Using technology to expand your business’ workforce
The digital revolution has undoubtedly made a huge impact on the way we work here in the UK — with advancements in technology continuing to develop since digitalisation started in 1947.
As more technology was introduced over the coming years, the world had prepared for the online world that we all know and love today. There was the first commercial computer sold in 1951, for example, which led to the first email being sent in 1971. Mobile phones hit the market in 1984 and the creation of the World Wide Web occurred in 1989.
The revolution did not stop there. The technological developments undoubtedly peaked in the 20th century, with the introduction of the smartphone, SixDegrees (the first social media platform), Bluetooth and broadband — which have all helped us become a more connected society worldwide.
Total Enterprise Solutions, who are providers of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, look at how such technology can help organisations across the globe to widen their employee count with no limitations.
Is working from home on the rise?
Looking at how far we’ve advanced in our technological society is astonishing. Because of this, businesses across the globe have been able to change the way that they operate and ensure greater customer satisfaction. Not only that, companies have been able to retain their staff members and uphold the passion that drives successful deliveries on the team.
With the online world becoming more accessible, people can work from anywhere in the world – and aren’t confined to an office space. It’s becoming a more lucrative career path too, which is evidently shown by the 49,500 monthly searches of ‘work from home jobs’ in Britain alone — presenting a key interest in the option. Understandably, not all sectors can offer such flexibility when it comes to working from home and it usually applies to those who work in the information and technology industry.
A study from OddsMonkey has found that by 2020, 50% of Britain’s workforce will be working from home; but questions linger around whether this is a possibility or not. TUC found that almost 25% more people work from home than they did ten years ago and that more men than women work from home, with a 303,000-person difference.
Other research suggests that if more people were allowed to work away from their regular office space, 58% would feel more motivated to do their job — astonishingly, 53% said that they would be more productive which is an opportunity companies cannot afford to miss. From the same survey, 56% of people believed that managers need to adapt their skills to be able to manage a remote workforce too.
Employers vs. Employees
If businesses do consider a work-from-home initiative, they will be able to take advantage of countless opportunities. Using tools such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, businesses are able to monitor their workforce and ensure that tasks are being completed within the appropriate timeframe. This is commonly used in the office, but what is to say that this can’t be used remotely too?
As a business, you only want to hire the best people in your field. Having the capabilities of allowing your staff to work from home will allow you to interview people across the country and select the best person for the job — meaning that they don’t have to move closer to your workplace (which is often unattractive to an applicant) and you employ the best person for the role with no restrictions. For those who may have a disability and find it hard to commute to work, this would be ideal for them too.
Using this type of software means that you’re not limited to employing those who are based only in Britain. In fact, you’re able to grant access to people around the world and ensure that the job gets done, while also allowing those in managerial positions to track performance of all workers when they’re not present on the main business site.
What are the benefits of a work-from-home initiative?
Some businesses like to follow traditions and have a physical location which allows managers to monitor the production of your employees — and although a work-from-home policy can prevent this, the positives that come really do outweigh any negatives.
People are more productive when they’re feeling refreshed and awake, and those who have to commute to work will find themselves rushing around on a morning trying to get everything in order and to leave the house on time. A survey suggested that 45% of people spend over one hour commuting too. With times of buses and trains being unreliable, the commute can often be stressful. Allowing your employees to work from home will not only help them save financially on petrol and fares, but will give them less of an incentive to ask for a pay rise from their business to cover their travel expenses.
A study by Canada Life found that those who worked in a physical office took 3.1 days of sick leave in 2016 in comparison to the 1.8 days taken by those who worked from home. Less sick days means less business downtime and as work-from-home opportunities give employees a better work-life balance, their stress levels should remain on the low.
Businesses can lose many hours of productivity as employees often require time to visit the doctors, opticians and dental practices — however, those who work from home are probably close to their local health centre and will likely arrange their appointment around their work schedule; such as lunch time.
Working from home can also allow you to cut down the cost of office spaces, which can save you thousands in the long run. As an alternative, you could rent out a virtual space just so that your business has an official address — but all work would be completed remotely.
There are plenty of ways that you can communicate with your remote workers, with the likes of Skype for conference calls and Dynamics for managing tasks. Will you be making the commitment?