Working from home

Working From Home Is the New Must-Have Benefit Employees Are Seeking, Prodoscore Research Confirms

November 16, 2021 (updated November 16, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

A Hefty Majority Say Remote Work Makes Them Happier vs. Working in the Office

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–While business leaders debate the pros and cons of remote work, employees are clear: they want to hold on to their ability to work from home. According to a new third-party survey from Prodoscore, the leader in employee visibility and productivity intelligence software, the overwhelming majority of Americans (82.3%) are happier working remotely vs. working in the office.

But there are challenges. One that looms large for remote workers is the “fear of missing out,” a consequence of not being physically present in the office, where employees can be seen working diligently by upper management. Nearly a third of Americans surveyed (32.7%) said they are experiencing paranoia due to working remotely. Of those that are feeling paranoid:

71.5% said it has impacted their productivity at work
48.8% said they think they’re missing out on important conversations
48.8% said they feel like they’re replaceable
40.1% said it’s due to the inability to understand tone through virtual messaging
19.8% were concerned other employees were talking behind their (virtual) backs

“Survey after survey, ours included, confirms that at the very least employees want a hybrid work option,” said David Powell, President of Prodoscore, “We are faced with massive resignations and retirements. Millions of jobs are not getting filled. It is critical that we rethink how we define our workplaces, so that our employees are not paranoid, are able to be their most productive, and don’t want to quit.”

A Dedicated Home Workspace Makes All the Difference

Managers can foster productivity and a positive WFH experience by ensuring their teams have a designated, well-equipped home workspace.

Prodoscore’s research shows that nearly all remote workers (93%) believe having a dedicated home office makes WFH more enjoyable and boosts productivity. For many employees, this perception comes from firsthand knowledge: almost two-thirds (65.2%) of Americans surveyed who work from home have a designated home office.

Who’s going to bear the cost to equip the home office? Two-thirds of employees (66.4%) expect their employers to provide them with tools for success, whether that’s the necessary technology or the ergonomically correct chair and desk.

Expectations vary widely between generations. Those between the ages of 18 and 39 are more likely to expect their employer to outfit their workspace (77.5%), compared with Americans between 55 and 65 and above (48%).

Early in the remote worker phenomenon, there was speculation that employees would move to less expensive locales or even far-flung locations, given the opportunity. But that has not proved to be the case. Our research shows that remote workers are staying put, with only a small percentage (11.8%) moving out of the city where their office is located. Of those who moved, 44.8% reported it was somewhere with a lower cost of living.

The Younger the Children, the More Difficult WFH Becomes

Highlighting the critical need for a dedicated workspace is the reality that more than two-thirds of working parents (69.5%) had their children at home with them. The level of difficulty reported was directly proportional to the age of the respondent’s children.

Not surprisingly, the younger the age of the children, the harder WFH is for parents: nearly two-thirds (60%) of parents of children between newborn and 2 years say that having kids at home made it difficult to work remotely.
For employees between the ages of 25 and 39, more than half (58.9%) reported WFH with young children was challenging. This cohort had more children under the age of 12 than any other group.
Across generations, less than half ( 41% ) said it was difficult having a child at home while working remotely.

“This research demonstrates that while working from home is preferred over commuting to an office daily, it is not without its challenges,” Powell said. “For parents of young children, whether they work at home or on-site, the juggle remains intact. How can upper management help? One easy fix is to ensure that our employees have a well-designed workspace, as well as access to the tools to succeed. We need to make decisions based on the reality that our success as a company is dependent on employees’ happiness and productivity.”

Methodology

In September, Prodoscore and Propeller Insights polled more than 1,000 U.S. adults working full time across demographics about working from home, the importance of dedicated workspaces and some of the challenges they are facing.

About Prodoscore

Prodoscore™ is a company dedicated to empowering teams to be more effective and productive, validated with improved performance and enhanced contributions. By providing visibility into employee activities through a single, easy-to-understand productivity score, a “prodoscore” is calculated to improve workforce productivity and streamline the employee experience. Prodoscore works seamlessly with cloud tools like Google Workspace, Office365, CRM systems, and VoIP calling platforms, allowing it to be quickly implemented and maintained. Learn more at prodoscore.com.

Contacts

OutBuro lgbt professional entreprenuer networking online community gay lesbian transgender queer bisexual nonbinary

GoodHire Survey Finds Americans Are Willing to Take Pay Cuts or Forgo Benefits to Work From Home

August 25, 2021 (updated August 25, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

GoodHire, a leading background check platform, urges employers to get smart—remote work is the “new normal,” and employers need to understand how employee sentiment impacts hiring and building a trusted workforce.

