Working remotely: Does it work for nearshore companies?

Giving your team force the option to work remotely from home a couple of days a week is one of the most popular practices companies have started to implement in order to keep their team inspired and fresh throughout time.

However, working remotely is an art, and not every company is willing to let their teamwork move away from the company and work from the comfort of their own home.

Now, we have talked about this topic before, but focused on how team members can do it and actually be productive, a blog you can check out, here. But today we will be focusing on the other side of the spectrum: The company, and determine whether or not this is a good idea for a nearshore company to implement as well.

What does working remotely consists of

Working remotely is based on the idea of moving away from the office to do your regular job from another place. It might be your house, it might be a work-cafe, or a park.

By implementing this practice, companies allow their workforce to re-charge energies by changing their working environment every once in a while. It’s both beneficial for the company, and for the worker itself.

As to how this works, it’s rather simple. There are technologies nowadays that allow workers to be connected from their laptops or computers and for the company to monitor them or keep track on the activities they are performing.

This way, companies can be 100% sure the employee is actually working while on their “outside” time and following their regular activities as if they would do on the office.

Benefits of working remotely

There’s no denying that working remotely offers many benefits for the employee. They get to change their every day environment for something much more comfortable, get enough space to be creative, and come back to work recharged.

However, not many people talk about the benefits working remotely has on companies that decide to implement this practice. And there are actually many worth mentioning, like:

1. Increase productivity levels:

Being in the same spot for over eight hours every day, five days a week, can be stressing for your employees, to the point they might feel frustrated or blocked.

Allowing them to work from somewhere where they feel comfortable and inspired will automatically result in them being more productive than before, not only while they’re working away but also when they come back to the office itself.

2. Expands talent pool:

There are employees who for any reason might not be able to make it to work every day on time. Giving them the option to work remotely allows you, as a company, to keep a great employee while being flexible with them.

Remote work is a GREAT option for companies who want to expand their talent pool and hire professionals but don’t want to limit their options to people who live nearby.

3. Offer your employees an extra benefit:

Giving your workforce the option to work remotely one or two days a week counts as a working benefit, even if they choose not to take it or would prefer to stay in the office.

The point is, as a company, you’re giving them an extra benefit to make their working experience more pleasant, and that is extremely important when it comes to building a great relationship with your employees and increase organizational culture.

When does working remotely works and when it doesn’t

Although working remotely is a great option for both the company and the employee, it doesn’t always work the way we want to, specially because working remotely isn’t for everyone.

As a nearshore company, it means you deal with software engineers, senior and junior developers, writers, QA’s, etc. Luckily for you, these are job roles that can easily be done from work.

Software engineers and QA’s are able to continue their current work from pretty much anywhere without interrupting the regular workflow, since they already know what they have to do and when to deliver it.

However, when it comes to job positions that are crucial for the decision making of the company, or a job role that depends on others to function, then working remotely might not be as much as a great idea.

It is also important to mention the way working remotely is handle will determine the success or failed of it. For example: How many days a week will you give your workforce to work away? Will they all be working remotely the same day? How is it everything going to be handled? Will you be flexible with the working hours or will you give them the freedom to work as they please?

Working remotely, when done right, can be extremely beneficial for both the company and the employees. It’s just a matter to find the right balance in this type of relationship.

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