Choosing between returning to the office or working remotely is one of the main decisions companies are currently facing. Digital nomads are taking over the place. Whether working from home, using a laptop at a coffee shop, or delivering a presentation through a tablet, remote work and cloud-based applications have given workers the opportunity to work as if they were in their office.
Remote employees can now work all hours of the day and can communicate with coworkers all over the world. It has given laborers the freedom that most were looking for, and has allowed companies to cut expenses. That’s why remote work continues to be so popular.
Why is remote work thriving?
As far as the 20th century goes, the number of people owning laptops has increased exponentially, connecting a larger number of homes to the internet.
More and more public spaces have offered WiFi as their hook for digital nomads, and this has been ideal for remote work to thrive. Nevertheless, the main turning point of remote work has been the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
Productivity at its finest.
Productivity increases dramatically when employees work from home; remote workers are less likely to be interrupted by colleagues or other workplace distractions. Working from home also helps minimize tardiness, as employees don't have to deal with uncontrolled traffic and commuting.
Our thoughts on the pricing structure of Toptal
While it's not possible for us to find details about how much of what a client pays ultimately goes to a candidate, we believe clients looking for transparent and straightforward pricing may want to look at other alternatives.
Our opinion is that if they are charging a client more than $12,000 monthly for a developer, they should at the very least be giving $9,600 to the candidate, but it's likely that it's even less than that.
What Hiring Managers Should Ask Before Choosing a Talent Partner
Before partnering with any talent provider — whether Toptal, Teilur, or others — hiring managers should consider asking the following key questions:
- What percentage of the fee actually goes to the talent?
- Are replacement or satisfaction guarantees included in the contract?
- How are regional salary benchmarks determined?
- Is there full transparency in how rates are broken down?
- What is the long-term cost difference between hiring directly and through a platform?
These questions can help businesses make informed decisions and ensure that pricing aligns with both market realities and ethical compensation practices.
People will not return to their jobs if remote work is not an option.
In Owl Labs’ 4th annual State of Remote Work, 77% of respondents said they would be happier if they continued working from home after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The same survey also found that 1 in 2 women will not return to work if remote work is not offered.
Most remote workers aren't going to quit working from home, and that's how companies are retaining employees and spending less on training new hires.
To conclude, the survey also showed that 90% of remote workers plan to work remotely for the rest of their careers, which makes us think that once employees transition to remote work, they are unlikely to return.
On-site vs. remote work
Unlike working in an office, a remote work policy allows companies to:
- Improve the physical and mental health of employees.
- Allow workers to trade stressful commuting for an early morning workout.
- Allow employees more time to focus on their health, improving productivity and overall well-being.
- Give more flexibility in terms of family time and personal commitments.
- Spend more money on team-building activities instead of retreats, extra phone lines, break room snacks, and office supplies.
But what about remote work infrastructure?
Team collaboration tools like Slack can be considered as a virtual office and a water cooler rolled into one. Everyone on the team can get in touch as quickly as possible with anyone else working around the world.
Project management tools like Trello also create digital to-do lists to keep everyone on the same page, even though they're never in the same place.
Virtual conference calls (Zoom, Meet, or Teams) also ensure that no one is behind a computer screen. By collaborating in face-to-face meetings, virtual workplaces remain more human than AI.
