Importance of Remote Work In Post-Pandemic Startup Life

The covid-19 of 2020 has plunged the entire world into an abyss and pushed many countries to the brink of economic meltdown. Humans faced unprecedented challenges. Lives were lost, and so did the livelihoods of millions of others.

Yes! The pandemic was a catastrophic event for which none of us were fully prepared. And its aftershocks will continue for a couple of years or more.

But, we are humans and have survived the first two world wars and epidemics like the Spanish Flu.

Yes, the pandemic changed our lives permanently, but we are still fighting the battle, learning, and evolving each day.

That’s the accepted new normal we all are trying to adapt to. So did the companies.

The new normal changed how companies ran their businesses.

What had been a luxury for a lucky few has become the accepted practice for all.

Yes, we are talking about remote working.

The pandemic made social distancing a mandated protocol leaving no option for corporates to run their businesses smoothly other than remote working. Employees embraced the new norm with open arms and adapted to the changed culture heartily.

Everyone rose to the occasion and worked in collaboration to keep business flowing.

Because business cannot stop, cash should keep flowing.

The one major hurdle earlier prevented most companies from allowing employees to work from home has been addressed.

The pandemic showed employees’ productivity did not dip.

A survey by Mercer showed that “working remotely did not hurt productivity.” Nearly 94% of employers agreed that productivity remained the same or higher than before the pandemic.

Big businesses and tech companies show a positive inclination towards remote work that might extend even after the pandemic ends.

According to Gartner, “nearly 74% of CFOs and Finance Leaders intend to shift their employees to remote work permanently.”

So did Tech Giants like Twitter, Square, and Facebook ask employees to work indefinitely from home?

These data show that remote working is the New Future!

Yes, remote work challenges management to maintain a seamless work culture. It exposes crucial company data to cyber thefts, affecting employee engagement and productivity for a few.

But, its benefits are immense.

With a proper system, many companies successfully managed their operations and generated good outputs during remote working. They have shown others that remote work can become a thing in the future.

It can benefit companies in many ways.

And that’s what we are trying to pinpoint in this article. Let’s understand the importance of remote work in post-pandemic startup life.

In short,

Why Remote Working is Important in Post-Pandemic

Well! It’s not hard to understand – Why is it important?

#Reason 1: Employees Want It

Yes! Believe it or not, employees want remote work. They loved it. They embraced it. And, now, they want to continue. Why?

This is because remote work maintains a perfect work-life balance and saves production time. The time spared from daily commuting is put to better use. Moreover, employees have the flexibility to work from home or someplace else.

They have enough time and bandwidth to focus on other activities too!

Employees can pursue their interests, spend quality time with family, and excel in their core competencies. At the same time, they stay productive and excel in their performances.

A study by FlexJobs showed that 65% of over 2,100 people surveyed wanted to continue working from home post-pandemic. On the other hand, 58% confessed that they might switch jobs if their present employers didn’t allow them to work from home in their current position.

The same research pointed out that nearly 58% of people surveyed agreed that their overall productivity increased while working remotely.

Cost-effectiveness is another area that attracts employees to remote work culture.

As mentioned above, 84% of the respondents are happy about not having to spend commuting, and 38% confessed to having saved approximately $5,000 a year from remote work.

These figures are staggering. Yes, they reflect just a tiny percentage of employees. But, the culture shift has already extended its roots and brought more people into remote work.

That is something we cannot ignore.

Also, some of the employees indeed face innumerable challenges.

Overwork and non-work distractions are some of the pain points that pose a problem for them.

But, companies are working their way around to help employees adjust to the new normal and handle such challenges effectively.

It is a new culture. There will be challenges, but things will fall into place if remote work stays for an unforeseeable period.

#Reason 2: Employers Want It

Employers are happy too! The flexibility to work from anywhere and any time has excited the workers and enhanced their productivity.

Now, employers are more focused on seeing results. How the team is working is no more their concern.

With various tools and digital platforms available in the market, keeping a close eye on employees’ performances is no longer a challenge. It has become easy to allocate tasks and get results on time.

Remote working has started a new culture of working in collaboration with the team. That has helped many underperformers pick up their pace and improve their productivity.

Remote work has fostered important qualities like teamwork, seamless communication, and collaboration. And higher productivity and enhanced performance increased employee engagement like never before.

That has lowered absenteeism to a greater extent.

In short, employers are happy with how things have turned out to be much better than before.

Employees show more interest in taking ownership of their work, and more than a few have exhibited outstanding leadership qualities. They take pride in their work, take the initiative, and get things done on time.

No more wasted time on smoke breaks!

#Reason 3: Companies Want It

Why would companies or management have any problem if everything is working just fine?

Businesses have witnessed a growing affinity in their employees toward the flexible remote work environment. And, they have seen how the same culture has improved productivity and enhanced all performances.

They have seen a new surge of energy and enthusiasm in their employees. A unique and fresh approach to work was only possible when a healthy work-life balance existed.

Remote working made it possible.

Employees embraced it. So the companies should.

Earlier statistics pointed out that some workers are ready to change jobs if flexibility and remote work cease to exist post-pandemic.

However, the most critical reason companies prefer remote work post-pandemic is that this culture saves millions of dollars yearly on operational costs.

Companies can use that money to expand business or equip their workers with more advanced tools. Or train them to become even more proficient.

Also, increased employee retention, absenteeism, and higher profitability are other reasons to keep the owners happy.

Remote working didn’t handicap companies from catering to their daily KRAs. On the contrary, this culture has shown how a business can operate effectively and cost-efficiently.

Maintaining a seamless flow of work is no more a challenge now. Digitalization has made it easy to stay in touch with the team. It is not hard to conduct daily team hurdles, train employees, or onboard new joiners.

None of the departments got affected by remote work. Companies implemented tools to get things done just the way they did before the pandemic.

Nothing changed for the worse. Remote working showed that physical distance could not hinder work; instead, it is a boon-in-disguise.

So, everything boils down to the companies and the management. Everything depends on the owners – how they can effectively take advantage of the present situation and convert it into a profitable opportunity for their business.

Yes! Remote working will continue post-pandemic.

Especially for startups – they don’t have to worry about rising expenses in running offices and clearing bills every month even when business is slow. Instead, they can use the same money to hire experienced employees, foster a collaborative culture, and run successfully with fewer employees.

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