Work has become a thing people do, and less a place where employees go. Work-life balance is disappearing due to our constantly connected society. So how can you keep employees happy, keep stress low and maximize engagement? Believe it or not, a virtual office environment might be the best solution. Here are three unique advantages to running your organization from virtual offices.
- Attract Top Talent- Without geographic restrictions your talent search can span the nation. There is no need to limit yourself to your local area because with a virtual office, you won’t have one. Acquire the best talent, regardless of where they live.
- Lower Absenteeism/Higher Engagement- One of these seem obvious and the other seems improbable. Of course, absenteeism is going to be lower when employees work from home. Snow days go out the door, if you feel that cold coming on, you don’t have to stay home…because your employees already are home. However, higher engagement? You read it right. According to Gallup’s 2013 State of the American Workplace study 32% of virtual employees indicate they are engaged, whereas 28% of office employees say they are engaged.
- Better Work-Life Balance- This is a no-brainer, but it is worth pointing out because this perk is highly coveted by millennials, the fastest growing segment of the workforce. Having this balance for that generational audience will help you attract and maintain the best talent.
In 2011, one Chicago-based firm ditched the office and sent employees home to work. Read their success story along with their 7 key benefits of having a virtual office. Need more proof? Look no further. We practice what we preach. Every employee of GiftCard Partners works from home. There are a lot of Skype calls, phone calls, and GoToMeetings. But, there are also a lot of flexible hours, family dinners and an annual “on-site” meeting. Have questions, comments or ideas? Leave them for us in the comments section.
