Since the COVID-19 pandemic swelled in March, numerous companies, from Twitter to Nationwide, have switched to “remote-first” policies. While the economic transition has been difficult, businesses are finding that there are many benefits to having a newly-remote workforce beyond slowing the pandemic. With happier and more productive workers, lower operating costs, and major environmental benefits, there are great reasons to consider making your next hire a remote one.
When your talent base is not limited to one geographic region, the possibilities of your project expand - exponentially. By removing location from your search, you may find an elite copywriter with proven experience in your industry, or a social media manager skilled in creating a niche community. Long story short? Hiring remote means you’re able to work with creatives, strategists, or digital gurus that fit your project better than you can ever imagine.
U.S. workers’ commutes are growing, averaging nearly an hour each day. Cutting that commute gives remote workers an extra hour for self-care, getting enough sleep, or spending more time with family—activities that make for less stressed human beings. Unsurprisingly, remote workers report being 29% happier than their non-remote counterparts.
In 2015, Stanford professor Nicholas Bloom released a study about remote workers at Ctrip, China’s largest travel agency. Over the course of two years, he compared the productivity of remote and non-remote workers doing the same job. The results were a productivity boost equivalent to a full day’s work per week. We’re not saying every type of job will yield results like this, but the point is that cutting out office distractions and a stressful commute can yield big improvements in productivity.
Commuting to and from work accounts for about a third of vehicle miles traveled each year, and according to the EPA, almost a fifth of all greenhouse emissions in the U.S. come from everyday car use. To put that in perspective, the 3.9 million current remote workers in the U.S. save carbon emissions equivalent to planting 90 million trees, just by skipping a commute. Bottom line: hiring commute-free remote workers is a simple way to help stop global warming.
Even before COVID-19 made quarantining a necessity for many businesses, the seasonal flu alone cost US businesses up to 111 million workdays each year, worth billions in lost productivity. While in-office employees can be encouraged to stay home or take sick days when they’re not feeling well, a remote workforce completely eliminates the risk of spreading contagious seasonal illnesses between coworkers.
In New York, the average price for office space per employee is about $14,800 per year. Even in Atlanta, the most affordable city according to this survey, the average price per employee is $4,200. Remote workers all but eliminate these costs, giving businesses the flexibility to offer more competitive salaries or lower prices for their services or products. Plus, with a remote talent pool, businesses can hire from smaller cities or different countries with lower salary costs.
Saving the planet with happier employees for less money—what’s not to love about going remote? When you’re ready to learn more, reach out—Artisan specializes in connecting businesses with our extensive roster of seasoned remote talent.