Slightly different than the concept of outsourcing, hiring remote employees for your business has both its perks and setbacks. Doing so can depend heavily on the type of job remote workers perform, as well as your company’s services, which can either benefit, or be hindered by those not present in the office. Below are a few pros and cons of hiring these stationary workers.

Pros

Surprisingly, many employers have found that hiring remote employees actually increases levels of engagement among their staff. It’s safe to assume that some workers tend to perform their given tasks better when not in office settings. Flexible environments often boost people’s moods, and can lead to a generally positive interactions with staff and clients.

Similarly, remote employees tend to be much more productive when working from home. When picturing one working from home, it’s easy to consider all of the potential distractions at his or her expense. However, with an environment that remote workers can control, they are more likely to devote longer periods of time to their tasks at hand.

When searching for team members to work remotely, you are given the opportunity to expand your horizons quite literally. Posting a position and indicating that it is available for remote work allows you to cover a much larger area geographically, and potentially reach suitable candidates that would have otherwise missed the opening altogether.

Hiring remote employees, as well as allowing your current employees to work from home as shown a significant decrease in companies’ turnover rates. This is a perk that many people today find truly beneficial, as day-to-day demands can be overwhelming; something working remotely can alleviate.

Cons

While working remotely can, and has been linked to increasing productivity, that is statistic that is never guaranteed. There is still potential risk in allowing employees to work from home, as they may succumb to the many distractions around them. It comes down to the employer’s trust in his or her staff, and whether or not he or she feels that staff members can benefit from the progressive strategy.

On more of a personal level, remote employees may miss out on developing relationships with their coworkers. Face-to-face interactions are much less common when not working in the office, which is a factor that can directly affect one’s mood. For those who flourish in social situations, the lack of interaction has the potential to decrease productivity greatly.

 
As an employer, it’s best to take all of these factors into consideration before hiring remote employees, and before offering the luxury of your team to work from home. Though there are many benefits, there is the potential for productivity levels to decrease; the decision, while progressive, has many possible outcomes.