Combating Misconceptions of Working From Home
While remote work is becoming more and more standard, it still has its naysayers—44% of companies still don't allow remote work.
As a company that's been fully remote since our founding in 2012, and been championing remote work through our Remote Work Hub since then, we'd like to help combat some common remote work misconceptions.
Four Common Remote Work Misconceptions
Misconception #1: It's All a Scam
Though it's becoming less and less of a misconception, there was a time when remote work jobs were considered to almost always be scams. However, today's worker probably realizes the benefits of remote work. Remote.Co found 82% of remote workers reported lower stress levels and boosted morale and a Global Workplace Analytics survey, 95% of employers said telecommuting highly impacted employee retention, reduced turnover saves time, and cuts recruiting costs.
Misconception #2: You Get More Done in an Office
This is probably the biggest hurdle for companies considering transitioning to telecommuting. They assume that allowing employees to work remotely will lead to a loss in productivity, visibility, communication, and organization. Frankly, employers fear their employees will kick back and watch television rather than work.
The reality is working remotely actually increases productivity—a study by Stanford University found remote-work productivity increased by 13%. Think about all the distractions a typical office jump has: commutes, pointless meetings, coworkers popping in to chat, noise, and it makes sense that working from anywhere sees more getting done.
Misconception #3: Abundance of Free Time
Remote workers need to create boundaries from family, friends, or neighbors who assume that just because they have a flexible schedule, they're readily available at all times to grab lunch, help run errands, or give out rides. While a flexible schedule is a big perk of remote work and it is true that remote workers can often tailor their schedule more than an office worker, remote workers still have meetings to attend, deadlines to hit, and on-call hours that must be spent on their computer.
Misconception #4: Incredible Loneliness
Telecommuting isn’t always lonely. Technology helps co-workers communicate, collaborate as a team and build personal relationships. Tools like Skype, Slack, and Google Hangouts are a virtual team’s best friends. If employees crave even more face-to-face interaction, team members in the same city can arrange regular work sessions at a coffee shop. In addition, the new co-working space trend is a great option. Here at HiringThing, we’ve used all these options as a means to keep our employees connected, team build and foster collaborative work.
About HiringThing
HiringThing is a modern recruiting and employee onboarding platform as a service that creates seamless talent experiences. Our white label solutions and open API enable technology and service providers to offer hiring and onboarding to their clients. Approachable and adaptable, the platform empowers anyone, anywhere to build their dream team. Try HiringThing’s easy-to-use, feature-rich applicant tracking system with a free 14-day trial today!
