The Rise of Remote It Support Services in 2020

The outbreak of coronavirus has changed how the global workspace operates. Remote working is a trend with no signs of slowing down. With employees looking for job opportunities with flexible schedules, remote IT support companies seem to be the lucrative avenue.

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Let’s take a step back and evaluate how the industry is doing, the changes it brings along and how things have evolved so far.

The Transition of Digital Workplace

Right from web development companies to technical support, BPOs and more, remote working is growing across many fields for which the location of the workers is not important anymore, but their knowledge and experience is. Before we dive into how remote work is expected to develop in the future, let’s have a look at where theremote IT support services are so far.

According to statistics, regular work from home amongst the professionals has grown by 173% since 2005, at 11% faster than the rest of the workforce. Telecommuting has increased by 115% in the US since the last decade. These statistics reinstate the rising popularity of the telework concept that is anticipated to continue to grow.

Effects of remote working

A remote worker can avail many benefits, including increased productivity, savings, and work-life balance. Here are a few ways remote desktop support services can affect in the best possible and positive ways.

• Enhanced productivity

Several research and studies cite that working from home has facilitated many workers to get the most out of their working hours. Studies by Stanford cites that remote employees were about 15% more productive than traditional 9 to 5 office employees.

• Less sick leaves

Employees who are working from home tend to take less sick leaves compared to the conventional working professional. They are more efficient, productive.

• More savings

As per the studies conducted by Global workplace analytics, an employee working from home can expect from $3,000 to $8,000 annually. Cost-effectiveness can be considered as one of the most prominent benefits of remote working. Here’s how the remote workers can save on:

• Transportation: Remote employees can save expenses incurred for transportation. Based on the location, modes of transportation and distance, the average $25 can be protected by the workers.
• Clothing: Working from home professionals choose whatever they want to wear without any problem. They don’t have to invest their money in buying formal clothes.
• Child care: Under remote working circumstances, parents can choose flexible schedules according to their time child care needs. They can save on daycare centers.

• Satisfactory work and life

The flexibility offered by working remotely brings a happier, stress-free and satisfactory life and work balance. The work from home employees is 80% satisfied with their life when compared to the full-time employee.

Companies gain Momentum with Remote workers

Still unsure whether or not to outsource desktop support? Here are some of the benefits.

• Higher retention rate

Remote workers tend to stay at a job for an extended period. Besides, 55% of work from home employees tend to find the next job if the employees were not permitted to work remotely. The flexibility in working hours provides work satisfaction and thus enhances the employee’s retention rate.

• Cost savings

Along with the employees, the companies also make substantial savings while allowing employees to work from home. Keeping up a physical workplace can be exclusive, especially if companies are in the cities. They can eliminate costs like,

• Leasing workspace
• Monthly maintenance
• Utility bills
• Buying furniture
• Maintaining infrastructure

• Broader option of professionals

Opening a remote position means the company is not limited to local professionals. It can yield the benefits of a global workforce and thus, select the best-suited candidate across the world.

Challenges Faced by Remote It Support Services

Remote work also comes with several challenges that the employees need to overcome. It is more obvious that the companies and freelancers have embraced the work-from-home culture and thus, found out ways to accept challenges in the field.

1. Unplugging from work

Remote workers are more prone to be workaholics, generally when there is a heavy workload and the deadline is tight. As they are performing their work from home, it can be challenging to shift from the work atmosphere to enjoy the free available time. According to statistics, 22% of remote IT employees face difficulties in switching their mind from work to leisure activities.

• Feeling isolated

With minimum interactions with other employees, remote workers feel separated and alone. Face-to-face meetings and interactions are replaced by online meetings and collaborative workspaces. The net effect of limited human interaction makes the remote workers feel isolated. This challenge becomes more severe when the remote worker has no spouse, parents, and friends, living alone and works from home.

• Mental health

Mental health issues can be avoided by working from coworking space for a couple of days or weeks. The employees can do regular meetings with colleagues who live nearby or by going to industry meetups and events. Besides, the remote working organizations also organize company retreats once or twice per year for team building. 

• Distractions

The professionals working remotely are highly self-disciplined as they can face several distractions at home. Parent employees can easily distract from taking care of their children to household chores. To avoid distractions, it is recommended to set up a home office if possible or join a coworking space. You can even use project management tools with clear deadlines and to-dos to meet your working goals.

• Communication

Communication and collaborating with clients and colleagues can be more challenging for employees working from home than conventional full-time employees. For avoiding miscommunication, stick to clear communication protocols, workflows, and guidelines within the team. Send a video message to communicate or hang out on video calls.

Final words

Though work from home has numerous challenges including distraction, heavy workloads, it can be easily tackled with the help of the latest technology. The demand for remote IT support services is increasing day by day and is shifting towards digital workplaces.