Is Remote Working Key To Tackling The Great Resignation?

Remote-first companies offer a new way of life and are pivotal to creating the new normal when it comes to the workforce. 87% of businesses have adapted to hybrid working and job adverts for remote work increased by 307% between 2020 and 2021.  

We live our entire lives online – socialising, shopping and even caring for our health. In 2022, workplaces are now beginning to catch up and starting to become fully digital.

I founded Able in June 2021 and we were remote from day one. After managing 200 remote employees at the age of 20 with little experience – I had honed my skills and was ready to set-up a world-class, remote-first company, to empower people to make wellness and balance a way of life. 

We now have a rapidly expanding team with over 80 team members working across 20 nationalities, all 100% remote. Benefits include share options, unlimited annual leave, flexible hours, and most importantly, providing employees with a better work-life balance and greater autonomy.

The ‘Great Resignation’ And The New Normal

A survey of 1000 workers revealed that almost a third (29%) are considering moving to a new job this year – suggesting that the ‘Great Resignation’ is far from over. 

Flexible working should be a key consideration for any CEO concerned about how to retain their staff through the current climate. In the US, searches for ‘remote jobs’ are currently the highest they have ever been – and have risen by 460% in the last two years as people increasingly seek more flexibility in their roles. 

Offering a remote-first working set up is a huge asset to our company – it ensures we don’t miss out on top talent and unlocks access to a wider talent pool, meaning we can recruit based on skills and experience, rather than limiting ourselves to time zones and location. We can also offer employees the flexibility that many people have been seeking since the pandemic.

Connecting With Global Customers And Talent

We offer a 100% remote structure to improve employee wellness – and this vision extends to our customers as well as our team. We are working to digitalise wellness care and make it more accessible to everyone, no matter their location. Our platform connects health coaches with users around the world to bridge the wellness gap and provide weight and wellness care to those who need it.

Obesity rates in the US have nearly tripled since 1975, and currently, more than 37% of the population is obese. We founded Able as a solution to this problem, thinking of it as the ‘Uber of the wellness world’ to connect people with resources and coaches who can work with them on their health journey, entirely online and remotely. A remote-first structure is at the core of our business vision, using technology to connect with both customers and talent across the globe.

The Millennial And Gen Z Workforce

By 2030, millennials will make up 75% of the workforce – therefore it’s never been so vital to begin offering the kinds of benefits and flexibility that will attract and retain the younger generations.

A recent Prosper Insights & Analytics survey revealed that 52% of Gen-Z and 54% of Millennials would prefer to work for a company that allows them to work from home rather than the office. As a millennial founder myself, I wanted to make sure we were offering younger people the flexibility they are seeking in their careers.

I often hear people say that millennials don’t want to work hard, but I believe the opposite is true – millennials want to work smarter, rather than harder – and it’s why people will continue to thrive working remotely long into the future, even after the global pandemic is a distant memory.

Although we are a remote team, we work hard to keep staff invested in the growth of the business through clear and open communication, regular company updates, and offering share options to all employees. This keeps everyone connected and motivated, and is critical to the success of any remote-first team. At Able, we now have a company made up of full-time staff who are highly productive and work exclusively on our business.

Nearly a fifth (16%) of people want to quit their jobs because they are required to come into the office or workspace, and 28% admit that flexible working policies encourage them to stay in their current job. It’s clear that remote working remains a priority for most job seekers – and it should be high on the agenda for any CEO looking to build a successful team and attract the best talent. We certainly do and it works for us. 

About the author: Roman Taranov is the CEO and Founder of weight care and wellness platform, Able.