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#backgroundscreening—GoodHire, a leading provider of employment and background screening services, today released its inaugural report, “The State of Remote Work in 2021: A Survey of the American Workforce.” The report is based on an online survey of 3,500 Americans, ages 21-59 years, who shared their opinions about jobs, money and life in the era of remote work and COVID-19.

New or not, remote work is wildly popular in 2021. 68% of respondents said they preferred working from home to in-office work. So much so that 45% of Americans would either quit their job or immediately start a remote work job search if they were forced to return to their office full-time. Almost one-quarter of the respondents said, specifically, they would quit if a return-to-office mandate was instituted.

Some of the respondents even said they would be willing to take a pay cut of up to 50% to continue working from home. And, 70% of American workers would forfeit benefits to maintain remote working status, most commonly: health insurance, paid time off, retirement accounts, and more.

“Many Americans have acclimatized to working from home and do not want to see a return to ‘normal,’” GoodHire’s Chief Operating Officer Max Wesman said. “Permanent remote working is the ‘new normal’ for many professionals and a large proportion of companies have come to accept this fact as their new status quo,” he said. “Our survey clearly shows that those employers resistant to this change will risk losing employees and applicants to more adaptable companies.”

According to Wesman, the floodgates have opened and there’s no turning back.

“The office is no longer the primary location of choice for employee collaboration and productivity,” he continued. “In fact, our survey showed that people are bypassing job ads altogether that don’t mention a remote work option.”

The survey found that 85% of Americans prefer to apply for jobs that offer remote flexibility, while just 15% would apply for a position that requires total full-time office work. Further, 74% of respondents would need some sort of remote working arrangement to stay at their current job.

Wesman cautioned the prevalence of remote work brings along with it a new set of legal and practical challenges for employers and recommended companies update their hiring policies. “Since a new employee might be working remotely from a different state, a company wishing to conduct a background check will have to familiarize itself with applicable screening laws for the different states, counties, and cities they’re hiring in,” he said.

As employers navigate the new world of remote work, they can turn to a trusted background check partner that makes it easy to screen candidates remotely with a 100% paperless workflow. GoodHire’s background check platform features a mobile-optimized candidate experience with e-consent, as well as localized built-in compliance tools that help employers maintain compliance with various local screening laws and regulations.

For press kit/graphics of the survey, please visit: https://bit.ly/ghsurveygraphics2021

About GoodHire

Since 2013, GoodHire has been a trusted background check partner to more than 100,000 organizations. With its innovative, technology-first approach, coupled with an intense focus on customer delight, GoodHire has redefined the background check service industry. GoodHire uses automation and advanced data engineering to help customers accelerate hiring and make more confident hiring decisions. Thanks to its easy-to-use platform and responsive, FCRA-trained support team, our customer satisfaction and NPS scores match those of America’s most trusted brands. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, GoodHire is owned and operated by Inflection. To learn more, visit www.goodhire.com.

Contacts

Media Contact
Caroline James

caroline.james@aircoverpr.com

Three-Quarters of Employers Fear Future of Work Raises Cybersecurity Risks

July 28, 2021 (updated July 28, 2021) Published by BusinessWire

Testing cybersecurity knowledge of specialist and everyday workers will identify gaps

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#Questionmark–As companies continue to embrace “hybrid” working models, 73% of employers are anticipating a cybersecurity breach.¹ Questionmark, the online assessment provider, is encouraging employers to test the cybersecurity knowledge of staff to ensure they can keep data safe as firms embrace the future of work.

The vast majority (90%) of global employers will be combining remote and on-site working after the pandemic, according to research by management consultants McKinsey.²

Some 80% of employers believe their teams have the knowledge to work safely from home, according to IT firm ESET. However, the same study found that three-quarters worry about a cybersecurity breach.³ Cybersecurity experts claim that employees are the weakest link in the security chain.⁴

Questionmark is encouraging employers to ask five crucial questions about their cybersecurity arrangements:

Are the right systems in place? “Are those who manage cybersecurity following good practice? Is there independent audit to review and certify this?
Do non-technical staff know how to use relevant security technology? Many will have been trained on exactly what to do. But have they retained that knowledge?
Can workers recognize a scam? Phishing attempts, which encourage victims to click on an innocent-looking but dangerous link, are becoming ever-more sophisticated.
Do workers have good safety habits? Such as following good password security and avoiding insecure networks.
Do workers know who to contact if they need help? It used to be easy to sense check a strange email with a nearby IT team member. Is it clear how workers should report concerns when they are not in the office?

