Headsets, webcams, conferencing software, and other technology is a new focus for IT departments, individuals, and businesses alike. Remote work has always been a growing market, and due to the global pandemic businesses are adopting new remote work practices that are here to stay as companies recognize the growing benefits that remote work offers. In fact, since 2005 regular work-at-home positions among non-self-employed workers has grown by 173%, and Telecommuting in the US has seen a 115% increase in the past decade.1 In this blog post, we’ll cover the benefits and drawbacks that remote work offers to both employees and employers, and explain how remote work technology can boost these benefits and eliminate drawbacks.
For employees and employers, the COVID-19 pandemic has created a new standard of remote work around the world. For many, it proves that workers can be more productive in remote work environments than in the office, about 13% more productive according to a Stanford study.2 Moreover, remote work creates a less stressful work-life balance for the employees, which can provide a substantial increase in worker motivation for the employer. In a survey by Owl Labs, 86% of respondents felt that having the option to work remotely reduces stress levels.3 This benefit leads to employees who are willing to stay in their current job for the next 5 years, 13% more likely compared to onsite workers, according to that same Owl Labs survey. Lastly, a big benefit for employers is the cost savings presented to them due to remote work. This comes in the form of lower office rent, infrastructure, and monthly utility bills.
Even with all these benefits, there are several drawbacks to remote work that could intimidate companies from investing fully into a hybrid or full remote work business model. 22% of remote workers say that they have difficulty unplugging from their work after working hours.4 This can lead to reduced productivity and employee fatigue. One of the biggest drawbacks is the negative impact on collaboration and communication that can happen when a worker is operating remotely. Collaboration is highly reliant on synchronizing a team together towards a common goal, which becomes more difficult when these teams are not able to meet face-to-face. Luckily, these collaboration drawbacks can be fixed by remote work technologies to bridge the gap between face-to-face collaboration and remote work benefits.
With the new global standard of remote work being accelerated by the coronavirus, the technologies that drive its benefits and reduces its drawbacks has quickly evolved as well. Video conferencing and collaboration platforms, like Grandstream’s IPVideoTalk, have been developed to not only enable teams to come together in a virtual space, but provide tools that drive productivity and efficiency. Unified communications solutions have been developed to easily setup and configure remote devices as if they were within an office deployment. Lastly, web cameras and headsets are in high demand and are being developed to better suit the needs of the remote work employee.
In the coming months, Grandstream will be releasing a new series of products and solutions that will greatly expand our remote work portfolio and make it easier for businesses and workers alike to take advantage of the benefits of remote work technology. This includes web cameras and headsets that are specifically designed with remote work in mind. Click below to watch our webinar where we provide a sneak peek into our upcoming remote work solutions.