Remote working on the up in SA

As a global trend of working remotely gains traction in SA, companies that are reluctant to offer the option to prospective employees could lose out on retaining their top talent.

A recent study by search and recruitment company Jack Hammer revealed that some of the reasons employees motivate for remote working include better work-life balance and increased productivity.

Jack Hammer CEO Advaita Naidoo said SA companies were realising they needed to shift their value proposition to keep their best talent.

The trend is still in its early stages nationally but is gaining popularity mainly in the tech, retail and financial service sectors, Naidoo said.

“While most companies were still reluctant to offer remote working even a few years ago, the survey shows that there is definitely a mindset shift taking place,” she said.

Naidoo said the following were some of the main reasons cited by companies:

● The need to attract or retain tech talent that would otherwise go to a more flexible competitor;

● The ability to reduce overall infrastructure costs;

● The impact on employee wellness as a result of better work-life balance; and ● Enhanced productivity flowing from the fact that employees who are afforded flexibility are not limited to basic office hours to get the work done, or losing hours commuting.

“Managing and leading remote teams is a new skill that needs to be developed and taught in business schools, and incorporated as part of leadership development programmes,” Naidoo said.

“Remote working and managing people require both a mindset change, as well as a change of work style.”

But she said remote working also had its drawbacks – particularly a disconnected work force.

“Often, remote workers can expect limited opportunities for promotion, as there is a belief that managers need to have more office presence – which means that despite their expertise, these workers will rarely move beyond specialist level.”

The “stodginess” of large corporations’ policies means they struggle with flexibility, resulting in them losing out on the best talent because of an inability to adjust, Naidoo said.

“This is most evident when it comes to hiring top-tech talent – one of the biggest challenges given the scarcity of resources in relation to demand.

“One way for big business to shift the needle on this is to consider reviewing policies around remote working.”