To commute or not commute
The huge debate on most lips over the last year and a half has been, does remote working hinder companies and employees? I do not think there is a right or wrong answer to this debate. However, I believe that there should be more discussions between employee and employer weighing up the benefits and the consequences of remote work and on-site working. No one solution fits all companies as each company has unique sets of requirements, especially in the eCommerce industry.
What has the pandemic taught us about remote working?
Time is precious, and some employees have a daily commute of about 4-hours, which is 20 hours a week of travel. The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed to many that the time used for commuting could be used for the likes of family and self-development.
Hybrid working is the middle point which allows employees to work from home a few days of the week but also go on site for a select number of days. This way both parties can be happy with the outcome. However, many companies believe that is particularly important to be on-site and are urging employees back into the office as early as September this year according to (O’Connor, 2021).
Is remote work a priority when speaking with candidates?
From a recruiting point of view, it seems to be the top of the list of requirements when speaking to candidates. In the world of eCommerce, remote work existed before the pandemic and will exist long after it. But that is not the case with all the big companies. Some prefer to have their employees based close enough to come on-site, but there has been a shift where they have had to adjust to making remote hires to attract the best talent and not lose out to competitors who offer fully remote working.
After speaking to hundreds of candidates over the last year, I would say that 75% care about remote working more than the salary. That shows how significant the topic has become to employees in their hunt for new opportunities.
If you can keep making your company money from the four walls of your house, then why should you lose an hour traveling? Can you add value to your company from your home environment, or are you only productive to work in an office setting?
Lost time is never found again – Benjamin Franklin
