Complete Guide On Keeping Virtual Employees

Actionable Advantages of Virtual Exployees

With the global pandemic rebuttal resulting in a lockdown, more companies than ever before are depending on virtual employees working from home, many for the first time. This creates a novel new dynamic for both the employer and the employee. Surprisingly, it’s a proven fact that most of the time working from home can be a seamless and productive experience.

What Are Virtual Employees?

Virtual employees are a team that works remotely. It is a group of talented individuals who work remotely and work collaboratively online from various locations.

They are not as much different from the regular in-office team. They can execute the same in-office tasks as your in-office employees would perform, possibly more effectively due to certain factors that would be mentioned later in this article.

The only difference is that they are not physically present in your office. An in-office assistant can fetch a coffee for you physically whereas your virtual assistant can place a food order for you from your favorite restaurant.

Moreover, since they are not physically present in the same space, they cannot perform certain tasks together, such as working on physical prototypes or showing clients properties (real estate professionals)! Aside from that, virtual teams can be just as productive and useful as in-person teams!

Furthermore, as a result of the pandemic and the global slowdown, many teams have been forced to work remotely. These teams are reshaping their work cultures to accommodate virtual employees with varying degrees of “remoteness” by implementing a virtual team structure!

A multitude of companies ranging from small to large is compelled to get adapted to the practice of remote working due to the present global virus outbreak. And this is for good as far as public wellbeing is concerned.

It enables employees to practice social isolation in order to keep themselves safe and avoid spreading the virus to others. However, increased personal safety is not the only advantage of working with a virtual team. Virtual teams can benefit your company in a variety of ways!

A survey by Buffer says, 31% of businesses chose to have their teams be entirely virtual! These businesses also made it possible to make this a long-term phenomenon by utilizing available technology, which not only increased their adaptability to changing 21st-century conditions but also helped them stay ahead of the competition in a globalized market.

However, there are more benefits than you can think about in having virtual employees globally in your team.

Advantages Of Virtual Employees

In the world of remote working, hiring virtual employees and forming a virtual team has innumerable advantages that can help your company reach new heights of success with increased productivity

Here are some major advantages of virtual teams that will encourage you to hire more virtual employees for your company:

#1. They Save Your Money:

You and the people you lead will save a lot of money if you start working from home instead of commuting to the office every day. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars per month on overhead costs when you work with a virtual team.

When you transition to virtual work, the days when you used to pay rent for your office space, invest in equipment, and purchase new equipment when the old stuff breaks and pay utilities each month will be over.

You’ll also save money on miscellaneous expenses that may appear minor at first but add up over time, such as snacks and drinks for the break room. As an employer leading a virtual team, there are apparent cost-saving benefits.

Your employees, on the other hand, get to save money. Members of a virtual team will not have to spend money on gas or public transportation to get to and from work every day. They will also save money by not having to buy new work clothes or eat out for lunch. As a result, it is beneficial from both ends.

#2. Talents Can Be Accessed Globally:

The most intriguing fact about virtual teams is that location isn’t a barrier for you when it is about looking for talents. How? Because your team is not required to work in the same office, they are not required to be premised in the same location.

To form your virtual global network, you can hire anyone from anywhere in the world! Isn’t that enthralling! You don’t have to settle for employees who live and work in the same city as you because you can hire people from all over the world.

Hence, making the shift to managing a virtual team allows you to tap into a larger talent pool. You can post job postings and make them available to everyone, regardless of location. As a result, you’ll be able to attract talented people from across the country or even the world.

This increased access to talent will position you for long-term business success. You’ll be able to boost productivity, broaden your offerings, and make more remarkable achievements over time.

#3. Enhanced Productivity In Your Sector:

Location-independent employees are generally happy employees as they can work either in the comfort of their own home or any location of their choice. Hence, no rewards for guessing that a happy employee will always draw more productivity to your unit rather than bored, distracted, and stressed-out employees.

If you want your team members to get more work done during the day then allowing them to work from the location of their choice can do the work for you.

