At the start of 2020, it was reported that more than 5 million workers were working remotely, a figure that showed an 150 percent increase from the previous decade. Now, with most of America quarantined in their homes, that number has skyrocketed incalculably. In short, anyone still actively working is likely working from their residence. Setting your employees up with the ability to work from home is one option to keep your office staff engaged during this downturn and may let you hang onto your office all-stars. Further, this can be a trial run for when business ramps up again.
Dave Uziel of UrbanBCN
At the CD/NLA Show in February, Dave Uziel of UrbanBCN Worldwide and Andy Hernandez of CTA Worldwide discussed the advantages of turning expanding their family-run chauffeured transportation companies with a remote workforce. The pair shared their insight into their successes in having remote employees, thanks to the strides in telecommuting technology and booking, scheduling, dispatch, and reservation management systems. Uziel and Hernandez also expounded on the pros and cons of remote employees as well as the why and how you may want to consider and out-of-house staff.
What kind of employees can be remote? With current technology, your entire staff from reservations and dispatch to sales and accounting can all be done remotely.
Andy Hernandez of CTA Worldwide
Cost savings can be immense: If you’re no longer beholden to a large brick-and-mortar facility filled with cubicles and offices, you can transfer those funds into a warehouse or indoor parking facility. And if you’re located in an area with a high minimum wage or a comparably high cost of living, remote staffing allows you to high from different states (or countries).
Increase your talent pool: Finding good employees has vexed the chauffeured ground transportation industry for as long as anyone can remember. By staffing remotely, you have access to candidates from outside your market, as well as people with disabilities or stay-at-home parents looking for flexibility.
Increased coverage: With the chauffeured ground transportation industry requiring 24/7/365 coverage, having staff in a different time zone, or even another country, puts less stress on your local employees. Similarly, if there is a power outage or weather-related emergency, your operation won’t see a break in service.
Onboarding is a breeze: Getting your new remote employees set up is as easy as a click on Amazon. Simply send a laptop, monitors, printer, and phone to your candidate. The majority of reservation software features training videos designed to prep your new hire quickly.
Productivity and efficiency are likely to increase: Without in-office distractions, many remote employees thrive in a work-at-home environment. While it’s natural for an operator to have some concern about work being done when you’re not there to see it, metrics provided with your operations software will give you an accurate view of the work being done. Similarly, software like Sneek.io offers live video conferencing, and even gives the impression that employees are working together, despite being hundreds of miles apart.
The full session is available here. While you’re at it, stop by cdmediavault.com for videos of dozens of our educational sessions from previous shows.
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