As a growing number of companies endeavor to expand the reach of their businesses, the practice of hiring remote workers grows ever more popular. Among the most commonly cited reasons for acquiring distance workers are reduced overhead costs, improved employee satisfaction, and unfettered access to top industry talent. That being said, the advantages of adding remote workers to your team aren’t as clear-cut as they may appear, and moreover, taking on a remote team presents a number of formidable workplace challenges.
For example, while hiring employees that work from home may lower a company’s real estate overhead (owing to the need for less office space), this practice leaves distance workers isolated from many of the resources readily available to on-site employees—which can translate to decreased efficiency and, in turn, money lost. Remote workers are also faced by a number of other productivity-killers, including a lack of the routine provided by working in an office environment, in-home distractions, and over-reliance on technology to communicate with workplace colleagues.
While some employees are genuinely more satisfied working from home, many others struggle with maintaining a healthy work/life balance. In the long term, this can lead to employee burnout, which yields decreased satisfaction, productivity, and employee retention. Moreover, working from home can be extremely isolating. The majority of remote employees’ interactions with co-workers and clients take place virtually—via telephone, e-mail, or video conference. Lacking the workplace social life enjoyed by on-site employees, many remote workers feel disconnected from their team members, managers, and organizations as a whole.
Although many companies view hiring remote workers as the most viable means of acquiring and maintaining top industry talent, they often fail to consider the challenges this poses to managerial staff. It can be difficult to impossible to correspond spontaneously with a remote employee, and having to plan each and every virtual meeting in advance has the potential to slow communication and reduce productivity. Moreover, a remote employee who has difficulty establishing a routine that jives with that of his or her work team can become a managerial nightmare, potentially delaying or even sinking an important project.
In certain industries—for example, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, and other established engineering fields—it is highly likely that some of the best talent available is already close by. Engineers tend to flock to where the thriving companies are located, after all! This being the case, hiring locally almost always makes more sense than going the distant worker route. The Greater Kansas City Area is home to some of the top engineering firms in the entire country. With the help of a direct hire and contract recruiting firm in Kansas City such as Austin Nichols Technical Search, you can find some of the top mid-career engineers in the nation, right in your own backyard.
Austin Nichols Technical Search is an established Kansas City direct hire and contract recruiting firm. Our experienced, professional technical recruiters specialize in direct hire and contract recruiting for engineering, manufacturing, and technical positions, and have been helping businesses stay ahead of the game by acquiring top talent since 1988.
