One of the most groundbreaking shifts in work culture is the rise of work from home jobs. Not since the introduction of the 40-hour work week have we seen such a drastic change in how employees work and applicants’ priorities. There are so many great things to learn for both employers and employees from a change like this. That’s why Top Applicant is stating our case in favor of work from home jobs and hybrid schedules.
To fully understand these complex roles and their implications on every facet of the workplace, we’ll dig deep into the details that employers can learn from. We’ll also share the key considerations for applicants looking to join the workforce revolution. There’s a lot to cover here, so sit back, relax, and learn how work from home jobs really work.
Our Case for Employers
Fully work from home jobs have their time and place, but don’t be fooled; you can have the best of both worlds! While many employers are sunsetting their work from home policies, a new day is dawning for hybrid work schedules. With regular days in the office and options for fully remote positions, employers and employees are revolutionizing how businesses work.
As our hiring experts look at the best practices of fully remote and hybrid workplaces, we’ve found multiple correlating benefits. Here’s how work from home jobs can work for employers!
Saving Money
First things first, everyone loves a better bottom line. While it may be obvious when put into practice, less time in the office means less money spent on daily operations! Take the time to look around your office. How often are your bathrooms used? How many lights do you have on? How much paper does your copier use every day? These costs are typically thought of as “just keeping the lights on.” It doesn’t take a Stanford grad to see that lower overhead results in higher profit margins. Need some data to prove it? We got you covered.
A recent analysis from Global Workplace Analytics compiled data from over 4,000 instances of Agile work. Here are the cold, hard facts surrounding cost savings and work from home jobs.
McKesson saves $2 million a year over their previous fully in-person policy.
IBM cut real estate costs by $50 million.
Sun Microsystems takes the cake with $68 million a year saved in real estate costs alone!
Additionally, attrition can cost between $10–30,000 per employee.
The thousands (or even millions) of dollars you stand to save is likely enough to get your accountants on board for work from home jobs. But companies aren’t just built from the bottom line. To keep tackling higher goals, we suggest empowering the people you trust to lock up and turn those lights off at night.
Employee Satisfaction
Let’s face it, pizza parties are great morale boosters for grade schoolers, not your employees. Companies around the world are taking notice of this as their workforce evolves. To find the best ways to improve your employees’ satisfaction, ask yourself some questions first:
What would you do with an extra hour a day?
The US Department of Energy estimates that the average one-way commute in 2021 was just under half an hour. Without that commute, employees can enjoy extra time for themselves, and some may even put that time into extra work!
How do you dress outside of work?
Chances are, collared shirts and slacks aren’t part of your daily wardrobe off the clock. From an objective point of view, the business formal custom can feel more like a costume. Instead of just reserving jeans for Fridays, why not give your staff the freedom to be themselves?
Do you like your desk?
While you may be reading this from your office, do you really like being chained to a desk all day? Chances are, your employees don’t either. Hybrid work allows employees the freedom to work from wherever they feel most comfortable.
Mental Health and WFH
When you break it down, employee satisfaction is very simple. When an employee’s needs are met, they are more productive and less likely to look for greener pastures. One of the most important needs coming to the forefront of workplaces worldwide is personal mental health.
Since Top Applicant believes in data-driven approaches for success, we look to a recent study conducted by Modern Health. This study shows over a 5.5% increased risk of attrition overall for employers that don’t prioritize mental health. While this may sound minuscule, picture your workforce. According to our data shared above, losing 5 or 6 people due to unmet mental health concerns can cost a staff of 100 people between $50–$180,000 a year. Peace of mind really does pay!
Extra Credit – Prioritizing Mental Health in the Workplace
Improve Productivity
How many meetings have you had today? While many of them are very important and require your full attention, we’re certain there’s at least one that you really didn’t feel productive in. While work from home jobs help with cutting operating costs and attrition rates, they can also help identify costly waste in your workplace.
“This could have been an email.”
Rounding up your team and getting down to business may help you feel like you’re getting things done. But it’s important to remain objective in order to effectively reach your objective. Think about how many people will be presenting and what data they will be sharing. Chances are, if that info is digital and not highly sensitive, you can take the meeting virtually.
Virtual spaces also allow employees to join and leave meetings more efficiently without having to jump from room to room. This further eliminates the common waste companies experience with in-office mandates. More flexible scheduling and less waste equal more productivity. It doesn’t get much simpler than that!
