There are already a number of businesses who caught on the trend of hiring remote teams, which include data annotators, virtual assistants, content creators, and more. In fact, in Upwork’s Future Workforce Report, 71% of 1,000 hiring managers said that they plan to sustain or increase their use of remote workers in the next 6 months.

Want to know why these companies have started relying on a team from some other part of the world? Here are their reasons.

1. By hiring remotely, you will get access to the best talent worldwide

Opening up the workforce to the world means that the company is not limited to hiring workers from where the company is based. This means access to a more diverse talent pool from all over the world.

Usually, in big companies that are located in big cities, it is also a competition to attract employees who are usually crowding in a certain geographic region. Companies now race one another to give the best perks so that job hunters will be swayed to choose them.

With remote hiring, the company is not limited to settle for employees in just a certain place. For example, a company can tap the services of a renowned web designer based in South America, a top-rated virtual assistant from Asia, and many more.

Working with people from across the globe is also an incentive for remote employees because it is a chance to expand their network.

2. Remote teams have increased levels of productivity and efficiency

According to a study published in the Harvard Business Review, remote employees are more productive due to lower levels of stress. This can attributed to the flexibility of working remotely. In fact, they complete nearly an extra day’s worth of work every week compared to their in-office colleagues.

This finding is supported by a study by PGI, a leading provider of software services. In their report, they found that 82% of telecommuters have lower stress levels. Moreover, 80% of workers surveyed in the study also reported higher morale when working from home.

By working offsite, employees can work in their own pace, doing work in their most creative hours. Aside from this, they are not exposed to the stress of commute and time is not wasted on travel. During inclement weather, there is also no need to cancel work since the workers can simply finish their deliverables from the comfort of their own home.  

Additionally, according to a report by ConnectSolutions, there are fewer distractions for a disciplined remote worker, which can lead to higher efficiency. Some 30% of those surveyed said that telecommuting allowed them to accomplish more in less time.

3. Hiring remote teams decrease costs for both employers and employees… and the ENVIRONMENT

Managing a business is not easy — but a tech-based business means that most of the work is done online. This also means that you can fully operate your business without renting an office space and paying for utilities. Therefore, there is already a decrease in operating costs.

This is proven true by a Forbes report that examined big companies. One of them is Aetna that have 14,500 remote staff out of 35,000 employees. In the report, Aetna has stated that they have shed 2.7 million square feet of office space, saving $78 million. Another company, American Express, reported annual savings of $10 million to $15 million because they have remote working options.

On the other hand, remote teams also get to save money by not commuting. According to a survey report by Citi, workers in the US spend an average of 200 hours per year commuting to and from work. This totals to around $2,600 in costs, which include $10 daily from transportation cost. This does not even cover the cost of meals bought during work hours. When totaled, those little expenses add to a lot, burdening the employees even more. Working from home means that the employees save up on transportation cost or gasoline or petrol fare, as well as save up on takeout. 

More importantly, by saving on transportation, this also reduces the carbon footprint of the organization since workers do not travel, therefore not using gas or petrol.

4. Remote teams are reported to be more engaged with their co-workers

One of the biggest misconceptions of working remotely is that you cannot interact effectively with your colleagues. This is debunked by a study published in the Harvard Business Review that state that technological tools help workers stay connected. In fact, 87% of remote workers were reported to have said that they feel more connected through the use of video conferencing.

This is supported by a study by ConnectSolutions where they found that 80 percent of remote workers reported feeling more connected to their coworkers, particularly when their remote work practices were supported by unified communications.

Meetings are also not wasted because remote teams are more time conscious. Since meetings are held over video conferencing, time is set and limited, therefore only important matters are discussed. Because of this, it is less likely for meetings to be scheduled for topics that could have been discussed over email.

5. It is the future of work and the preference of young, dynamic talent

In 2015, 23% of US employees reported doing some of their work remotely, up from 19% in 2003, the Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows. This is not surprising since a global survey by PGI also shows that 79% of knowledge workers work from home. An additional 60% of workers in the survey said that if they could, they would leave their current job for a full-time remote position at the same pay rate.

This trend can be seen in many young professionals who have leveraged the use of technology to work remotely and live a nomadic lifestyle. A survey by AfterCollege, a career network for college students and recent graduates, also found that 68% of job seekers are millennials who prefer working remotely for their employers.

A forecast of employment trends by the World Economic Forum also called flexible work and having virtual teams as “one of the biggest drivers of transformation” in the workplace.

Are you now convinced that you should hire a remote team to improve the quality of your business? You can start by networking in trusted platforms such as Connected Women, where you can find quality remote workers. Your next star employee can just be a click away!

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Connected Women AI provides companies fully trained teams of women working remotely, who can annotate, label and review data sets. Click here to find out more.