John Kleeman, Founder of Questionmark, said: “Continued remote or hybrid working represent the future of work. But human error and old habits remain huge issues.

“Testing knowledge helps employers ensure they have what they need to stay safe. If they spot problems, they can introduce extra training.”

The Questionmark Cybersecurity for Home-Based Workers assessment is a ready-made test that enables employers to measure the level of cybersecurity awareness across the workforce.

The Questionmark Critical Cyber Diagnostic Test by CyberVista assesses worker skills across seven core areas and verifies their proficiency in cyber defense. It is aimed at cybersecurity specialists and other workers who manage sensitive data and systems as part of their job role.

https://www.questionmark.com/platform-services/cybersecurity-for-home-based-workers

https://www.questionmark.com/platform-services/questionmark-critical-cyber-diagnostic-test-by-cybervista

Ends

Notes to editors

About Questionmark

Questionmark unlocks performance through reliable and secure online assessments.

Questionmark provides a secure enterprise-grade assessment platform and professional services to leading organizations around the world, delivered with care and unequalled expertise. Its full-service online assessment tool and professional services help customers to improve their performance and meet their compliance requirements. Questionmark enables organizations to unlock their potential by delivering assessments which are valid, reliable, fair and defensible.

Questionmark offers secure powerful integration with other LMS, LRS and proctoring services making it easy to bring everything together in one place. Questionmark’s cloud-based assessment management platform offers rapid deployment, scalability for high-volume test delivery, 24/7 support, and the peace-of-mind of secure, audited U.S., Australian and European-based data centers.

¹ https://www.welivesecurity.com/2021/07/13/hybrid-workplace-what-does-mean-cybersecurity/ ² https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/what-executives-are-saying-about-the-future-of-hybrid-work ³ https://www.eset.com/int/about/newsroom/press-releases/research/80-of-businesses-worldwide-are-confident-their-remote-employees-have-the-knowledge-to-mitigate-cybe/

⁴ https://www.welivesecurity.com/2021/07/13/hybrid-workplace-what-does-mean-cybersecurity/

Contacts

For more information:

US: Kristin Bernor, external relations: Kristin.bernor@questionmark.com +1 203.349.6438

UK: James Boyd-Wallis: james.boyd-wallis@fourteenforty.uk +44 7793 021 607

Australia and New Zealand: Chelsea Dowd: chelsea.dowd@questionmark.com +61 2 8073 0527

OutBuro Voices Interview Matthew French Awesomely Authentic Career Coach Educational College Prep Diversity Inclusion Consulting LGBT Professionals Gay Entrepreneurs LGBTQ Students

LGBT Home-based Business Startup Productivity Tips

December 22, 2017 (updated April 19, 2021) Published by Dennis Velco

Some LGBT Entrepreneurs running a home-based business are skilled at juggling social life, dating, family life (life-partner, children, extended family) with work-life all while finding time for fitness. How do they do it? Dedication, structure, and a little self-forgiveness goes a long way.

Understand the challenge

It’s no easy task to juggle all facets of a modern LGBT active life with the time and effort required to run a business. That’s particularly true if you have had a lot of demands, unexpected life hiccups and believe you have to be perfect in all things and to everyone at all times. LGBT people are so used to being judged that we tend to overtax ourselves.

If you want your startup home-based business to succeed, it takes communication, planning, hard work, compromises, and the right attitude.

Get the timing right

The demands of work are very different to those of social and family. Add children to the family makeup and they naturally require a tremendous amount of time and attention. All can be exhausting but in different ways.

Your startup business requires a keen focus on analytical behavior, thinking strategically and logically. Looking after children also requires some strategy, of course. But it’s usually more free-form behavior, with less emphasis on deadlines and detailed schedules. Add extended family and perhaps caring for an ill or disabled family member or other such family requirements needing your time and attention and it can be all to easy to get sidetracked tending to the home and the needs of others. If no family members are in your mix, maybe it’s your life partner or your active dating habits and mingling strategy that turns you from a business laser to non-business fidgety.

Switching between these two modes of thinking can be tiring, stressful, and extremely unproductive.

