The coronavirus pandemic accelerated a movement that was already happening around the world – the migration from physical space to online. Forced to stay at home, people and companies started to adopt homeoffice cloud or remote/virtual work. However, what companies have done in response to an emergency ended up bringing several benefits.
Not only does telecommunication allow them to reduce the costs of maintaining expensive office space, it can also make their employees more productive, satisfied and happier. It is why, even with the end of the Covid restriction measures, many organizations have not banned the home office concept. However, many still resist the idea. The false conception that the lack of close control can harm the work still exists in many managers.
The advantages of home office for companies
The Homeoffice has advantages and disadvantages. However, with software solutions that streamline communication and improve everyday workflows, managing a distributed workforce has never been easier. Besides employee well-being, home office equipment also translates into higher revenue.
Communication is more efficient
Thanks to cloud collaboration platforms, it is much easier to get everyone on the same platform. These virtual desktop platforms keep communications, files and approvals in an easily accessible location. They also bring together real-time communication functionalities such as chats and video calls, eliminating the problems caused by geographical distances.
Productivity increases
Besides eliminating the social distractions of the office, remote work offers greater flexibility for employees to take the necessary breaks. It directly affects overall team performance, motivation and creativity. The online collaboration environment also supports teamwork. On the contrary, the Cloud-Service platform optimizes work by allowing different professionals to work simultaneously on the same activity.
Employee health and well-being
The Homeoffice concept also works for better employee health and well-being. It is because working remotely makes it easier to balance work and personal life. In addition, the team also has the opportunity to customize the work environment as they wish and take care of their physical and emotional needs with greater attention. While there are some common pitfalls, the company can make the transition to a home office model easier. Having a well-defined Home Office policy allows employees to relax and feel confident in their productivity.
Hire and retain talent
With the home office equipment, companies are no longer limited to hiring only local talent, but can look for people with the exact skills they need across the country or around the world. By allowing employees to work from home, you expand your company’s Virtual Private Network of potential talent. You are no longer limited to employees who are within your immediate area or who wish to travel.
Cloud concept and cost savings
Perhaps most importantly, employees working from home bring clear financial benefits to companies. As per Global Workplace Analytics, organizations can actually save more than $11,000 per Home Office employee. For SMEs, remote cloud work is a blessing. With it, the entrepreneurs can forgo the headache of purchasing office supplies, renting an official pace, IT infrastructure, and the general preventive maintenance. Productivity gains with happier employees also translate into cost savings and streamlined processes.
The future of the home office
While all the items listed above represent great benefits for companies, the Homeoffice still lacks in one aspect – the lack of social interaction and the fatigue generated by excessive videoconferencing. Psychologists have stated that it can be harmful to the professional in the long term, increasing the feeling of isolation and impairing their social skills. Recently, you may have heard about Face book’s name change (now called Meta) precisely in the quest to create this Meta-verse.
Meta-verse is a virtual world where users share experiences and interact in real time in simulated scenarios. Many IT employees who started new jobs during the pandemic only met their co-workers through video conferencing. Furthermore, these interactions are often particularly exhausting. By making interactions less exhausting and more authentic, it will be easier to integrate the Meta-verse into the workday.
Conclusion
We have been commenting on the impact of technology on our daily lives for years, especially after the smart phone revolution, but quarantine has taken this perception to a new level. The technology makes confinement more pleasant and enables the Home Office concept. In addition, this movement requires a certain technological structure with different aspects, from which we can highlight the cloud. For those who need help today, Microsoft already has the resources you need. Microsoft Windows 365, with all the features in the cloud, is the solution for companies that want to take off and keep up with the movement of migration to the virtual world.
