The Pros and Cons of Remote Hiring by Recruitee

As remote hiring and working become increasingly popular, businesses are considering adding remote work options to their teams. Hiring remote workers can save businesses serious amounts of money. However, switching from an in-house team to a remote workforce also has its challenges. Below, we explore the pros and cons further:

PROS

Increasing employee retention According to the State of Remote Work survey, over 80% of employees agree that working remotely would make them happier. And happier employees are likely to be the most productive and stay at your company longer.

Loyalty and engagement When employers offer staff flexible working options, it invokes and reinforces their trust of staff. Trust means confidence in teams and what everyone is doing. When there is trust and confidence in employees, there's also an increased loyalty to that employer.

A better work-life balance Not spending time commuting to work each day means that employees can spend more quality time with their families or taking care of themselves. This creates a better work-life balance and leaves most remote workers feeling happier.

Increased productivity The 'traditional' work hours are nine to five. But working remotely means employees can make their own hours to determine when they're at their most productive, and work specifically during those times. The nice thing about productivity is that it benefits both the employer and employee. Once tasks are completed, employees gain a sense of accomplishment, and employers are happy with staff doing their best work.

CONS

Communication is harder Of course, technology helps to overcome this barrier, but greater effort is involved in ensuring teams communicate effectively with each other. It can also be difficult to conduct certain types of meetings, such as ideation sessions, which requires a lot of team involvement, group work, etc. Also, with remote staff, you can’t just walk over to your colleague’s desk to ask a question, and even scheduling meetings can get complicated when your workforce spans across different time zones.

Reliant on self-motivation Staying on top of tasks with minimal oversight can be challenging for even the most disciplined worker, especially when you don’t have anyone looking over your shoulder. Ensuring a schedule or routine can help combat this, and time tracking apps, such as Toggl and Clockify, can also help remote workers to stay motivated.

Technology can fail We’ve all been there. In a virtual meeting only to have the wifi drop out, or spending up to 10 minutes trying to work out your video conferencing. While technology is at the cornerstone of all that we do, sometimes it can fail. In the office, if there’s a technological issue, you can embark on the help of colleagues to work through the problem, but when working remotely, the pressure is on the worker to solve it. One way to deal with this is by investing in a good internet connection!

Company culture could suffer Camaraderie and cohesive company culture are major parts of what keeps a small business thriving. Those can be tougher to maintain when staffers are in different physical locations. You may need to budget in functions as a company retreat to help everyone bond and strengthen ties.