Companies That Support Remote Work Experience 25% Lower Employee Turnover

October 16, 2017 JiUS Staff Advice for Employers and Recruiters, Advice for Job Seekers, Recruiting & HR 0

The 2017 State of Remote Work report was released today by Owl Labs and TINYPulse. Based on the survey responses of 1,097 US-based workers, the State of Remote Work is among the first reports of its kind to examine the impact of remote work on employee success and retention as well as manager-employee relationships.

Among the survey’s notable finds is that companies which support remote work have 25 percent lower employee turnover than companies that don’t allow remote work. This information indicates a significant opportunity for employers to retain workers by expanding their remote and flexible work offerings.

The survey also showed that 65 percent of employees who don’t work remotely stated that they would like to work outside of the office at least once a month. In addition, 57 percent of employees who didn’t express the desire to work remotely said their present job environment would not allow it. This indicates an opportunity for employers to provide occasional flexibility by adjusting roles and responsibilities. Because 51 percent of employees who work remotely today do so to improve their work/life balance, even basic changes could lead to an increase in employee retention.

It was also found that fully-distributed companies, or companies with no corporate headquarters, are capable of hiring 33 percent faster than other companies. This data shows that a company can increase its candidate pool more efficiently by removing geographical limitations, thus providing access to individuals with the most applicable skills and experience.

Not all findings were positive, however. Remote workers, according to the data, do not receive the same career and management support as those who work on-site. As an example, remote employees with on-site managers have 25 percent fewer discussions regarding career growth than on-site employees. This indicates that these conversations may be subconsciously prompted by visual and in-office cues, making it less likely that remote employees will receive the managerial support their success requires.

Other findings included:

  • Small companies are two times more likely to hire full-time, remote employees.
  • Individual contributors work from home 38 percent more often than management.
  • Managers believe their on-site and remote employees perform equally.
  • The biggest challenge for managers of distributed teams is cultivating strong company culture.

The full report and its detailed findings can be found at www.owllabs.com/state-of-remote-work.