YXE Benefits offers the simple, stable, smart group benefits choice for Saskatoon businesses; combining accessibility, flexibility and the stability of pooled benefits. Saskatoon companies choose the The Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan because it offers unsurpassed value & outstanding customer service. The Chambers plan group benefits are for Saskatoon Chamber members. In our latest article, we talk about if your business should hire more remote workers for your company.
Should Your Business Hire More Remote Workers?
As businesses scrambled to adapt to strict new health measures, even the most stringent of change-evaders were forced to bend to forces beyond their control. Employees began working remotely, keeping in touch with clients from their at-home offices and connecting with co-workers via Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
For some employers, the experience was a hard push into a trend that had already been happening long before the pandemic. And for some, the biggest and most surprising lesson they learned from the experience was that people working remotely actually works.
Of course, it doesn’t work for everyone. Businesses that require employees to be on-site because the work is physical in nature or retail shops that serve customers in-store need real people at work. But for those with employees who already do the bulk of their work digitally – and for those who discovered during the pandemic that they were still doing well without people in the office – taking a deeper look into hiring more remote workers may be worth the effort.
The Benefits of Having Remote Workers
Research undertaken by organizations such as Gallup, Harvard University, Global Workplace Analytics and Stanford University shows a number of ways employers benefit from remote workers.
- On average, teleworkers are 35-40 per cent more productive than their office counterparts.
- Employees working remotely are more strongly engaged than their in-office counterparts, with 41 per cent lower absenteeism.
- Employers who offer the ability to work remotely have better retention of employees. 54 per cent of employees say they would change jobs for one that offered them more flexibility – like where they can work from.
- Organizations save an average of $11,000 per year per part-time telecommuter.
Another benefit: hiring employees who work remotely means you can access skills that might be scarce locally. Thanks to technology, employers can literally hire employees from anywhere around the world.
How Do You Hire The Right Remote Worker For Your Business?
Pay attention to their behaviour, even before they interview.
- Do they respond quickly to your emails? Do they communicate clearly, politely, respectfully? Can they spell? How they communicate with you reflects how they’ll communicate with your clients.
Make sure they’re suited to working remotely.
- Just because someone wants to work from home doesn’t mean they’ll be good at it. Weed out the couch surfers from the keeners by asking if they’ve worked remotely before and if they’re set up with the equipment to complete your projects. In the interview, ask them to walk you through a typical workday.
Ensure they’re a good fit for you and your culture.
- Invite some of your employees to sit in on the interview and ask their own questions, including questions that aren’t all “business” so you can get a sense of the candidate’s personality and if it fits with your work culture. And don’t forget that your current employees can be a great resource. Ask them if they have recommendations for potential hires.
Give them actual work.
- For candidates who look particularly promising, give them a paid test project with a firm deadline. The assignment should involve all aspects of the job – including working with your team and with supervisors – so you can see how they work, how well they meet deadlines and how they interact with the rest of your staff.
We encourage you to connect with us on our Saskatoon social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter & Linkedin.
Contact us today for a quote…. find out if you can benefit!
‘Join the Group- It’s Time To Benefit’
It also helps to have something prepared, like a script, so you feel confident you can turn away work without offending or burning bridges when you’re asked. Your instinct can actually be a strong indicator of whether or not a project is aligned with your business goals. Hang on to that initial feeling when you were asked to participate; if there was a sense of excitement from the beginning, it’s probably work you won’t regret taking on.
Your disability insurance would provide income in place of your salary until you were on your feet again, but what about those business bills! Unfortunately, none of us can predict a sudden illness or injury. It’s wise to consider how your absence would impact your business and make sure you’re prepared for unforeseen circumstances.
How Workplace Flu Vaccination Clinics Work
Your Business Will Benefit, Too!
Benefit plan sponsors can expect to see a three to five per cent increase in prescription drug claims in 2019, according to 
Medical advances and other factors to influence health care costs
When life’s challenges make it difficult to concentrate on work, support for you and your employees is available through the Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – Arive®.
National Cannabis Survey 2019 posits more Canadians began to use cannabis in the first quarter of 2019. Some of these new cannabis consumers were first-time users, while others were former cannabis users who tried cannabis again post-legalization.
once or twice in the last three months.
Beliefs about when it is safe to drive after consuming cannabis are reflected in behaviour
