Hello recruits, goodbye commutes: How remote work drives growth and innovation

Remote employment has existed for several decades, but its popularity exploded amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The response to this work model has been mixed; employees love the flexibility, self-preservation, and autonomy of remote work, while managers worry about its effect on productivity, their business's health, and their employees' emotional health.

A report from The US Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that 29.9 million people worked remotely for all or part of their hours in August 2023. Over 52% of respondents worked entirely remotely, while over 47% were partially remote. As companies attempt to implement return-to-office (RTO) plans, they must consider how these policies will affect their business and, perhaps more importantly, the needs of the people they have employed to grow their company.

Clincierge, a leading provider of patient concierge services for clinical trial participants, has greatly benefitted from transitioning to a remote-first workforce, and so have their employees. With a workforce of over 70 employees in the U.S. and more than 80 patient coordinators globally, remote work has enhanced flexibility, saved money, and opened the door for top talent, as working remotely removes location restrictions for potential hires.

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Remote work: A driver of business development and growth?
Remote work gives companies a new opportunity to strengthen their employer brand and acquire top talent from around the world. Research has revealed remote work can unlock a company's potential because of its flexible, inclusive, and convenient properties. Employees are also on board; in a 2023 report from Deloitte discussing DEI considerations for remote work, 67% of respondents reported flexible policies attracted them to their current employer. These enticing remote opportunities could be just what companies need for business development and growth moving forward.

The elephant in the room when it comes to remote work is productivity. It is understandable why those in charge might worry employees will misuse the privilege of remote work and abuse the flexibility and unsupervised nature of working from home. In a 2023 report from ZipRecruiter about work arrangements, results showed an apparent disconnect between managers and employees regarding remote work. When companies reduced remote work, 61% of managers surveyed stated policies had changed because it was believed remote workers were less productive. However, over 60% of the companies sampled admitted remote and hybrid employees performed their duties just as well as in-person employees. Also noteworthy is that 52% of the same sample group stated productivity was a key benefit of working remotely.

Clinical trials are conducted worldwide, giving Clincierge an excellent opportunity and an obligation to embrace remote work. They could not provide their myriad of global patient concierge services without remote work, and the benefits are clear for employees both in the U.S. and worldwide, including:

• Higher employee satisfaction levels
• Enhanced global collaboration opportunities
• Improved diversity in hiring and access to international talent
• Additional company growth

Clincierge's remote-first team has enabled them to collaborate effectively worldwide. Their business reach has increased due to their remote employees, as they can rapidly grow the countries they serve without having a physical presence there. 

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Fostering effective leadership for remote teams
Through their remote work, Clincierge has provided positive changes and a high level of support to clinical trial study teams, participants, and caregivers worldwide. Fostering a sense of community and commitment to the corporate mission while leading a remote-first company has several unique challenges; however, when leadership teams focus on both factors, these issues can be successfully addressed.

Managers, directors, and others in leadership positions must keep employees engaged regularly, or they risk issues of isolation and burnout. Gallup recently reported that lack of productivity directly caused by disengagement among employees has cost companies $1.9 trillion. Engaging employees, especially ones you might not interact with daily, is non-negotiable if you want to have a healthy business.

This sense of disconnect can be mitigated with regular meetings, chatrooms, cloud storage, project management, video conference tools, email systems, and more. Employees should be fully trained to use the various platforms to continue collaborating remotely. Expectations of productivity and frequent discussions on workloads also work proactively to ensure employees and managers are on the same page.

Having structured meetings and opportunities to collaborate with other employees is crucial to growth and success, but investing in your employees at the individual level is also imperative. According to Workleap, 69% of employees say they would work harder if they felt their efforts were better recognized. Leaders should operate in the same ways they would in an office setting: giving employees opportunities to check in, setting goals, communicating expectations, putting time aside to provide feedback, and keeping an "open door" policy.

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Remote work: Beyond business benefits
The topic of remote employee mental health was vastly reported during the pandemic. Four years later, the CDC reports 81.4% of the U.S. population is vaccinated against COVID-19, so returning to the office and a more collaborative in-person environment seems reasonable. However, mental health is cited repeatedly as a reason why employees prefer remote work. A Joblist survey assessing how employers can promote better mental health for their employees stated that 37% of respondents reported allowing flexible schedules was the most popular way to support employee well-being. For example, for someone working full time in an office setting who struggles with social anxiety, a work-from-home environment could relieve some of the anxiety related to in-person employment. For others raising children or dealing with an ill parent, the work-from-home environment could remove the hours of commuting and subsequent stress of being outside the home for many hours each day.

Additionally, remote work options show promise in creating new opportunities for commonly excluded groups, such as those with disabilities. In 2023, SHRM reported remote work played a significant role in the increase of employment of those with disabilities. The employment rate for people with disabilities jumped from 29% in July 2018 to 37% in July 2023, likely because of the increased availability and popularity of remote work tied to the pandemic. Remote work increases accessibility to employment, saves money that would be spent on food and travel, and gives employees increased flexibility and greater control of their schedules. Employers worldwide have seen numerous benefits, ranging from cutting costs to making their company better equipped to accommodate a wider talent net.

Bottom Line
Remote work continues to be a hot topic of conversation for employees and employers alike. When it makes sense for a company to become remote-first, as in the case of Clincierge, leadership teams should consider the benefits this model provides for their employees and the company overall. Global collaboration, flexibility, physical and mental health benefits, employee satisfaction, and increased employee retention have benefitted many companies. When looking to unlock and attract a larger talent pool while providing opportunities for collaboration and global business, a work-from-home or hybrid business model could be the way of the future for many companies.