The current business environment is diverse, sophisticated, and very competitive thus forcing corporates to adopt strategies that reduce costs, improve efficiency, and provide a competitive advantage that can provide an advantage over competitors (Todol?-Signes, 2017). The internet has become a platform that offers employers an opportunity to work with employees from all over the world without having them physically present at a company registered business premise. This concept is known as remote staffing, in other words, telecommuting (Bernardino, Roglio & Del Corso, 2012).
Both medium and large organizations are embracing the concept of remote staffing due to the many advantages associated with it. Given the fast-expanding relevance of remote staffing, more and more corporates show interest in the concept and some already have incorporated it into their business models. Yet, many corporates believe that remote staffing is not equivalent nor professional in a work environment due to the challenges that it may cause. However, before integrating remote staffing into a company’s business model, it is necessary that one knows what remote staffing entails, its benefits and challenges on employees, organization, and the community as a whole.
The practice of remote staffing is increasingly gaining momentum and as such, more businesses have developed an interest in the idea and what it can offer, regarding all the benefits it has (Todol?-Signes, 2017). The internet-driven global economy has created chances for both large and medium businesses to partake in the market thus creating huge competition. Therefore, to remain competitive, companies need to hire employees who offer high-quality work, are flexible, and have the right qualities that align with the culture of an organization (Spreitzer, Cameron & Garrett, 2017).
Though, the process of hiring is one of the most challenging and often costly undertakings for any organization particularly due to the challenges faced in finding an employee with the right qualities that suit the job requirements. As known training is costly, deciding on the appropriate compensation packages, and other aspects that define the recruitment process. Remote staffing makes the process of recruitment easier and more cost-effective (Nevogt, 2019).
The practice of remote staffing offers a solution to some of the challenges that face both employees and employers. Most employees are increasingly drawn to the idea of working from home to avoid commuting and simultaneously being able to spend time with their families to achieve a work-life balance (Spreitzer, Cameron & Garrett, 2017). On the other hand, many people can’t multitask nor focus on work while spending time with their families. Whereby, those kinds of employees can’t be effective in working remotely. Employers are also with the idea of remote staffing as it offers opportunities to recruit talent from all over the world, save on the costs of office space to accommodate employees, diversify their business operations by having contacts from different parts of the globe, and to bring on board expertise and flexibility. Remote staffing allows a company to hire experts and specialists to carry out a task/tasks either permanently or temporarily with all the necessary contractual and employment agreements but without hosting them at the registered premises of the business which will lead them to better outcomes in the future (Todol?-Signes, 2017). Remote staffing is still in the early stages of development and it’s not very known in many companies but might be critical to work relationships in the future.
Remote staffing has benefits for both employees and employers. However, it also has challenges that affect employees, the organization undertaking it, and the community as a whole. Employees who work remotely face particular challenges that easy to manage at the physical location of a company. One of the main challenges is to have the ability to achieve a work-life balance, through not postponing the work and submitting the required assignment on time. The other big challenge faced by remote employees is communication between the management and employee working in the company. Remote work is reliant on the internet and telephone-based communication channels that are sometimes affected by technical hitches that can slow down communication and create problems (Dahlstrom, 2013). Often, remote employees find it difficult to stay in touch with management and feel isolated compared to office-based employees who are only a desk away from management (Dahlstrom, 2013). Furthermore, remote employees may find it challenging to relay important information to management, or they receive communication on issues of concern later than office-based employees. As known, communication often leads to a better result and for a project to launch successfully and progress smoothly. A survey was conducted by Zogby Analytics demonstrations that 38% of remote worker’s employees face a lack of information from their management which is one of the biggest challenges of working from home (Analytics, 2018). The gaps in communication may limit the productivity and efficiency of remote employees and let too many unsuccessful projects. Therefore, remote employees face serious communication challenges such as not responding on time that lead to many negative consequences such as late in the submission that will eventually affect both the company and the remote employee (Saige Driver, 2018). Remote employees also face challenges in adapting to changes in the work requirements and work environment. When the requirements of a job change or new equipment is introduced, remote employees may find it difficult to adapt to such changes since they are not physically present to learn how to use such equipment or take part in workshops aimed at explaining certain changes. Another challenge is communication, remote staffing faces difficulty while communicating with the company they are working for because of the time horizon (Nevogt, 2019). For instance, some information, such as how to use newly introduced equipment, may be difficult to communicate over the internet which presents remote employees with the difficulty to catch up with their office-based colleagues who are better positioned to learn how to use new equipment. Therefore, if newly introduced equipment or requirements substantially affect the nature of the work, remote employees may be significantly at a disadvantage which could limit their productivity and efficiency. Another big challenge is difficulty in scheduling especially that remote employees are located around the world, which leads to difficulty in managing workers across time zones which will eventually lead to negative consequences affecting the company’s and its employees (Nevogt, 2019). Adding to, another challenge remote employees face is, lack of human interaction since employees work alone the only interaction is via the web. Despite working from home may help not waste time and spend time on your own, yet the consequence is the isolation a remote employee can’t experience.