This is certainly relevant if you allow your virtual employees to work whenever they want. You can set your team up for more productive workdays by allowing them to choose the schedule that works best for them while still keeping client needs and other job responsibilities in mind, for sure.

Employees will have a better chance of getting everything done before they start working if there is more flexibility such as getting the kids ready for school, watering the garden, or maybe preparing lunch. As a result, they will be less distracted when working on projects or attending client meetings.

#4. Enjoy A Better Work-life Balance:

One of the main benefits of remote work is that it promotes a better sense of work-life balance. This is due to a number of factors, including the following:

#5. Spending More Quality Time With Family And Friends:

If the average commuting time in a year is to be considered, let’s make it clear with the help of an instance, in the United States, the average commute time is slightly longer than 27 minutes.

That’s nearly an hour per day spent sitting in a car or taking public transportation to and from work. When you add that up over a year, you get 225 hours i.e. more than nine full days, of commuting time.

Consider how much time your employees are missing out on with their loved ones by commuting to and from work every day. You can give them some of that valuable time back by eliminating the commute and going virtual.

#6. Much Reduced Stress Level:

Working from home is often less stressful than working in an office every day. When you start working as a virtual employee, you and your team will be able to complete projects from the comfort of your own homes, eliminating the need for a time-consuming, traffic-clogged commute. Moreover, you’ll be able to dress more comfortably, and you’ll have easy access to your family members.

All of this, combined with the elimination of stressful office elements such as harsh overhead lighting and phones that ring incessantly, contributes to a less stressful work environment and a more enjoyable workday.

#7. Less Distraction:

Many folks consider that working remotely keeps them less distracted. They don’t have workmates stopping by their desks every 20 minutes with virtual work, and they don’t have the temptation to stop by their co-workers’ desks. As a result, they find it easier to get “in the zone” when it comes time to sit down and work on a project.

#8. Your Business Can Be Operational 24/7:

Consider having business processing available 24 hours a day, seven days a week! People used to work overnight to finish their office shifts, but now they can benefit from the global nature of virtual collaboration, data sharing, and working in different time zones. That means your virtual team’s collaborative efforts never have to come to a halt, keeping them ahead of schedule!

#9. Increased Percentage Of Employee Retention:

When employees can enjoy a better work-life balance while also saving money, it is highly likely that they’ll want to stay at a particular job for a longer period of time than they would otherwise.

With the increase in employee retention rates, you can save money and time spent on recruiting and training replacement employees. As a result, you can save money and improve your revenue.

Going virtual could pay off if you’ve had trouble retaining employees in the past, or if you simply want to set your current team members up for success so they don’t look for work elsewhere.

It not only saves you money and time, but it also saves your employees’ money and time. Most people do not want to have to look for a new job or go without pay while they do so. Everyone benefits when you create a job that people don’t want to leave.

#10. Serve A Larger Number Of Customers:

If you have employees from all over the country or the world working for you, you can widen your work time and reach out when it comes to the clients you serve.

When you have staff members working in different time zones, you can meet the needs of the clients in those time zones as well. This allows you to expand your business more quickly, provide better customer service, and increase your bottom line.

Expansion of your team and catering to a larger clientele benefits your current employees as well. When there are more people on the team, it is easier to distribute the workload evenly. This saves one employee from having to take on too much, and it improves the work-life balance of your team.

#11. Accelerate The Growth Of Your Company:

Working with a remote team also makes it easier to grow and scale your business. Here are a few of the main reasons for this:

#12. Get Rid Of Overhead Costs:

The cost savings you’ll see when you first switch to running a virtual team will also help you scale your business. If you don’t have to spend money on a bigger office, more equipment, or higher utility bills, you can put that money toward efforts that directly affect the size and reach of your business.

#13. Draw More Employees:

Working remotely also makes it easier to recruit new staff. This means you’ll have an easier time expanding your business and establishing new departments as a result of this growth.

