More SMEs opting for flexible working for staff
Ongoing economic uncertainties are resulting in more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) taking on freelancers and expanding their mobile workforces, according to a new report.
The Business Tracker report from recruiter Regus discovered that the uncertain economy means that 42 per cent of SMEs are looking into hiring more freelance staff. In addition, some 29 per cent of the firms who said they will opt to take on permanent staff will appoint people as remote workers.
This, in turn, could result in an increase in demand for virtual desktops and work planning software, which helps office managers keep track of their mobile workers.
UK firms who operate on a global basis are even more interested in flexible working, with 39 per cent planning to recruit mobile workers and almost half looking to take on more freelance staff.
Many of these businesses have found that requiring staff to commute to a central office no longer fits their business model. Some report that asking people to commute to work is no longer valid when remote working – using technology like saas cloud computing – is now so easily available. Others claim they can attract the best talent in many different geographical locations through a more flexible approach.
Tags: mobile workforces, saas cloud computing, virtual desktops
