Exploring the advantages of the virtual office

There are a number of advantages to developing a remote workforce. Studies have shown that given the option to work from home, employee productivity increases, and morale improves. Recent advances in technology have removed many of the former challenges of "telecommuting," and a rapidly growing number of organizations are taking advantage of the practice as a recruiting and employee retention tool.

However, when managers first begin a remote work arrangement, there can be some concerns. Fortunately, these fears can be quickly addressed through tools like instant messaging, video chat and shared documents. Curtis Peterson, vice president of operations at RingCentral, recently spoke with Main Street about how technology has affected the management of remote workers. 

"The fears that used to exist — that you would have employees sitting around in their bunny slippers or cooking dinner and not working — those don't exist anymore," Peterson says. "If you've got a remote employee, you can have a meeting with them and see them sitting right there at their desk."

A virtual office arrangement allows organizations of all sizes to enjoy more flexibility and efficiency. Because working from home can also help employees achieve a better work-life balance and remove the stress of daily commutes, it can also increase employee engagement, leading to higher quality work. 

in addition to this improvements to morale and productivity, organizations also enjoy significant cost benefits in adopting a remote workforce. With a virtual office solution from On Point Executive Center, it is possibly to do away with expensive office leases, and the management and upkeep costs that go along with them.