History is wonderful at recording certain milestones that changed the way that business is done. We all know about the invention of the first telephone or the evolution of the personal computer. But does anyone know when the first remote worker has hired? [Cricket sound]. Remote staffing has and still keeps revolutionizing how companies operate. It has become an integral part of the modern business landscape, especially in the 21st century. Companies are increasingly relying on remote staffing to handle a wide variety of duties that used to be reserved only for in-house employees.
And it will come as no surprise that remote staffing is continuing to expand and mature.
Here are ten of the changes you can expect to see this year and in the near future:
1. Remote work keeps increasing
Remote work is here to stay and rise. According to an analysis done by FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics, there has been a significant increase in people working remotely. Over the last five years, it grew 44% and over the previous 10 years, it grew 91%.
2. Rise of staffing agencies
The use of third-party employment firms (including remote staffing agencies) has gained popularity because companies want to hire faster and better talent. In the U.S., there are about 25,000 staffing and recruiting companies operating in approximately 49,000 offices. And currently, with the pandemic and companies working remotely, there is expected to be a more significant increase in work from home staffing agencies.
3. Companies save money
Hiring remote workers doesn’t just save money on salaries. It also reduces other employment-related costs like corporate taxes, office space, utility expenses, and health insurance and similar benefits.
4. Boost in productivity
Remote workers don’t have as many distractions as on-site employees. They set their home-office environment (or at the place they enjoy the most) while office employees have to deal with the noise of their coworkers, and the people in the building. According to research made by Gallup, remote employees can be 20 to 25% more productive than their onsite colleagues.
5. Employees are less stressed
Stress is one of the silent killers of today’s society. However, when employees work remotely, they set their own work pace and choose the environment that works best for them. And of course, they don’t deal anymore with traffic jams and office distractions. According to a survey made by FlexJobs, 86% of people feel that working remotely reduces stress. Most of them stated that remote work leads to a better diet, more exercise, and a healthier lifestyle.
6. Less turnover
In a similar vein, remote workers are reporting higher levels of job satisfaction as well. Surveys indicate that these people claimed to be less likely to change jobs, gave their employers high marks for open communication, and believed their managers cared for their morale and well-being. A survey made by Owl Labs found out that companies who hire remote employees have a 25% lower turnover rate than companies who don’t.
7. A rise of remote tools
Decades ago, remote work wasn’t possible because there were no tools for it. Nowadays, the market is full of software and website applications that have made remote work successful for distributed teams. With email, Zoom, Trello, Basecamp, and many other tools, communicating with remote employees has never been easier.
8. Improvements in cloud computing
Another major factor in the growth of remote staffing is cloud computing. Whereas remote workers were once viewed as potential security gaps, the cloud’s improved security has made data transmission and storage safer and more secure. According to a LogicMonitor’s survey, by 2020, 83% of the company workload will be stored on the cloud.
9. Emergent remote industries
The next frontier of remote staffing services? There is not just one frontier but many. Remote work has proven to be successful in many industries, not just one, and more and more companies are seeking the help of a remote staffing recruiter to scale their teams. Some of the sectors with more remote employees are:
- Healthcare
- IT
- Financial Businesses
- Education
- Manufacturing
10. Connected and happy employees
One of the biggest perks of working remotely and hiring remote employees is the strong connection you can have with them – despite the distance. This is only possible when you genuinely care about the people you work with and build the right culture. Culture is never about the dos and don’ts of a company. Or a guide that talks about the beliefs of the company.
Culture translates into connecting with each member of your team and turning those beliefs into actions. Motivating each member to give their best, being available for them, and, most importantly: trusting them. However, trust is only possible when hiring the right people.
If you need a company that is on the cutting edge of today’s remote staffing trends, you should consider DistantJob. With over a decade of experience in this emerging field, our company, DistantJob, has the expertise to help your company hire high-quality remote workers at a fraction of the cost of traditional employees. So if you’re going to jump into the exciting world of remote staffing, you’d better have an experienced partner at your side. Check out what DistantJob can do for you today.