#14. Expand Offerings:

When you grow your company, you can also grow your offerings. You can redirect funds to areas such as research and development by eliminating the costs associated with running a traditional in-office business. This will make it easier for you to develop new product or service concepts and expand your business to satisfy a broader audience.

#15. Avoid Meetings That Aren’t Required:

Finally, virtual teams and team leaders can avoid many unnecessary meetings. When you lead a team of remote employees, it can be more difficult to gather everyone in one virtual location for a meeting.

 As a result, you’ll probably rely more on emails and online chat options. You’ll save video conferences and conference calls for things that truly matter.

You can boost your team’s productivity and reduce distractions by eliminating unnecessary meetings. This allows everyone to complete their tasks more quickly and allows the company to continue to grow and thrive.

When you switch to remote work, your team will undoubtedly appreciate the reduction in unnecessary meetings. You’ll also learn which topics require everyone to gather and which can be typed up in a group email or group message, this saves you from having to plan for so many meetings, too.

Hence there are lots of benefits of having a virtual team and hiring more virtual employees for your organization would be the easiest and best possible way to be a step ahead towards success in this highly competitive world of business.

Why Or How Virtual Employees Are More Efficient?

The most important factor of any business is its productivity. The more productive it is the more successful it is. But who is responsible for enhancing your productivity factor? They are none other than your employees. But when the question of the efficiency of your employee arises it depends on various factors.

It would be surprising to know that your regular in-office employee can work more efficiently and bring more productivity if (s)he is allowed to work remotely in the comfort of his/her own home. But why? Well, listed below are some of those important factors as to what makes virtual employees more efficient:

#1. Flexibility And Freedom:

Remote workers value their independence. They can schedule their days to accommodate both their work and personal lives, as long as they complete the required hours on time. Being able to attend medical appointments, watch the kids’ basketball game, or take elderly parents shopping can help lighten the load. Not having to ask for special permission or fit in with other team members also relieves stress. When an employer allows employees this level of autonomy, it fosters trust and increases job satisfaction.

#2. Cost-effective:

Going to work can be costly. Travel expenses, parking, lunch, coffee and snacks, birthday cakes, colleague gifts, work clothes… the list goes on and on. Remote working reduces these costs, which can add up to a significant amount. This means that there will be more disposable income available for other purposes, which is a good thing.

#3. Time-saving:

A lot of commuting time of the employees get saved. Employees who work from home control their own schedules. Some people are more productive in the mornings than in the afternoons. In the evenings, some people come to life with new ideas. You can work whenever you want as long as you don’t bother your co-workers and meet your deadlines. Remote work also helps save time on travel to and from meetings because modern technology allows teams to video conference.

#4. Location Independent:

Another advantage of working remotely for employees is the ability to work from anywhere. People are not forced to live in a city that does not meet their standards or preferences. This saves time and money on unnecessary travel. If a spouse is required to be based or assigned in a specific location, remote working allows partners to keep their job or at least ease the transition phase.

Working remotely means that it makes no difference whether you live on top of a mountain or next to the sea. You can work from anywhere in the world as long as you have a good internet connection.

#5. Peaceful Environment:

A traditional office is frequently loud and distracting. People are talking, phones are ringing, and there is a general buzz. While this is great for socializing, working in this environment can be challenging. Some people require complete silence in order to concentrate. Working remotely, especially from home, can foster creative thinking and increase productivity.

#6. Customizing Workplace:

If you work from home and have your own office, you can customize it to reflect your personality. You can hang as many pictures of your children and pets as you want to create an inspiring workspace. It’s all about personalizing your workspace with your favorite plants or your prized baseball cap collection.

You work long hours, so having an office space that you enjoy spending time in can help you produce more. Remote workers can make their workspace as colorful or as plain as they want.

Endnote

A happy employee means more productivity. Hence the talent of an organization doesn’t depend on increasing productivity by pressurizing employees rather it depends on the happiness and job satisfaction that an employer can gift his employees. If you make your employees happy, in return they will make your clients happy which automatically results in enhanced productivity and Virtual employees are always happy employees.