Remote

Recent technological developments have cut the strings of workers tied to their cubicles in an office, day in and day out. Employees can now choose remote work, or work done away from an office.

Remote work is immensely popular with both employees and their employers. For employers, hiring remote workers gives them access to a larger talent pool, helping them to find the best person for a certain job.

Even if you don’t live in a major metropolitan area, you can still access world-class talent if you consider hiring people who live elsewhere, allowing them to work from home.

Technology has made it easier to work with someone on the other side of the world. For example, a basic (and free) Skype account allows you to videoconference with co-workers, regardless of where they are.

But what about the employees you already have? Should they work remotely, too?

Because people often switch jobs for personal reasons, offering your best employees the option to work remotely can help keep them on your team.

Even workaholics have a life outside their job – the needs of family, friends or other interests outside work sometimes require an employee to move to a new location.

Rather than simply firing workers who need to move, employers can instead offer the option to work remotely. After all, it’s better to hold on to a good, trained employee than to have to manage a new employee who needs extensive training and time to get up to speed.

Media production company Jellyvision considered remote work options when a skilled employee needed to move with his spouse to another state. The company didn’t want to lose him, so they offered the employee a remote position, and since have opened up the option to all employees.