When the pandemic struck in 2020, thousands of businesses went remote, introducing a new way of working. Now, 74% of professionals expect remote work to be the new norm.
As the world is slowly transitioning out of the strict lockdown lifestyle, an incredible 97% of employees want to continue working remotely or have a hybrid approach where they only have to come into the office for a few days in the week.
This is becoming a very standardised mindset as people have become accustomed to this way of life.
Before the pandemic, remote working was only considered by the few. In fact, only 14% of people stated that they have been working remotely prior to the pandemic. The reason behind it was often due to the struggle to enforce something untraditional and change people’s habits.
However, the pandemic sped this up and very quickly millions of people and businesses had no choice but to issue equipment and move their communications online. Remote working skyrocketed and roughly 56% of people now work remotely.
Although the outcome of this transition was uncertain at the time, it has proved to be a great success for many companies and their employees. Remote working has helped the planet, people and businesses.
As millions of people stopped commuting to work, meetings or conferences, CO2 emissions dropped globally during the pandemic.
Offices were also closed, and communications were forced to be moved online, meaning less energy and power were consumed. This drastically aided the environment and was a step in the right direction.
With more time on their hands, people can spend it doing what they love. Whether this is staying fit, travelling or spending more time with their loved ones, remote working made this possible.
Remote working also allows people to work from anywhere in the world, and this can help them stay connected to family and friends who do not live in the same city or country.
Finally, as many people have become accustomed to this new way of living, going back to the office can be a challenge.
Remote working has provided so many with freedom and flexibility to manage their time in their own way; stripping this away can be daunting. That’s why a tremendous 40% of workers have stated that they would consider quitting their jobs rather than returning to an office.
Remote working has also proven to be exceptionally advantageous for businesses. As employees have a healthier work-life balance, they tend to be more productive and have a positive work attitude. This can drive overall business productivity, help businesses achieve goals faster and retain employees.
Remote working can also be beneficial as employers can hire from across the country and internationally. Promoting remote work means the geographical location of a potential employee is irrelevant. Therefore, as an employer, you can focus solely on their skills and what they can bring to the company.
The same goes for business consumers. With a majority of businesses now competing in a global arena, business consumers have greater options and can browse globally. This is all made possible with the advancements in technology and remote working pushing businesses to branch out globally.
Like many others, CopyHouse incorporated remote working during the pandemic and then stuck to it after Kathryn Strachan, Managing Director and Owner of CopyHouse saw the positive impact remote working has on the business, employees, clients and the planet.
In fact, CopyHouse went one step further and introduced a work from anywhere policy where employees are actively allowed to travel and work from any location at any time, as long as deadlines are met and calls are attended.
As CopyHouse has a diverse team with roots in the USA, Sweden, Italy, Poland, Portugal and elsewhere, this worked to everyone’s advantage because our team could visit family and friends while maintaining their holiday allowance.
It also inspired our team to work where they feel most creative. Whether it’s in their bedroom at 2 am or on a beach in Portugal at 2 pm. Having the freedom to work wherever we feel comfortable has proven to be a success and aided productivity, creativity and most importantly mental health.
To ensure that all of our employees’ mental and physical wellbeing was a priority, Kathryn introduced an Employee Assistance Programme. This allowed all employees to have a monthly sit down with a mental well-being coach and discuss any worries, whether work-related or domestic.
Kathryn also introduced the platform, Trickle. This platform allows employees to discuss any issues anonymously or share any successes with their management and the rest of the team.
Whilst working remotely, it’s also essential that everyone stays connected. Therefore, there are numerous virtual social events and in-person outings where the team meet up in Scotland and spend the day working, chatting and having fun.
Due to CopyHouse’s rapid growth, Kathryn decided to expand the businesses and create CopyHouse Europe.
By doing this, she aimed to:
However, as with all new adventures there came challenges. One of them being hiring employees from Europe whilst going through the process of registering as a EU company.
Kathryn knew she wanted to recruit globally as there was a lot of hidden talent abroad and location was not an issue when working for CopyHouse. However, due to Brexit, there are challenges with recruiting outside of the UK. This was resolved when Kathryn teamed up with Remote.
Remote was launched in 2019 to aid companies in hiring global talent. They recognise the advantages that come with hiring overseas and also acknowledge the challenges that can derive from it.
Therefore, Remote aims to conquer these challenges by hiring global talent on behalf of businesses. This way, the recruitment process is much quicker and more efficient.
They offer a new way to expand internationally by handling HR responsibilities and tasks on your behalf through their local entities. They make onboarding remote employees simple and easy and help you avoid all the legal jargon surrounding it.
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