Even in this high-tech era, the idea of allowing employees to work remotely is something many business owners are still reluctant to do. These employers assume that their employees won’t work as hard in a remote setting as they would in a conventional office and, as a result, the overall productivity of the company will take a hit.

However, there’s no doubt that virtual or remote work has become more and more popular over recent years, and the trend seems to be set to continue. Employees love the freedom of being able to work from their own home, or work while they’re traveling the world— and employers are becoming increasingly receptive to the option, too.

If you’re hesitant about making the shift to permitting remote or virtual working arrangements, then it’s worth keeping the points below in mind.

Remote working arrangements are becoming more normalized

When this type of arrangement becomes more commonplace, prospective employees are going to expect it. When you’re recruiting high-performing talent, you’re going to want to ensure you have the best total rewards package available. However, if a remote working arrangement is not an option, you could potentially dissuade an employee from accepting a job offer.

Attract the best of the best talent

By offering a degree of flexibility in work arrangements, you’re positioned to attract a larger pool of talent. With employees allowed to work remotely, you are not restricted to those who live close to your place of business. You can hire people because they’re the right person for the job, rather than just because they live in the right area.

Remote working is cheaper for your business

While there are startup costs involved in allowing remote working arrangements — especially if you’re going to provide the necessary work tools, the switch is actually a cost-effective one long-term. For example, if an employee is working from home, they will be paying for their electricity and heating usage, not you. You can also eliminate other everyday expenses, such as coffee for the staff kitchen and even toilet paper for the bathrooms.

Are you the lone holdout?

Ultimately, there are few good reasons not to allow remote working, although there may be a few exceptions. Your employees will likely prefer it, you’ll be able to source talent from all over the world, and you’ll save money on office costs. Furthermore, communication with team members has, thanks to technology, never been easier. By implementing VoIP solutions for your business and utilizing cloud-based task management software, you can be sure of simple and effective contact with your employees even if you’re not sharing an office with them.

The decision to allow remote working arrangements is not one that business owners should take lightly, but it’s also one that — taking notice of current and future trends — is a step business owners should, at least, investigate in detail. Of course, not all companies lend themselves to remote working due to the nature of their business (a retail store, for example, will always need sales assistants to be physically present), but if your employees can work remotely, then allowing this is something that you’re definitely going to want to consider in order remain competitive.

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