Attracting More Talent
Less waste, more money, and happier employees are a recipe for growth in any business. Work from home jobs already provide these ingredients. But when your company needs to hire, hybrid schedules and remote positions make finding employees easier than ever before! To back this up, we return to the analysis from Global Workplace Analytics.
Over 75% of unemployed workers with disabilities cite discrimination in the workplace and lack of transportation as major factors that prevent them from working. Without the need for a commute, your business can be inclusive to applicants of all abilities.
Remote positions offer geographic, socioeconomic, and cultural diversity opportunities previously thought impossible. DEI is increasingly crucial to attracting top talent in the modern workforce.
More than 70% of employees across this analysis share that the ability to telecommute will be somewhat to extremely important in their next job search.
The case is clear for employers considering remote or fully work from home jobs. With just a few changes, your business can join the workforce revolution happening before our eyes. To hire the next generation of qualified applicants, Top Applicant makes building your business easy. Sign in, post your job, and get matched with great candidates in just a few clicks!
Our Case for Applicants
Now that we’ve convinced your boss, let’s dig into the very real benefits that work from home jobs present job seekers. With so many opportunities for completely remote and hybrid work, finding the right fit for you can be difficult. To help navigate the new wave of employment opportunities, Top Applicant’s got your back. Here are the top considerations when joining the workplace revolution:
What Commute?
Even a small commute is aggravating when you have to deal with traffic, accidents, and staying on schedule. Aside from the occasional drive thru indulgence, there aren’t many good things employees have to say about their commute. To skip it completely or minimize trips to the office, modern job seekers are more likely to apply for remote roles or hybrid work schedules.
The Real Cost
Without that daily commute, you’re saving time, energy, and money. Since your employer won’t typically factor in your commute to your schedule or pay, you’re actually giving up hours of your life in traffic and hundreds of dollars to fuel up your car, ride the train, or catch that bus. In addition to costing money and time, your commute can also be costing your health as well!
In 2023, a Gallup study showed that commuters who spent 45 minutes or more in traffic per day had higher levels of anger and stress, leading to lower overall well-being. We’re not just talking about a headache here and there, either. Long-term stress can actually have overarching effects on your mental and physical well-being! According to the APA, depression, disease, chronic disorders, and even lower libido can all be traced back to prolonged stress. The next time you’re stuck in traffic after work, think long and hard about whether that commute is worth the cost.
Work/Life Integration
The workforce revolution doesn’t just include a change of scenery, it includes a shift in how employers and employees are seeing labor altogether. In lieu of the term work-life balance, more employees are finding success by navigating their work-life integration. In a recent study of companies in the US, UK, and Germany, over 68% of respondents who said their teams were highly successful had employees in different locations.
The impressive improvement in productivity that results from remote positions has coined the term “the anywhere worker.” By working anywhere, employees can be where they feel most productive. To integrate your work and life successfully, here are your first steps:
Maintain Clear Boundaries
This is the most important step to successful integration. Work from home jobs and remote positions can tend to follow employees everywhere. Collaborate with your manager and keep a regular schedule to optimize productivity and limit off-the-clock work worries.
Find Where Works
What works best for you may not always work best for your job. For example, if you feel most productive at a coffee shop but your job requires you to take dozens of calls a day, a busy, loud environment may not be the best place for you. Finding where you work best is a lot like finding the perfect playlist. It may take some trial and error, but when you find it, you’ll know. Healthy, productive work/life integration is more about the mindset than the setting.
Work On You
As you save time, headaches, and money with a work from home job, you’ll have more time for the tasks that really matter. To us, you’re more than just an applicant. That’s why Top Applicant built our platform to put the human back in human resources. Your story, your skills, and your best self are on display in every aspect of your profile on Top Applicant.
To share what matters to you, make sure to include your preferences on your profile. Our matchmaking tool will then share your profile with employers that match your info. For an even more personalized profile, we recommend sharing a short video describing yourself on Vimeo or YouTube. You can then link that video to your profile to let employers see and hear the real you! There are so many other great features we can’t wait for you to try. So start your next search by signing in!
We Rest Our Case
Top Applicant is proud to add a personal element to the workforce revolution currently on the rise with work from home jobs. To improve your business or just empower your career, build your profile and sign up for monthly insights sent to your inbox every month!
Our Case for Your Support
Before we go, the humans behind our revolution in human resources would like to share our gratitude for your support. Businesses that advertise with us are what keep the great insights and resources coming from our remote and hybrid team members. Thanks for supporting our new and improving platform!
