Once upon a time, remote workers were seen as people who sit in their pajamas on the couch, half-working from their laptop while watching TV. Today, teleworking has reached a peak with more than 37% of workers saying that they have telecommuted, and 24% of workers telecommute more than 10 days per month. One thing those workers agree on is that they are more productive working from home.

Technology has empowered many workers to be more productive at their jobs. In a world that is constantly innovating, the workforce embraces new technology and new trends to find ways to better their experience, whether it’s with cloud-based applications, mobile devices or other breakthrough technology. All of this technology has led to our ability to work from anywhere with the same, or even more, productivity as if we were in a shared office.

Why Remote Workers Thrive

Remote workers thrive compared to those who work from a shared office every day, and here are at least five good reasons why.

1. Increased Productivity: Remote workers tend to be 20% more productive when they get to tackle creative projects from home, where they have the peace and quiet to think and work out the project. At home, workers are more relaxed, which actually encourages them to work more and work better. Offices are often busy and distracting, and sometimes even loud, which may affect how some employees function in the workplace.
2. Higher Engagement: Because remote workers’ productivity increases at home, they’re employee engagement also increases, making remote workers more satisfied with their work and the company and decreasing employee turnover. Employees who work from home have the independence to manage their own schedules and work toward their goals, so they feel more empowered than some office-bound employees.
3. More Dedicated: According to Inc. Magazine, remote workers are twice as likely to work beyond the 40-hour work week just because they want to, contributing to their overall levels of productivity and engagement. Because they are already home, remote workers are also less likely to miss work. It’s easier for them to work through illnesses at home than in an office (and it keeps sickness from spreading to other employees).
4. Better Health & Wellbeing: When employees are happier at their jobs, their health improves. Happiness contributes to a person’s health and wellbeing by reducing stress, and remote workers tend to sleep more by skipping the morning commute, which also keeps their stress levels low.
5. Improved Morale: Happiness is contagious. Whether a company has many remote workers or just a few, the happiness of one employee spreads to others and improves employee morale. The more successful remote workers a company has, the more likely morale is positive

Teleworking or remote working holds many benefits for organizations and employees, and it’s the direction many businesses are taking in an effort to reduce costs and empower employees. When more employees work from home, companies save money on office space and potentially gain more of employees’ time and productivity.

Video interviewing helps fill in gaps with remote workers by keeping personal connections alive through video. Candidates interviewing for remote work positions no longer have to visit an office to interview because advances in technology allow hiring managers to successfully interview via video, saving the company time and money in the long run. These advances make it easy for remote workers to stay connected with the company and their colleagues from the comfort of their home so that companies save money. Win, win.