Teleworking can increase the efficiency of businesses through a direct mechanism: that of employee well-being. Indeed, according to several studies including that of the OECD, the practice of teleworking is likely to promote the efficiency of employees. This mode of operation reduces travel as well as the number of distractions that exist in the work environment. As a result, workers can be more focused, and less stressed or tired, by eliminating their daily commute.
Remote work and employee satisfaction
The study conducted by the OECD also shows that employee satisfaction could be strengthened by reducing traffic jams, reducing carbon and particulate emissions, and by lowering housing prices.
This productivity channel is beneficial both for employees, who are more relaxed, and for their employers, who are more satisfied with the company's performance. Nevertheless, it is only possible if the temperaments of the employees and the environment in which they work allow it. Indeed, where loneliness does not bother some, others may experience a strong sense of isolation. In the same way, it is common for employees to encounter difficulties in balancing their professional involvement and their private life when working from home.
Moreover, not everyone benefits from optimal working conditions: some do not have an isolated office, or are very often solicited by their families. The study conducted by the OECD also shows that employee satisfaction could be strengthened by reducing traffic jams, reducing carbon and particulate emissions, and by lowering housing prices.
Remote work and cost reduction
The second mechanism for increasing productivity is indirect: it is the reduction in costs that businesses benefit from thanks to teleworking. Indeed, this mode of operation first of all implies a reduction in the need for offices and equipment. This means that businesses are reducing the amount of investments they make.
Then, with teleworking, companies can see their labor costs fall because they can recruit employees despite their remote location for example. They can therefore ensure that recruits are fully capable of carrying out the missions required by their position. Finally, recruitment costs are also likely to decrease, if employee satisfaction is such that the turnover rate and voluntary departures fall.
For remote working to allow businesses to improve their productivity, employee satisfaction and lower costs must over-compensate for the reduction in physical interactions.
Despite these two ways of improving business performance through remote work, remote work remains potentially risky. Indeed, it limits communication, as well as the flow of knowledge in its traditional form.
Virtual communication often seems insufficient to make up for the lack of physical interaction, which makes it possible to mobilize attention more effectively. Employee training is normally carried out through exchanges with employees, and very often through demonstration and then practice. Teleworking thus leads to a slowdown in the acquisition of skills by the employee.
Thus, for teleworking to allow companies to improve their productivity, the organization of teams in a hybrid mode must be streamlined. This is the challenge that answers M-Work with a simple, integrated hybrid work scheduling solution. This tool also makes it possible to monitor numerous indicators of teleworking, in particular on the occupancy of spaces, the commitment of employees, and the environmental impact of remote working.
