The Pandemic Changed our Perspective.

For many Americans, the COVID-19 pandemic was a catalytic moment. I know this is strange to say because, in many obvious ways, life came to a screeching halt. We lost the structure that neatly binds our lives together; the daily commute to work, our weekend plans, the endless to-do lists, a long-anticipated vacation. Yet, many (myself included) speak of this time as a sort of reawakening. A common conversation I’ve had during COVID, and a comforting one to have, was how 2020 became a moment to reprioritize our values and get back in touch with what truly matters in life. Whether, it was moving close to family, deepening relationships with friends, or having the time in the morning to walk the dog and hit a workout class. There seems to be a collective shift in perspective and outlook on life. Together we took a deep breath in and a deep breath out and what we have opened our eyes to is a country that isn’t returning back to normal, but is reshaping what normal is, so that life is more balanced with the things we love.

 

 

The Stay-at-Home Office. Here to stay?

So what does the new normal look like? Take a look at workplaces all over the country. In a nearly post-pandemic world, the 9 to 5 workweek is no longer the hard-set standard. Companies are far more flexible and open to keeping remote work in 2021, because quite frankly it’s working incredibly well for many industries and saving employees a lot of money in operational costs.

 

A study by Stanford, found that performance boosted by 22% when employees were able to work from home.

 

This boost is influenced by many factors, but what I ultimately believe it comes down to is happiness. It goes without saying that when people are happy, they are more productive.

 

 

Here at CRM Experts Online, we’ve been working remotely for 5+ years, so what have we found? 

 

• An improved work/life balance for our employees. Our employees are creatives, adventurers, hobbyists – people who go out and enjoy life. With all the time saved on commute and flexible scheduling offered, employees have more time in the day for their passions.
• Our employees work while traveling the world. Our founder believes in the importance of travel in one’s personal development. We’ve had our employees work in Aruba, Los Angeles, Miami and globally.
• Employees save money by not having to commute (and pay for expensive NYC lunches).
• When you hire remotely, you aren’t locked to location and major metropolitan area. Location independence allows our employees to have a career they love without have to live in a major city and subsequently, it allows us to build a team from a global network.
•  A remote workplace can actually improve performance trust between employers and their employees. Employees are proving that they can work effectively without having be in the office. We’ve found that where you work doesn’t have an effect on how you work.

When employees feel trusted at their job and happy, they are far more likely to report not just job satisfaction but overall life satisfaction. With the pandemic almost in hindsight, remote work is not something employees will want to leave behind – the intrinsic model of happiness it provides is far too valuable.