Bill Gates’ plan to give employees remote working days is a hit with Indian HR managers

• Flexible work timings, remote work options have been the top priorities of the Indian workforce, while considering a job opportunity.
  
• This is mainly because it brings along increased productivity and cost effectiveness to both — the employee and the employer.
  
• According to a recent survey by recruitment platform Indeed, employees say that if given an option, they would consider having ‘two work from home’ days in a week.
  
• Working remotely cuts down on the travel time. An average Indian office-goer spends over two hours commuting everyday — accounting for 7% of their day.

Bill Gates once said that the most important perk any company can offer its employees is ‘flexible work arrangements.’ He believes that it can improve productivity and cost effectiveness to both — the employee and the employer.

Flexibility overpowers pay hike

An average Indian office-goer spends over two hours commuting everyday — accounting for 7% of their day. For them, remote working can be a panacea.

“If this itself is brought down by a day, the levels of motivation will increase. Employees may even be willing to put in additional hours in 4 days rather than travel the additional day,” Neeti Sharma, senior VP at TeamLease Services told Business Insider.

According to a recent survey by recruitment platform Indeed, employees say that if given an option - they would want to work from home at least two days a week. In fact, over half of the surveyed employees said that they would consider changing their job or even take a pay cut in if offered remote working.

Increased productivity

“The employees get the advantage of working at their convenient times and when their productivity is higher. At the same time, they are also provided with an environment of trust and autonomy. With happier employees and a more trusting environment, productivity naturally increases,” said Ajay Shah, VP and head of recruitment at TeamLease Services.

It can also ease the stress that most Indians face. India is the most vacation deprived country in the world, as per a report by Expedia. A lot of employees who wish to go on a vacation are held back at offices because of workload.

“If implemented properly, remote working can be a powerful means of engaging the workforce and attracting a wider pool of talent. Employees can channel their creativity more productively if allowed to work at their convenience,” said Sashi Kumar, managing director, Indeed India.

The company offers its employees the option of paid time-off — which allows them to manage their time and meet productivity goals on their own schedule.

As a cost-cutting measure

Remote working can also save costs for the company who do not have to rent out large spaces.

“Companies focusing on customer experience also hire people who work from home in dedicated slots for inbound and outbound calls, which saves the overall cost of company. Accenture, Erricsson, Capgemini and IBM are a few examples of flexible work environments,” said Guruprasad Srinivasan, chief operating officer at Quess Corp.

Employees too save by working remotely. As per a recent study, an employee working from home saves nearly $6000 annually, while the organisation saves almost twice the amount.

In that case, for each employee who opts to work remotely the organization saves around $12,000. These savings are the eliminated overheads like office space, utilities, and other expenses associated with having employees report to the office.

If there is anything that remote working lacks — it the age-old collaboration that aids ideation and easy execution of tasks!

See also:
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In India, employees are prioritising ‘remote work policy’ while taking up a job — and will even take a pay cut