COVID-19: The Globalization of Remote Working

The COVID-19 epidemic has forced businesses to close their offices, meaning that those lucky enough to continue working, must do so from home. This outbreak has officially been categorized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic, meaning infection is accelerating in multiple countries concurrently. Governments state and city-wide are encouraging or mandating that staff adopt a work-from-home policy. For most companies, working remotely is a new avenue that entails challenges never faced before, however, for companies familiar with satellite offices such as Lean Staffing, the infrastructure and policies needed are unquestionably already in place. Throughout this article, there will be discussion over how COVID-19 has changed the global workforce and the benefit of nearshoring.

COVID-19 in the Current Workforce

As remote work becomes increasingly necessary across America and around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, employees and leaders are having to change the way they currently run business. During less tumultuous times, it typically takes six to eight weeks for a smooth transition from on-site to remote work. However, with the nation’s current state, companies are now having to make the change immediately and improvising in many situations. As a result, many of them must adjust quickly to overcome issues such as the lack of adequate equipment and policies, insufficient broadband access, missing or inadequate software, and other elements that would typically fall into place given weeks or months to plan ahead. Many companies have gradually been testing the remote work waters to see if going virtual might be a possibility for their business but are now realizing its inevitability. Considering 56 percent of companies worldwide already allow remote work to varying degrees, remote working will become an even more prominent part of many businesses — including those in the nearshoring industry, where it’s been the norm for many years.

A Remote Work Perspective

With the current global situation, COVID-19 has forced companies to integrate non-traditional forms of working, such as video calls and IMs, into their everyday lives. While having the ability to work from outside of a typical office has been feasible for some time, working remotely is only now becoming paramount with the pandemic of COVID-19. Many businesses think they have the tools needed to allow employees to work from home seamlessly, but now that work from home has become mandated for many, there are a few cracks in the foundation. From a lack of an ability to measure employee productivity to failures in retaining quality talent at cost-efficient pricing, businesses are attempting to meet the demands of remote workers. However, businesses can now tackle their new remote policies directly, integrate the right tools in place, and avoid a similar situation in the future. With remote working, employees can have the flexibility to execute their projects and surpass goals. Even before the recent pandemic of COVID-19, there has been a cultural shift in what society deems to be an appropriate workplace – and remote work has capitalized on this newfound freedom. There are a multitude of benefits to remote work for both employers and employees, ranging from increased productivity to happy, healthy workers. Studies show that remote employees are more productive due to a flexible schedule that allows for a more balanced life.

A Globalized Economy

Changes on a global scale have upended all of the typical natural patterns, and employers and talent now seek each other out, on more equal terms, from anywhere in the world. The evolving workforce is a mixture of contractors, employees, and freelancers, and—increasingly—people with no formal ties to your business at all. Today, individuals move more freely than ever from role to role and across all geographic boundaries. Global markets, driven by rapid innovation and post-digital disruption, demand a dynamic talent model that can be rapidly configured and reconfigured. Businesses expect scale, agility, and the right skills to be available faster than ever—even in real-time. Nearshore companies, like Lean Staffing, have a talent pool at their disposal to place people within hours or a few days, accommodating business demands.

How Nearshoring Fits

Over the past decade, resources in traditional offshore locations like China, India, and Eastern Europe have increased in cost. However, with nearshoring, the advantages include shared time-zones, communication, and cultural fit. Nearshoring offers a large selection of high-quality individuals, a high level of self-motivation, and the diligence necessary to work within a multinational company. With remote work now becoming prevalent in today’s world, nearshoring’s benefits have continued to be long-term, functioning solutions before the effects of COVID-19 were in place. So, what’s the upswing to a new remote working normal? Suddenly, distance doesn’t matter. What does matter, is hiring the right talent and culture for the right price.

Without a doubt, outsourcing, when handled correctly, can help support growth, improve workflow efficiency, and provide significant cost savings. For many businesses in the U.S., these goals are best met through nearshore outsourcing. Whether you do not have the staff to handle your project, your staff lacks the necessary skills, or you simply need staff members to focus on other priorities, nearshoring with Lean Staffing can be an excellent way to meet your needs.

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