You have probably noticed more and more companies offering the ability to work remotely as an employee perk over the past several years. Then there’s the rise of the digital nomad, people who only work remotely while traveling the world.
Is working remotely a good fit for your nonprofit? And can nonprofits take advantage of this new remote workforce? Should they? What are the pros and cons to remote workers? Keep reading for answers to these questions – and more!
First, let’s talk about what can be done from home.
Remote Nonprofit Jobs
Thanks to technology, employees don’t always have to be in the office to get work done. Here are some of the most common work from home positions for nonprofits:
- Grant writers and editors
- Fundraisers
- Consultants
- Graphic designers
- Web designers/developers
Your organization almost certainly has someone in at least one of these roles. And if you don’t have a designated graphic designer, consultant, or web designer, you can employ a remote worker on a freelance or contract basis to fill any needs you have. This allows you to save money and be more productive!
Benefits of Hiring Remote Nonprofit Workers
Remote work is beneficial to organizations and employees:
- When you don’t require employees to report to the office every day, you open up the radius that you can recruit from. There is a lot of talent out there and with remote workers, you can recruit employees you normally wouldn’t be able to!
- Contrary to popular belief, studies have shown that employees are more productive when they work from home.
- Companies report saving an average of $11,000 on rent and utilities per year when they let employees work from home part time. How much could you save if you let people work from home just one day a week?
- Working from home appeals to younger employees like millennials, which is key when you’re looking to add new team members and attract new talent.
- Employees that work from home tend to get more sleep and are less stressed overall, making for happier and healthier workers.
That all sounds great, but like anything, there are drawbacks to allowing employees to work from home.
Cons of Having Remote Workers for Your Nonprofit
- Employees that work remotely full time report increased feelings of loneliness and isolation.
- Because workers are not in the same space, collaboration can suffer. (Although there are a litany of tools to help teams collaborate remotely.)
- Working from home requires discipline. If your employees don’t have it, productivity will plummet.
Navigating The Pitfalls of Remote Nonprofit Work
Don’t let these cons keep you from trying out remote workers! You can keep feelings of isolation at bay by checking in with employees frequently via email, instant message, phone call, or video chat.
These calls or emails are also a great way to encourage collaboration. Tools like Slack and Google Hangouts let workers collaborate in real time, no matter where they are in the world. Just because you’re not sitting across the conference room table from someone doesn’t mean you can’t work together!
While we mentioned that employees are more productive overall when they work from home, there is the chance that being able to work in their PJs will cause your employees to become more lax and less disciplined. While you can’t control your employees, you can talk to them and give them the tools to keep themselves on track. Have them set up a schedule or do a daily scrum each morning so you know what they’re working on each day and the progress they’re making.
Let Capital Business Solutions Help Simplify Your Operations Even Further
Allowing for remote work is one way to save money and simplify. Professional nonprofit accounting software is another way. At Capital Business Solutions, we provide accounting software and training to streamline your accounting processes. Learn about our software solutions and contact us for more information today!