Gartner Reports: 74% of CFOs Are Considering Remote Work Strategies

Considering Remote Work as a Permanent Part of Your Company’s Strategy?

Considered one of the most desirable benefits that an employer can offer, remote work is quickly becoming a bargaining chip for companies of all sizes.

The ability to work from home or an alternate location of your choice used to be exclusive to Silicon Valley startups and solopreneurs. Still, the COVID-19 crisis has created a rising tide of demand for what some consider to be a perk. While CFOs have considered remote work an option widely available to knowledge workers for a short period, it’s quickly becoming a more palatable option as we transition into 2020 and beyond.

Is Remote Work the Future of Business?

A recent Gartner study even showed that three-fourths of CFOs in a recent survey would be providing options for nearly 5% of their staff members to work from remote locations in the future — in large part due to commercial real estate cost savings. Of those same individuals, nearly 20% said they would be moving a much more significant portion of their employees to permanent remote positions. Finding talent is an ongoing concern for businesses, and the ability to reach outside geographic barriers to finding the next staff superstar is sure to be enticing for many companies, too.

Technical Challenges with Remote Work

Of course, not everything surrounding remote work is positive, and IT leaders continue to struggle with ensuring they have the correct level of security for workers both within and outside their company’s walled garden. The introduction of VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) can allow remote staff members to safely and securely access company databases and business applications, but implementing these solutions is not always straightforward. Staff members require additional training to ensure they are taking advantage of the VPN solutions provided for every interaction with any private company or customer information, or the risk of cyberattack skyrockets. At the most basic level, remote workers will need to have access to high-speed internet, something that is not guaranteed for individuals living in a rural area, as shown by the Pew survey showing that only about two-thirds of rural Americans have high-speed internet.

Maintaining Productivity with Remote Staff

One of the key concerns around having individuals working outside of a structured office environment is the possibility that productivity could lag significantly. This is particularly troubling for supervisors of mid-level staff, where there may not be a range of solid metrics that can be leveraged to define work output. Employees in call centers with highly structured positions are easier to track, with simple metrics such as phone calls completed or time spent working with customers. Fortunately, there are a variety of technical options that will help ensure that your staff members are making the best use of their time — both in the office and when they’re working from home. This type of solution can help alleviate the concerns of supervisors while also being used as a litmus test for whether the remote working programs are as effective as possible.

Few people expected to see that remote working would be a practical option for their company, but the benefits are hard to deny. With the need for cost-cutting measures as we move out of the COVID-19 recession, CIOs and CFOs alike are looking for ways to reduce expenses while still providing exceptional service to customers. Want to learn more about how to create a proactive and secure long-term work from home strategy? Contact the professionals at Integrated365 at 469-634-7653 or via email to info@integrated365.com to schedule your complimentary consultation. We work with organizations of all sizes to create a reliable infrastructure that will support the shifting needs of your company.