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Can remote working really work?

Recently, we have all heard – with varying levels of excitement – about the possibility of remote working. This means the opportunity for people to carry out certain parts of their work, or a particular set of hours, or even all of their job, away from an office. That means people can work from home, from coffee shops, from hot desks, or even from across the globe.

How can that really be possible? Obviously, technological developments are a crucial factor. Thanks to instant messaging services, and the availability of genuinely free, reliable conference calls through providers like WHYPAY?.

These tools allow workers to remain in contact as frequently and for as long as possible, from pretty much anywhere in the world – especially as WHYPAY? allows you to make conference calls from your mobile, and includes these in your bundled minutes!

But even if you can stay in touch with your bosses, would working from the comfort of your sofa be as efficient as sitting at a desk under the watchful eyes of your supervisors? With the growth in remote workers, increasing numbers of investigations have sought to answer this question.

One such study was carried out by Polycom. Their investigation, ‘The Human Face of Remote Working’, included surveys of 25,234 professionals spanning 12 nations. The findings were really quite promising: a massive 98% of participants cited the immense value of collaborative technologies (for example, teleconferencing) as making it easier to build better relationships with their co-workers. Overall, the investigation concluded that collaborative technologies and remote working boosted productivity and improved staff’s morale and relationships with one another.

Another investigation has been carried out by Direct Line, the insurance company. Its research has shown that the very best place that small business owners can carry out their work is in fact a coffee shop, with this option being chosen by 27% of respondents. 35% of participants also said that they find the flexibility of being able to carry out their work from many different locations as the biggest benefit of remote working, while 32% chose the improvement in their work-life balance, and 17% selected the biggest benefit as their increase in productivity. The reduced operational and transport costs came in close, at 16%.

Ultimately, the ability to choose your own work space means that you will always be in your ideal working environment. It seems likely, then, that remote working would boost a lot of people’s productivity. Indeed, remote workers have ranked their productivity as high as 7.7/10 according to a Canada Life survey, compared with just 6.5/10 for office workers.

So, could it be time for your business to try remote working? Just like the thing itself, the ways that you implement remote working are extremely varied and flexible. People could have a few days a week working away from the office, or one month in, one month out, or check in once a fortnight. You could be in touch with them throughout the day, or simply ask for daily reports, or check their progress every week or so. You could only have certain departments working remotely, and conference calling with other departments frequently. The possibilities really are infinite, and can be shaped into whatever form would best fit your company. So why not pick out the tools and tips you would need to make the transition to remote working as smooth as possible, and give remote working a go?

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