The Remote vs Hybrid vs Onsite Workforce Dilemma

The core function of business is to solve problems, at a profit, through innovation. This is made possible by understanding the needs of the market and target audience. However, the majority of businesses still operate with blinders on.

The majority of businesses are being led by leaders who willfully bind themselves down with legacy thinking and approaches. A straightforward example is their lagging behind the learning curve in enabling and supporting a remote workforce model. Gone are the days when most global companies could ignore today's reality of a fully capable remote workforce.

The evidence is replete when auditing major job sites like Indeed.com, LinkedIn, and Monster.com. Only a fraction of openly advertised roles are designated as "remote" roles. It's true that the global COVID-19 pandemic pushed many businesses into adapting their archaic model to the forced reality of the need for a remote workforce. That said, as the pandemic subsided most businesses have since gone back to the "onsite" role model. Some businesses adapted to a "hybrid" role suggesting they recognize the reality realized by a remote workforce that enjoyed the benefits of working remotely during COVID-19.

There are many advantages and disadvantages to enabling and supporting a "remote workforce". However, in the end, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. If for no other reason, consider the following advantages:

1. Talent Competitiveness -- to compete in a national or global market you need to be able to recruit the best talent and teams possible. What are the odds that the best talent is within reasonable commuting distance from your HQ or regional offices? What are the odds that the talent you need is willing to relocate to work at your business? If they do not live within reasonable commuting distance or do not want to relocate, you are appealing to less than one percent of one percent of the employable talent pool.
2. Greater Talent Productivity -- Based on one study by CoSo Cloud, 77% of workers reported greater productivity while working offsite. What CoSo Cloud found was that remote work saves money and increases productivity for the company, as well as provides benefits for the employed talent. In another study by FlexJobs, talent (or employees) proved that working remotely can be more productive than working in an office through fewer interruptions (68%), quieter environments (68%), greater focus (63%), more comfortable workplaces (66%), and avoiding office politics (55%).
3. Talent Happiness -- In a study conducted by Owl Labs, 88% of respondents said they were “happier” being able to work from home. 86% said they would better be able to support their families, 83% would improve their work-life balance, and 82% believe it’s better for their mental health overall.
4. Healthier Talent -- In the CoSo Cloud study previously cited, remote work was reported to make employees healthier; 45% claimed to get more sleep, 42% were eating healthier, and 35% were getting more physical exercise.
5. Talent Retention and Recovery -- In a survey of 1,097 U.S. employees, the study found that businesses that allow remote work experience 25% lower employee turnover than those that don’t. Over half (51%) of employees who choose to work remotely did so to improve their work-life balance. Additionally, companies without a corporate headquarters were found to hire 33% faster than others. In a FlexJobs study, 79% of employees would be more loyal to their companies if they offered flexible work options. In an IWG study, 83% of workers around the world would decline a job because it didn’t offer flexible working.

These "top five" advantages are reason enough to really consider actively adopting a "remote workforce" model. At the very least, an active "hybrid workforce" model is imperative to remain competitive in a highly competitive market.

To be clear, I am not suggesting that all roles and businesses should adopt a "remote only" workforce mentality. To do so would be short-sighted but to pretend that the "onsite workforce" model is the best a business can offer to itself and its talented workforce is also short-sighted and archaic. Developing a remote workforce takes time and carries with it many challenges too. However, businesses that adapt and adopt the hybrid and remote workforce model quickly will have the advantage of experience and expertise in developing and mastering the "art and structuring" of their remote workforce while their competition remains in paralysis brought on by old workforce hiring and recruitment models.

About the Author

Bray Brockbank is CMO and VP of Strategy for Brandegy, a specialized brand and digital marketing agency for technology companies. Bray has led marketing efforts for a variety of B2B and B2C SaaS startups and tech enterprises. He has also served as a fractional CMO for several SaaS technology companies and market expert for several research firms and industries.