The working environment significantly influences employees’ productivity and desire to work in a specific company. With the advent of new technologies, the staff can work in the office and remotely. As a result, there is a dispute about where work is more convenient – in the office or from home. The various factors influence this aspect, for instance, the convenience of the way to the office or the employee’s ability to concentrate on work in a comfortable home environment. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages, as proven by research.
A remote job is an opportunity to work from anywhere worldwide, contributing to the employee’s freedom and flexibility. According to the Center for the Protection of National Infrastructure (2020), this argument for freedom of movement is essential for retaining employees. Moreover, providing remote work capabilities allows companies to expand the geography of finding talented employees in other countries, increasing the workforce’s diversity. Moreover, in this case, the company saves space and resources by avoiding the need to organize an office. Other studies suggest that working at home makes employees feel more creative (Smith, 2015). Therefore, remote hiring can benefit both employees and hiring companies.
However, it is worth considering the potential risks and disadvantages of remote work compared to offices. Hendricks (n.d.) argues that the traditional office improves employees’ interaction with customers and each other, improving team performance and making the enterprise more productive. This assumption is consistent with Gomez’s (2015) concerns that remote work carries the risk of reducing trust between employees and, as a result, disengages the team. Moreover, the monotonous environment for work and rest with remote hiring does not give the employee a complete feeling of free time and violates the work-life balance (Beauregard et al., 2013). Therefore, people need to be careful when hiring and working remotely.
Thus, businesses and people looking for work need to consider the pros and cons of different recruitment forms before deciding on their work process features. Remote work can give more freedom to employees, make the workforce more diverse, and increase creativity. Work in the office, in turn, can be more coordinated and productive. The choice may depend on the activities of the company and the external circumstances in which it operates.
References
Beauregard, A., Basile, K., & Canonico, E. (2013). Home is where the work is: A new study of homeworking in Acas–and beyond. Acas Research Paper, 10(13), 1-99.
Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure. (2020). Personnel security guidance on remote working.
Hendricks, D. (n.d.). The 21st century debate: Remote vs. office vs. co-working. All Business. Web.