent Pool
One of the most significant benefits of a remote workforce is accessing a broader talent pool from just about anywhere in the world that offers internet connectivity.
Many industries today are suffering from a labor shortage, and operating remote workers allows them to find more qualified workers from geographically diverse areas. This not only affects the quantity of individuals available to deliver remote services but also ups the quality of people hired. It’s easier to find the best and brightest if you’re able to search all corners of the world, particularly if you’re seeking a specialized or hard-to-find skill set.
As more individuals who have grown up with technology their entire lives enter the workforce, they will value the freedom and flexibility that remote work provides. Being able to work where, when, and how much they choose can be an appealing benefit, and those organizations who offer that flexibility will likely be attractive to these groups of top talent.
More companies today are prioritizing diversity and inclusion in their core values and pulling employees from geographically diverse areas can help achieve this mission. This can be especially true if an organization is trying to expand into a particular market. Having employees physically located in that market can add a local perspective that can otherwise be difficult to obtain. Remote employees in these markets can share cultural, social, and economic differences that can be helpful in marketing efforts as well as product development for companies.
Using technology such as Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) or a hosted video desktop infrastructure (VDI) can help facilitate a remote workforce implementation. With such a solution, the operating system, software, and applications are centrally and securely stored and managed in the cloud. Anyone with internet access can connect to your company’s IT infrastructure using virtual terminals, which may be desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, or mobile devices, from anywhere in the world.
Easier Scalability
There’s a reason for the popular term “growing pains.” When a conventional business grows quickly, it can be difficult to scale as rapidly as demand may warrant. Physical space may need to be expanded or procured, new employees must be found and trained, and operating processes and procedures may need to be revisited and updated.
When you operate a remote workforce, it can be much easier to scale up — or down, for that matter. Physical space challenges are eliminated as you can simply hire individuals who already have workspaces of their own.
If you have an established DaaS partner, adding or removing virtual workstations is a simple process. For example, if your company needs to scale up rapidly for peak or seasonal demand, new or temporary employees can be given secure access to the portions of your IT system needed to begin their work immediately. At the same time, unneeded access is blocked, keeping your overall system more secure and compliant.
Once that peak season ends and you no longer need those contract employees, privileges can be immediately revoked, which means no unauthorized access and fewer vulnerabilities to your cloud-based infrastructure exists.
Operating a DaaS system with a remote workforce eliminates the physical office movements, commissioning and decommissioning of keys or building access, and managing physical computer equipment.
Better Employee Retention
Finding, recruiting, and training new employees can be a significant cost for today’s organizations. As the trend toward shorter stints with individual businesses continues, this can be a significant challenge for companies.
One way to retain the best and brightest in your organization is to pay attention to what’s most important to them. More and more employees value the freedom, flexibility, and autonomy that remote work offers. They are able to balance professional goals along with personal ones, flexing their schedules to accommodate all those things that are important to them.
Companies that can provide that freedom and flexibility along with interesting and fulfilling work can more easily hold onto those employees for the long-term. Be sure you stay in close contact with your remote employees and understand what they value most. Although some individuals may miss the in-person interactions and office environment, many others will appreciate the benefits of a remote workforce and be willing to commit to furthering your company’s mission for the long run.
Conclusion
Remote work is not going away; more and more companies can expect it to be part of the “new normal.” Although it’s not ideal for all employers and employees, the ones that can make it work will reap many benefits both at the individual and business levels.
More access to a diverse workforce, the ability to scale up or down to the ideal number of employees, and the potential to develop long-standing relationships with the best talent, are some of the top benefits that companies can expect in a successful remote workforce environment.
To learn more about DaaS and how it can help you establish, expand, or refine your remote workforce, contact Evolve IP today.
