What Is Productivity?
According to the U.S. National Bureau of Labor Statistics, productivity is a measure of economic performance that compares the amount of goods and services produced with the amount of inputs used to produce those goods and services.
Moreover, productivity refers to the ability of an individual, team, or organization to work efficiently within that time to maximize output.
A US-based organization advocating mental health awareness said high productivity results from a mix of factors including:
- Motivation
- Personality
- Natural talent
- Training or education
- Environment
- Support from others
- Time management
Physical elements also play a role in fostering productivity–exercise, healthy eating, and sufficient sleep can boost efficiency both in the short term and long term.
For humans, the drive for productivity tends to be motivated by a set of overlapping natural desires. These include a desire to contribute to a group, a desire to be challenged and mentally stimulated, and a desire to fulfill basic needs such as food, shelter, and safety. Such desires could motivate someone to complete a project at work, clean the house, make dinner for loved ones, or engage in any other necessary task.
The natural level of productivity of each individual varies. As mentioned many factors contribute to the energy of a person. When it comes to completing tasks and responsibilities at work, employers prefer workers with a high level of productivity even with minimal supervision. Some companies have mastered strategies to regularly improve productivity performance. However, when the pandemic happened, the shift from the office environment to remote work arrangements changed the labor landscape and posed some challenges that needed studies and in-depth evaluation.
Now, after several years of research and analysis, experts are presenting statistics showing the level of productivity in a remote work environment.
Are Employees Working Remotely More Productive Than In A Physical Office Setting?
A study by Standford observed 16,000 workers over 9 months. Experts later discovered that working from home increased productivity by 13%. This increase in performance was due to more calls per minute attributed to a quieter more convenient working environment and working more minutes per shift because of fewer breaks and sick days.
Another survey determined that 77% of employees who work remotely at least a few times per month show increased productivity, with 30% doing more work in less time and 24% doing more work in the same period.
The Harvard Business School also published a study indicating that the emerging setup of remote work boosts productivity among employees in both startups and big companies.
In general, workers with geographic flexibility at work report better work-life balance. A major factor contributing to nurtured mental health is spending less time commuting. The hours spent traveling to and from the office are redesignated to activities that promote personal well-being, which eventually reflects productivity growth when working.
How To Improve The Productivity Performance Of Remote Workers
Experts have studied the current labor landscape and identified innovative solutions for supervising remote employees. Generally, employers seek new strategies to boost productivity.
Economic research suggests work leaders can advocate productive working among fully remote workers by doing the following best practices:
- Schedule daily check-ins
- Set expectations early
- Overcommunicate
- Take advantage of technology and video conferencing platforms
- Establish policies for remote collaboration
- Focus on outcomes
- Provide resources
- Encourage remote social connections
- Mentor than manage
What Can Employees Do In A Remote Work Setup?
Remote and hybrid work employees can perform several kinds of tasks. Commonly, these responsibilities include:
- Administrative duties
- Data entry
- Financial record-keeping
- Bookkeeping
- Project management
- Account management
- Managing social media accounts
- Receiving inbound calls and answering office phone calls
- Content writing
- Provide customer service assistance
- Generate strategies for business development
- Crisis management and proposing solutions
- Human resources assistant
- Provide feedback after marketing campaigns
Business Benefits of Hiring Remote Work Employees
- Increased Employee Engagement
Employee engagement is the emotional and professional connection employees feel toward their organization, colleagues, and work, according to Tech Target.
High engagement leads to increased job satisfaction, performance, and employee retention. Moreover, remote employees with improved engagement also reflect a positive overall work experience.
A remote work or hybrid work setup increases employee engagement leading to an increase in productivity and eventually in business revenue.
During an average workday, employees with less stress take fewer breaks in between smaller tasks. On the other hand, burned-out workers are prone to taking regular breaks and have a hard time finding focus in completing any task. A way to address this struggle in the office, employers are urged to shift to a work-from-anywhere setup to allow employees to find more time with their family that may help with their outlook.
Even with just a couple of days in a work week, working from home increases productivity and employee engagement because workers eliminate commuting and thus gain extra time to create healthier relationships with people in their house.
Positive effects in employee engagement benefit businesses because remote workers thrive despite challenging situations, accomplish more work, and stay in the company for a long time.
- Avoid Brain Drain
In 2019, the World Health Organization declared “burnout” as an occupational phenomenon. According to the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.
Experts in the field said three symptoms characterize burnout:
- Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
- Increased mental distance from one’s job, feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job
- Reduced professional efficacy
Business owners are at risk of experiencing burnout or brain drain because of the many roles they play. As a business owner, one way to increase productivity is by distributing time-consuming activities to an experienced virtual assistant.
VAs are remote workers who are commonly skilled in handling administrative duties and repetitive tasks. They are professional individuals with experience in working remotely. They can stay productive at home even with little supervision.
A remote work setup benefits employers because they can hire a qualified and skilled individual at a lower cost compared to in-office employees.
- Reduced Real Estate Costs & Other Expenses
Did you know that employers are not expected to provide office space and supplies if they hire remote team members?
Without having to provide office space and office equipment for remote workers, employers can save on electricity, water, and cleaning services while still investing in work productivity. The sizable savings can enable small businesses and professionals to use the money for other purposes and projects.
By eliminating financial worries, business owners can reduce stress and stay focused on bigger ordeals. Remote employees can handle multiple tasks and let their superiors have more free time to create plans to grow the business.
Working-from-home employees commonly have their personal computers. Most of the time, their home serves as their office. Employers are not obliged to provide tools or tech before a remote employee can start working for them.
- Expanded Talent Pool
A talent pool is a group of candidates interested in working for your company, according to LinkedIn.
Candidates in the talent pool possess the potential to meet the immediate and long-term hiring needs of the company. They are individuals suitable for the organization but there might not be an open role to suit the candidate’s skills.
Having a talent pool reduces the time to hire. Experts said when the recruitment team spends more time hiring employees for a specific job role, the existing employees are usually overworked to compensate for the open position. Subsequently, overworking might contribute to a negative effort in employees.
With a talent pool, candidates are ready to immediately join the workforce thus reducing the time to hire. However, sometimes, because of geographical restrictions, businesses are limited to only a few candidates.
The rise of working remotely provided companies a reach to an expanded talent pool. Hiring globally means employers can expect more qualified candidates with sufficient training and experience.
Remote Work Productivity Is Not A Big Issue With Professional Working-From-Home Employees
Are you considering hiring remote employees for your business? If yes, the best advice any entrepreneur can give you is to connect with a professional workforce solutions company like Remote Raven.
Remote Raven is a trustworthy company that provides outsourcing services to various businesses. The agency has client testimonials from industries like healthcare, law, accommodation, and food services.
If you are looking into employing a remote worker to help you handle routine tasks in your daily business operations, Remote Raven can connect you with highly skilled individuals. With professional services, you are assured that the remote worker will perform tasks during working hours even with minimal supervision. As a business owner, you can stop worrying about employee productivity because Remote Raven performs thorough background checks with their talents. The agency verifies the capabilities of all candidates including their worker productivity performance.
Remote Raven can contribute to your desire to achieve an improved work-life balance. By finding the best remote employee for your business, you can obtain the full productivity benefits of a remote work arrangement.
You can contact Remote Raven at your most convenient time. During your initial appointment, a qualified member of the company will discuss the process and answer any questions you have in mind. Employing remote workers the first can be overwhelming but you do not have to be intimidated by the hiring process. Remote Raven promises an easy and light experience when you engage the agency’s outsourcing-offshoring services.
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