Remote staffing also presents problems in organizations especially when it comes to employers who manage remote employees. One of the challenges employers face due to remote staffing is developing trust between the employer and the employee. The employer may find it difficult to trust that an employee based in a location far away from the physical location of the business will work efficiently. Especially that the remote employee is in another place. Trust concerns may arise particularly during the first stages of the engagement between remote employees and the employer but tend to diminish as both employer and employee cooperate on different projects and effectively achieve the objectives of the company. Another obstacle is tracking productivity when an employer nor a manager can’t physically see the employee working it may seem difficult to track the work they complete on a daily bases. (Saige Driver, 2018). On the other hand, additional obstacles that employers may face are difficulties in instilling the culture, objectives, ethics, mission, and vision of the organization in remote employees (Dahlstrom, 2013). Furthermore, employers may find it difficult to inculcate the culture of the organization since some organizational values are better understood as one physically interacts with fellow employees and employers at the place of work. Employers may also be concerned with the security of their data, trade secrets, and other critical components that give the company a competitive advantage since it may be difficult to establish with certainty the identities of some remote employees. Furthermore, employers face challenges in the accurate determination of the rate at which remote employees work, and thus may find it difficult to measure their productivity and effectiveness. Moreover, remote staffing does not lend itself to developing trust between employer and employee or team building that is necessary for the success of some organizations. Therefore, employers face several challenges with remote staffing.
Remote staffing also presents challenges for the community because it influences how society intellectualizes work. In today’s world, people try to maintain a work-life balance that ensures that they can take care of both their personal and employment needs without having to compromise either of the two. However, achieving a life-work balance is a complex phenomenon given the differences in individual preferences and the requirements of different jobs. Remote staffing may change how the next generations view work thus creating a complex networked structure. Furthermore, remote staffing may result in a disconnection between employers and employees that affects the bond that exists between work and society. Remote staffing also makes it difficult for remote employees to enjoy the compensation and benefits office-based employees receive from employers in the company such as life and health insurance (Donovan, Bradley & Shimabukuru, 2016). As known, life and health insurance are costly. If more and more employees miss out on some of the benefits that office-based employees receive such as life and health insurance, external costs to society may arise if such employees face unexpected eventualities such as illnesses that need to be paid for by social welfare and could lead to a rise in personal and company taxation. Therefore, remote staffing poses significant challenges to the community as well.
In conclusion, remote staffing is increasingly being adopted in business and plays a key role in shaping the relationship between employees and employers. Remote staffing also contributes to the 2030 Saudi Vision, for instance, the 2030 Vision aims to launch flexibility working hours in the work environment (Regus, 2017). Yet, remote staffing is still not applicable to Saudi Arabia’s companies due to the challenges it may cause negatively. Remote staffing, despite its many benefits, also poses many challenges that affect employees, employers, and the community in general. Some of these drawbacks include the inability of employees to achieve a work-life balance, effectively adapt to changes in job requirements, gaps in communication that may negatively affect the productivity of employees, difficulties in accurately determining employee productivity, difficulties in achieving trust between employers and employees, and problems related to data security. All of these challenges affect the practice of remote staffing and necessitate approaches aimed at solving these issues. Remote staffing is a business model that is developing fast and will certainly play a key role in shaping the work environment and work relationships of the future. Unless employers proactively plan how they will manage a remote workforce, as well as address the drawbacks of remote staffing, their organizations may be obsolete in the next ten to twenty years.
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