Benefits, Challenges, & Considerations

Benefits

• Increase employee engagement, productivity, and retention

• Broaden the pool of available talent

• Contribute to sustainability goals

• Ensure business continuity

• Use work space more efficiently and save money

• Reduced spontaneity of interactions, which could adversely affect innovation, collaboration, creativity, and team culture.

• Fewer in-person networking and relationship-building opportunities for the employee and key stakeholders.

• Some employees whose duties could allow them to work off-site may not be eligible for a flexible work option if distractions or a suboptimal work space exists that affects their ability to be productive.

• Possible additional equipment purchases/technology training.

• Not all jobs are performed effectively off-site.

• Possible loss of organizational culture with a loss of spontaneous encounters that are beneficial to creative endeavors and building trust.

• Supervising a remote team can be more challenging because interactions might be less frequent, spontaneous, and personal.

• Some employees may find working from home overwhelming and separating home and work and home life difficult.

• Scheduling may be a challenge for teams that would require rotational on-site presence.

• Training and onboarding new team members requires additional effort and diligence.