The key is to be realistic with yourself and others. Set house rules that include your workspace and privacy while still allowing you to be accessible in emergencies. Be sure to define what an emergency is as well.

Starting a business typically requires much more effort, energy, and hours to get started and run in the early period than going to a job 30 – 40 hours a week working for someone else. Do your life and extended relationship circumstances allow you the time right now in your life dedicated to a new home-base startup business? Be realistic while still stretching yourself to reach your goals.

Are young children in your life? Many successful entrepreneurs take time off to concentrate on their young children for the first few years. Then they return to the world of work – refreshed and ready to succeed.

If you find yourself under-stimulated and desperate to get back to work, then that might be the right thing for you. And if your kids are happy to be left in the care of others, then this is less likely to cause them stress.

If you’re not sure, start small until you’re confident you can balance the demands of a home-based business with your children’s needs.

2. Deal with distractions

You will be distracted when you work from home. You may be putting the finishing touches on a business proposal when your daughter bursts in with a grazed knee. Or you’ll be updating your accounts when your son opens the door and asks you to help color in a picture.

Knowing that this is likely to happen can help you prepare for it:

Block out times in your work schedule when your kids aren’t around. Use this time for detailed work that requires concentration.
Have a list of short, easy, admin jobs that can be done while your children are around. This should be work that doesn’t require a lot of thought.
Get some shared office space if your budget and time allow it. If nothing else, getting out of the house and going to an office can make you feel more professional and help you focus. And there’s the added bonus of making new contacts.

3. Divide your hours fairly

There will be times when your business needs you, and times when your children do. It can be tempting to think that your business is more important, but that’s rarely true. Emails may be marked “Urgent!!!” but in the long run they aren’t as important as your children’s development.

So be fair. Separate work time and family time, and stick to this rigidly. The actual division will depend on your goals, but here are some suggestions:

Work from the morning school drop-off until the afternoon pick-up, then stop.
Don’t work on weekends.
Maybe work an extra hour once your kids are in bed – but don’t make a habit of it.
Remember to take proper lunch breaks.
Don’t forget to make time for family holidays.

This may seem like a restriction on your business. But it’s vital to create rules of separation and stick to them. Otherwise, it’s too easy for your business to suck up all your time.

Running your business isn’t the same as building it.

Act like a project manager

You can get a lot done in a short amount of time. It all depends on how well you manage it:

Don’t use your email inbox as a way to manage your tasks with clients. That’s not what it was designed for – there are better tools for the job.
Use a project management tool such as Basecamp to simplify client management. This can help you reduce the overwhelming flow of information and make it more manageable.
Set timers for individual tasks and take a break when the timer ends. For most types of work, it’s hard to maintain solid concentration for more than about 35 minutes at a time. Taking short, regular breaks will help you be more productive.
Keep everything client-related in one place, separate from other tasks. This will help you create a clear, uncluttered environment.

5. Develop a consistent schedule for your home-based business

Running your business isn’t the same as building it. Both are important, but once you’ve reached a certain workload it’s easy to ignore business development.

So pick one day a week for working on (not in) your business. In other words, you might spend that day:

planning social media marketing
writing blogs
following up on sales leads
networking with potential new customers.

6. Automate wherever possible!

Computers were designed to make working life easier. With the right software, you can automate some of the work of running your business.

Standard email responses will let you respond quickly to customers while you think about a more detailed reply. A simple “Thank you for your inquiry, we will get back to you in the next 48 hours” will make potential new customers feel valued.
Use cloud-based software to save time and effort. If you make use of software that stores data online securely, you’ll make life easier for yourself. Lower IT costs, automated upgrades, data backups that are done for you – it all helps save you time.
Automate admin tasks. There are some things that all businesses need to do, including handling payroll and accounting for taxes. Get the right accounting software and you’ll be able to automate much of this work. That will leave you more free time to concentrate on building your business.

Learn from others

If you want to make the most of your situation, it helps to learn from people who have been there before. Luckily, there are plenty of stay-at-home parents who have written about their experiences.

You can learn from them. Find out what they did right, what they did wrong, and what they recommend for other entrepreneurs.

A simple web search will bring up plenty of examples. Many of them are women since mothers are still more likely to be stay-at-home parents than men.

Always remember that you’re not alone. If you get stuck with any aspect of running your home-based business, it’s easy to reach out for advice. Make the most of all the resources available – then you’re much more likely to succeed.

Tag: Working from home