Author: Spence Novick (TAP Financial Partners)

Offices are re-opening around the world, but that doesn’t mean everyone’s excited to head back. As a small business owner, you might be torn between insisting everyone come back in or letting your employees work from home. Maybe you’re considering a hybrid option in which employees spend some time in the office and some at home.

How can you be sure whatever you decide is the best decision for your team to maximize its productivity without sacrificing their happiness? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. To help, we’ll walk you through what to consider when you’re trying to make this critical decision.

It begins with getting input from stakeholders – including your board, leadership team, and employees – as you consider the following:

What do employees want?

Before you start stressing about whether you should offer remote or hybrid options, see if that’s what your employees want. Send out a survey asking for employees to describe their ideal work situation. You might be surprised by the results.

Where are employees most productive?

The answer to this question is going to depend on the type of company you’re running.

For example, it doesn’t make sense for a manufacturing facility to go fully remote since employees will always be needed on the plant floor. But, some office employees might be able to work from home one day a week to knock out more intensive work.

Meanwhile, a writing team might be more productive at home, where they can work on their own schedule, away from the distractions of an office.

Are managers ready to lead remote teams?

How well did your managers handle leading remote teams during the pandemic? If they thrived, that’s a clear sign that working from home worked for their team.

If they struggled, find out why. Were your managers just unprepared, or is there something else you’re not seeing that makes it challenging for them to manage a remote team? You can offer training to help managers navigate the world of remote work, but some teams might just work better in the office.

How much money will you save?

Do a thorough analysis to determine how much money you would save by going remote or hybrid. For example, would you be able to downsize your office if more people were working from home? How much would you save on utilities and supplies? Going remote or limiting the number of days the office is open might add up to significant savings.

Could you attract more talent with a remote workforce?

When you offer remote options, you gain access to a broader talent pool since employees don’t need to be geographically located in one central area. That means you could end up recruiting people who would otherwise never dream of moving to your location.

Whether you decide on bringing your team back to the office full-time, part-time, or no-time, we’re here to help you grow your small business. TAP Financial Partners has solutions for every stage of your business. Contact us today to learn more!